Thankful Thursday

1. We have had a cool summer. (But this weekend we are in for some heat.)
2. My little nephew will be receiving excellent medical care at Walter Reed Medical Center.
3. The Lord has taken care of all of our needs each day.
4. My husband has defied the odds and has had work.
5. A few weeks ago, my husband was able to come to my rescue and give me a push when my van broke down at a busy intersection. (We live in an area where man doesn't always help his neighbor. :( ) (What is strange is that this happened on the same road where last spring, my husband rescued someone in the early hours, 3-4 out of 5 Sundays. I've told him that he needs to be a community officer for this road. The world needs him!)
6. My husband has a friend with a towing business who came and helped us in a jiffy. He didn't even charge us, just had my husband take him out to lunch. Thank you Ted!
7. My parents dropped everything that afternoon and came to rescue my son and I. Sigh.
8. The van has been fixed and God has provided.
9. I am going to meet a friend at the park today.
10. Good books.

For all of these people and things, I am thankful!

The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God and I will exalt him.
Exodus 15:2

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that my husband returned home from his job out of town.
2. I am thankful that he and the other men with him were kept safe during their work.
3. I am thankful that we all could attend the municipal band concert Tuesday night.
4. I am thankful that the band played and will finish their season even though the city has pulled their funding. :( Their director is a gem.
5. I am thankful that my daughter had a good, safe day at the amusement park yesterday.
6. I am thankful for a free evening with no plans.
7. I am thankful for my parents who are always very generous to us.
8. I am thankful for the beautiful weather that we have been having.
9. I am thankful for the lazy summer days that we can have.
10. I am thankful for instant information available to us on the internet.

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.
~ Psalm 92:4, NLT

A Tiny Finish

I was hoping to have more finished with the amount of sewing that I have been doing lately. I am thankful to have finished this little one. The half square triangles in the center were scraps from a current project. Scraps from flying geese blocks that a sane person would have thrown away. A sane person that does not save every little thing. I often wish I was more sane, but I was at least able to make a little something with my tiny scraps here.

I watched Mansfield Park last night. You just love to hate the Crawford's. Fannie was so sweet.

I am going to watch some more Dirty Jobs with my children as we wait for my husband to return from his Dirty Job. He has been away too much these last two months. I hope that you have a good week!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that our whole family was able to attend church together this past weekend.
2. I am thankful that the game controller in my son's hand has been replaced by a rake, the controls of a riding lawnmower, a paint brush, a push mower, a shovel.
3. I am thankful for my husband's and my continual healing.
4. I am thankful for the beauty of growing things.
5. I am thankful for my son's band concert tonight which is always one of the highlights of my summer.
6. I am thankful for the work that my husband has even though it has taken him out of town and I really don't know quite where he has gone or when he will be returning. I need to locate that atlas.
7. I am thankful for my home.
8. I am thankful for the enjoyable weekend that our family had over the 4th of July holiday.
9. I am thankful that God provided the funds so that I was able to pay another large medical bill this week.
10. I am thankful for being able to have HOPE for the future!
I hope that you are having a good week!

Thankful Thursday

1. Thank you Lord for the calls that my husband had this week for work.
2. I am thankful for my family.
3. I am thankful for cooler weather this week.
4. I am thankful for my son's interest in band and the opportunity that he has had to play with the public school district these past 5 years.
5. I am thankful that the Lord has provided for all of our needs today.
6. I am thankful for healthy children.
7. I am thankful for books.
8. I am thankful that we were able to turn in our last payment for Phase II of my child's braces today. Thank you Lord for providing for us in that way.
9. I am thankful for my husband, his good nature that keeps us going, his hard work, his compassion for people, and the good example that he sets for me and my children.
10. As we approach Independence Day, I am thankful for all of the freedoms that my family and I are able to enjoy and I am thankful for all of the men and women that are serving and have served so that we can continue to be free.

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. I Chronicles 16:23-25

Thankful Thursday

decaf, please blogspot has posted a Thankful Thursday. That sounds wonderful to me.

