Winter Bloggy Giveaway!!

 It’s time for the Winter Bloggy Giveaway Carnival, hosted by Rocks in My Dryer!!This was so much fun in the Fall, I decided to join in again this go round. 

I am giving away a Winter scrapbooking package including:  12 sheets of scrapbooking paper, 2 packages of winter rub-ons, 6 winter embellishment packages by Paper Bliss, Rebecca Sower and Jolee’s Boutique, and approx. 4 yds. of ribbon (red plaid, blue gingham, blue loopy chenille, and a cream ribbon with snowmen on it that says “Love never melts”.  Here is a picture of all the goodies:

 All you need to do to enter my drawing is leave a comment on this post saying that you want to be entered.  It’s as simple as that.  The contest will end at midnight (Central) on Sunday, Feb. 3rd (end of the day on Sunday).  I will randomly draw a winner and announce their name on Monday. 

This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers alike- just make sure to leave me your e-mail address(it won’t be visible on the site),  so that I can contact you if you win!  I will pay all shipping charges to ship your prize to you and International entries are welcome!

If you’re interested in more giveaways, go here to see a nice long list of other blogs giving away wonderful items!  You might just find some really special blogs that you didn’t know about before!

Blessings,

Nancy

Dogwoods

There is a special place in my heart for dogwood trees.  You see, I was born in North Carolina and spent my first 7 years of life there.  North Carolina is prolific with dogwood trees – Texas is not.  The rest of my life has included many trips back to my birth state, usually in the spring or summer when the dogwoods were in full bloom with lovely white flowers or lush with green leaves.

When I was a child, my siblings and I spent many moments climbing and sitting in the dogwood tree in the middle of my grandparent’s beautiful backyard.  When we returned years later with our own children, the tree was still there, adorned in white beauty, beckoning someone to come and share a few moments in it’s branches – so, we placed our babies in its grasp and took pictures of them in our old friend.

Besides the sentimental value of the dogwood to me, there is also a spiritual value for me.  The flowers of the dogwood tree have 4 petals in the form of a cross.  At the end of each petal is a red pinched spot, which reminds us of the wounds on Jesus hands, feet and head as He was hanging on the cross.  This beautiful tree is a living reminder of the great love He has for us – so great that He gave His own life as a payment for our sin.

So why am I prompted to write about the dogwood today?  Because I planted 2 dogwood trees yesterday!  Somehow we came upon a brochure from the National Arbor Day Foundation which said that they would send you a tree to plant if requested.  Jeff requested one and it arrived in the mail one day last month.  Imagine my joyful surprise when I opened it and saw that it was a White Dogwood tree that they sent!

Imagine my even greater surprise when, upon unwrapping it yesterday, I discovered that they sent 2 trees rather than just one!  Mind you, these are small cuttings of trees, and will need to grow quite a bit to come close to the one in my grandparent’s yard, but I am excited anyway!  I have planted them in the corners of my vegetable garden (the baby tree nursery), so that they will be able to grow in a safe, protected environment for a couple of years before transplanting into the yard.

I don’t know if they will survive or not, but for right now, I am thrilled to know that there are dogwoods growing on my property!  Now if I could just get those berry bushes to grow, too – but that’s another story.

Blessings,

Nancy

Making My Home a Haven

“This is the message you heard from the beginning:  We should love one another.”             1 John 3: 1

 “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”               1 John 3: 18

“. . . train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind. . .”    Titus 2:4-5

I have been reading several blogs lately that have spoken of making our homes a haven for our families.  This has been so interesting to me, as it has given a word to what I have in my heart to provide for my family. 

“Haven – Harbor;  port; place of safety.”  -Webster’s Dictionary

Imagine a ship out to sea, facing the storms, the beating of the sun and the waves, and the pull of the tide.  Now imagine that ship coming into port and docking – no longer in danger of being swept off course or lost in the storm.  The harbor is where the boat is stabilized and washed off and repaired from it’s journey into the world.  It is a place of rest and regrouping before the next voyage.

I believe that our homes are meant to be this harbor for our families – this haven.  I don’t think this means perfection, but rest and shelter and support – a place filled with love and the practical working out of that love.  One of our jobs as wives and mothers is to make this haven a reality for our families.  The bonus is that when our home is a haven for our families, it is also a haven for us! 