1. I am thankful that my husband is feeling stronger and more like himself as each day passes.
2. I am thankful that the Lord has provided us with exactly what we need today.
3. I am thankful for my children and that when I peek in the living room, each one has their head in a book.
4. I am thankful that my husband has work today.
5. I am thankful for libraries.
6. I am thankful for being able to hear my children's laughter.
7. I am thankful for music. Music that brings back memories, music that is ridiculous and makes me laugh, music that brings a tear to my eye.
8. I am thankful for the times that I can have a needle in my hand. (sewing needle)
9. I am thankful that the Lord saw us through another crisis last weekend.
10. I am thankful for fresh starts.

The Happiest Girl in the World

My son attended his first High School activity at church this week and my daughter attended her first Jr. High activity last night. It was a messy, food, game night. She came home covered in eggs, bananas, SPAM, chocolate sauce, a mysterious green substance, and giggly happiness. She was still beaming today. My husband and I absolutely can not understand where all of the time has gone. How did our little ones get so big? I hope that you are having a good week!

I am thankful that my husband got a good report at the doctor's office yesterday and that he was able to work a few hours today.

Oh Happy Day!

We were able to spring my husband from the hospital yesterday. I am so use to being the sick, fragile one over the years that I hardly know what to do here on the other side! Every day there seems to be improvement and we are Thankful!

I finished Blackbirds by Calico Printworks from their book Scraps Again. It was a good weekend to just do mindless binding. I am in a Blackbird funk. I am also stitching another Blackbird piece. For this quilt I used what I had and only had to buy a $10 spool of thread to quilt it. Finishes are so great! I started this years ago and I am glad to be done. I will try to get a label on the back tonight. I have been pouring over old magazines and books and making a pile of things that I would like to work on. I am drawn to a lot of basket quilts which I have never made, or finished. I need to remain focused though and keep working on a few things that I have out. I am working on a Joined at the Hip quilt. I have one more block to do and then I am stuck. There is suppose to be an American flag on the top and bottom but I am not wanting the quilt to go in that direction but I think that it will need something. I have the flags made already. I could just throw them on and be done with it...we'll see. I have been digging and digging in my fabric boxes for fabrics to use on these projects and I am refamiliarizing myself with some old projects. Maybe I can learn to love them again! :) I hope that you are having a good day whether it is starting something, finishing something, or bringing a loved one home!

I am thankful for my family!

Well...

we never know what a day will hold, do we? I could say that 2009 has brought with it an incredible amount of bad luck for our family, that we are living under a dark cloud of misfortune. I could say that we are slow learners and that whatever lesson God is trying to teach us, we have yet to learn. But I think that Romans 8:28 says it best. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God is a good God. I love Him and trust Him. I may never understand His ways or plans for us but that is okay. He continues to care for us and provide for all of our needs and that is enough for me. My daughters are still reading to their father. It is just not here at home but at the hospital. He is never sick and this is his first stay at a hospital. Hopefully he will be able to return to us soon. I am thankful that our hospital is not far and I have been able to enjoy 2 long visits with him today, well, three I guess. I am thankful for our family and friends that so often are so caring. It is time to draw this day to its conclusion. Good night!

Awwww...

My husband is very sick with some icky crud and I am not posting a picture of a sick husband because that would just be cruel. (Isn't he handsome even when he is sick?)(A person must be sick when they are wanting to wear their wool hat in the middle of June.) My little one has been reading to him for over an hour and a half. She has shared some of her prized softies and I can't help but feel that my DH must get better soon just from all of her love. I think she will grow up to be a nurse or teacher, someone who cares for others.
I am going to start binding my quilt Blackbird this weekend. Binding, my favorite part of quilting. I just love how it feels in my hand and the stitching and the anticipation of being almost finished with something. I didn't hand quilt it. I just did not love it enough to spend the next 10 years of my life putting a few stitches in it every now and again. I am also going to remain positive and not mention all the mess that I made of that thing. :) Maybe by early next week I will have a finished quilt to post. The sun finally came out here. I hope that you are all well and have a wonderful weekend!

Another Crisis Averted

My daughter came home from the doctor today minus one grubby, foul cast. Her arm is sore and weak and she was emotional about that. The lizard that is usually in her good care and death grip went missing while she had it out on her. Wall-e was too distracting I guess. More emotional distress. Lizard was recovered, another crisis averted. Lots of tears. I asked if she is missing her daddy. Yes, more tears. I talked with my son and he is sick in WV. Sick, tired, and sore. I wanted to cry. We are going to go to the mall and walk. "I don't have any money"...she said. More tears. There is too much estrogen around here today. Exercise and window shopping might be just the distraction that my girls need.

Makes Me Giggle

This place cracks me up. The sign on the door says "No Children Allowed". I don't know what goes on here but children obviously interfere. Shocking!

Many Hands

Many hands do make light work. Isn't this beautiful? What I love most about this is that the whole family helped with the chopping, loading, hauling, and stacking. My lumberjack husband had a hard time keeping up sometimes. There is even more than this so we will have enough to share with our parents also. I look at this and see cozy evenings by the fireplace or comfy days homeschooling by a warm fire (if I can get it lit!) and yummy hot dog roasts too! It has been so cold here still and I refuse to turn the heat on again until fall. Sorry family. I call for a fire in the fireplace tonight. The children will start placing bets as to whether I can get a fire lit or not. Have a warm cozy evening wherever you are!

They're Back!

Itttt MMMMust BBBBe SSSSSSummer (teeth chattering). We put on all of our layers, winter hats, blankets, and grabbed our lawn chairs and got down to the beach last night to hear the municipal band kick off their summer series. This is one of the highlights of summer for me. No, we weren't the only ones there. There were other crazy folk there too. And like other summers, I trust it will get warmer. I don't understand how their fingers could fly through those notes. It had to have been painful. I love the conductor. He tells corny jokes and gives historical backgrounds to each of the pieces. I love a good corny joke.
The girls and I are going to head to Menard's with my husband's gift card to buy some plants for our garden. I guess I get a garden after all. Never say "Never". I asked the children yesterday what they would like to put in the garden. All I could get out of them was "Venus fly traps" or a "pitcher plant". I think that I will have to do all of the work in the garden too. Happy Planting to you today!

Proud

I am so proud of the wonderful young man that my son has become. I have been laughing this week. In the past I have been busy with managing everyone's various activities. Now I am busy keeping up with my son's work schedule. I asked him if I could get a percentage as his agent. That would only leave him with about $1 an hour so we might have to think of something else. :) His Grandpa's have been keeping him busy with work. He is a big, strong, hard-working boy with a great attitude. (That sounds an awful lot like his father BTW. ) As parents we want good things for our children and we want them to become good people and as J's mother, I really love the direction that he is headed! I love you my fine young man!

A May Finish

I finished this little stitching called "May Day Freebie" from Betty of primitivebettys. I loved the blue and olive green together in this. I don't know if I am crazy about the pillow. I might have preferred it in a frame but I am crazy about a little finish.

I had a enjoyable Mother's Day, a good full day of family and fun. Thank you family! I love you!

Happiness is...

duct tape and tracing paper. Duct tape for my son and tracing paper for my daughters. The transformation in this house over the last 24 hours has been monumental. Happy, happy, happy, happy, joy, joy, joy. Who knew? :)

A Spring Break Finish

Years ago I had tried to get my daughter started sewing. She had seen a boy get his finger or hand caught in a factory's sewing machine on the Samantha movie so she had no interest in sewing with me. I was a little annoyed because my house is full of fabric and that is just about all I know how to do anything with. I am not that creative. I can't do anything with paint. I am all thumbs with a hot glue gun...etc. So I didn't push it and I was happy that she did a few cross-stitch projects last year.

This spring break we are kind of grounded at home. I asked the girls if they would like to do any sewing. I was shocked when said daughter M suggested making some pillowcases! We cut them out this afternoon and she did the sewing...on my machine. It was an enjoyable afternoon. She did a great job!

I should mention that at the end of last year I read the book Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine. This was the second time I had read the book. Even though there is a great chasm between what Judith and I hold near and dear to our hearts, I enjoyed her documenting her year long experience/struggles with this topic. I thought I would try to put it into play in my life this year. In early January I stumbled a little but got back on track. I know that this is not a good plan to help our economy but it is a good plan for my family and myself. On the other hand though, is consumer debt good for the economy? It is not good for families. I am not apologizing for what I am trying to do. It is absolutely essential with all of the medical bills, job uncertainty for my husband, etc. My point with all of this is that as far as my crafting is concerned, I am trying to just use what I have for this year. No new purchases except maybe just to buy what I would need to finish something, but I still am not certain about that. So today's pillow cases were made from only what I had on hand and they are cute and the girls love them.

I am also trying to go with Dave Ramsey's list of goals. We have no household consumer debt. (AWESOME!!!!) We have $1,000 for emergencies. I am trying to save 6 months worth of income in case it were to be needed. After that I would try to start chipping away at our mortgage. God is so good to us. He has provided us with all that we need. Thank you Lord!!!!

Awww...she does care.

Yesterday I asked my husband if I need to start looking for a job. I was a bit shocked that one of my DD almost had herself a little heart attack. I was very shocked by which daughter this was. Maybe she was more concerned about how this would affect her, but I will take it as the fact that she really does love me even during this "difficult age". :)

Another Old Finish

Tsk, tsk, tsk, I peeked at the back and found another old finish without a label. I say it was done in 2004 or 2005. This is Crow's Foot quilt by Cheri Saffiote from the book Wednesday's Best by Indygo Junction, Inc. It was another great quilt kit from the shop in Cedarburg that is no longer there.

I am counting down the days until my surgery. "8". It will be really great to get this health crisis, insurance problems, medical bills, and everything else associated with this large bump in the road behind me and my family! Maybe someday I will write more about it. I never wanted to be one who wrote all about my health problems in letters, facebook, or here. I want to hear about how others are doing and not talk about my problems. My hospital stay last month was really the stuff of fiction. I tried to keep my humor about it. I tried to be strong and brave for everyone. I tried to be happy throughout it all as best as I could. I never really mentally dealt with the nightmare of it all. When my health improved I tried to get busy and with children you honestly just have to move on and there is no time to wallow in self pity. This is a good thing. I just hope that my upcoming surgery will turn out fabulous because I just don't know if I could go through all of this again. God was so merciful to me though and I know that with Him on my side I can endure a lot, but is it selfish to just wished to be spared? :) Enough! Time to get busy! It is cold, damp, and raining here but I am snug and warm in my wonderful home for which I am so thankful! I hope that you are snug and warm today too!

Powerful

Yesterday I had the provilege of hearing Christopher Yuan's amazing testimony. His parents story was equally inspirational. I want to be like his mother. I want to have the endurance to stand in the gap and be able to be an intercessor for my loved ones, whatever it takes, and for however long. Christopher spoke of desiring a life of holiness. In my own reading in James, the word pure keeps appearing. I want that. I desire a pure heart and mind. And I too want to run this race and at the end hear that I have done well. I need to turn my thoughts to how I can do well today and even this week. :) I had better get out of this chair and get to it! Although it is bitterly cold here today, it looks beautiful outside. I hope that you enjoy your day!

christopheryuan.com

Let It Snow!

It's snowing outside but I am oblivious because I am amassing a small army of these sweet bee skep candles. They smell wonderful. Now it's time to work on some banana bread. I hope that you are enjoying your day whether it is snowy, sunny, or something in between!

An Old Finish to Share

I found Pat Sloan at Pat Sloan's Place on Facebook. I thought I would share with her one of her quilts that I made. This is Rose Medallion by Pat Sloan from her book Vintage Blooms. The great fabrics were chosen by someone else. They were in a kit at a wonderful quilt shop in Cedarburg, Wisconsin which is unfortunately no longer there. I love kits because I am not always confident when it comes to picking out great fabrics. I looked behind the quilt and I didn't label it so I forget when I finished it. :(

In the picture is Uncle Sam carved by my father, a very talented wood carver. The framed cross-stitch is called I Pledge by La-D-Da. I finished that a long time ago also. The dresser was lovingly made by my wonderful husband from butternut wood to match our bed. We are all so crafty.

Have a great evening!