Now, while this is the desire of my heart, I too often find that my home isn’t feeling like much of a haven.  The reality is that while there is definitely love in my home, there is also selfishness and sinfulness living here (certainly my own self included!)  Only by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives will our homes ever be the haven that we desire -

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.”   Psalm 127: 1

The first thing that I can do towards this end, then, is to make sure I am spending time with the Lord each day – reading His Word, talking to Him and listening to what He has to teach me.  (This is soooo convicting, even as I write!)  Following this is to teach God’s truth to my children, so that they will know His will and learn to follow Him.  One small thing that I am doing to help with this is to post Scripture around the house.  We have had various different Scriptures posted in the past, but today I will be making  several signs that sum up everything for our family – “Love God” and “Love each other”.  I hope that these will serve as visual reminders to everyone (myself included) of our goal and purpose as a family.

While I feel that our spiritual attitude is the most important factor in making our home a haven, there are many other things that we can do as wives and mothers to bless our families, both in attitude and practical ways (not that our attitude isn’t practical!)  I am going to start an ongoing series on this topic titled “Making My Home a Haven” as a regular feature on my blog.  I hope to share ideas that I have incorporated into my home as well as those that I  pick up around the web.  I pray that it will bless you and I both as we endeavor to glorify the Lord as we minister to our families!

I’ll leave you with one simple idea for starters – candles!  I love candles, and I tend to light a few most evenings.  It makes our house feel cozier and adds a pleasing aroma to our home (which is usually needed in a house with 2 children in diapers, 3 dogs and 2 cats!)  I love to light a candle while I am in the kitchen working – it just makes the room more pleasant. My favorite scents are vanilla, sugar cookie, and cinnamon for this time of year.  Candles create a homey atmosphere for our family (located safely, of course!), which I think adds to our sense of haven.

Blessings,

Nancy

Winter blahs. . .

I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to get myself moving.  I feel like I’m walking around in a daze.  I am doing things that need doing, but kind of in a fog.  I think it is the cold, overcast, gray days we’ve had lately.   I definitely do better on bright, sunny days!  Somehow it energizes me and makes me want to accomplish a lot.  On dark, gray days, I just want to sit around and don’t feel like doing anything.  I also don’t like cold – at all.  I have been wanting to run to the grocery store for the last two days, but it is so cold outside that I just want to stay in, under a blanket. 

Yesterday I saw an entire flock of Robins outside my kitchen window!  There had to have been at least 40!  I’ve never seen this many Robins together at the same time – maybe 10 max.  I want to look up and read about them to see if this is the norm.  It was really neat, though – a hint of the coming of Spring, even if a little early.  I figured that they were probably heading back north after their winter away, but I don’t know.

Oh, there is news in the Great Honda Hunt – Jeff found a car and purchased it last Thursday.  It was the quickest turnaround we’ve ever done on a car – praise the Lord!  He has even sold his car already for more than the salvage shop was offering.  Here is a picture of the new one:

I haven’t gotten to drive it yet, but I know that Jeff is enjoying it!

I’ve been reading various blogs around the net lately that deal with making our homes a haven for our families.  These have been so inspiring to me, as this is one thing that I feel in my heart that we are called to do as wives and mothers.  I hope to post more in the coming weeks about this subject, as I explore thoughts and ideas.  Not today, though – my brain is too fuzzy – maybe the sun will come out tomorrow!

Blessings,

Nancy

Mommy’s Arms are Best. . .

. . .that’s what David has been saying the last several days. He has been ill and rather cranky. What he wants most of all is to be held by Mommy. In fact, he is sleeping in my arms right now as I type this. Now, typing with one hand is not fun and is rather laborious, but I hadn’t posted in so long, I decided to plow on ahead. At least now you know what’s been keeping me busy lately!

In other news, Jeff is on the search for a new car. His engine died on Monday, leaving us with only the van, and Ryan’s car (when he’s not using it!) Since hubby drives almost an hour to work each day, he really needs his own. He has worked from home the last couple of days, but can’t do so indefinitely. Stay tuned for updates on the great Honda hunt!

Today is an overcast, bleary kind of day here; but, since I have nowhere to go, it’s actually quite a cozy kind of day, as well. I have a small 2 ft. alpine tree on my bedroom dresser with little white lights and homespun fabric strips entwined in the branches. It is adding to my cozy feel. A roast is cooking in the crockpot for dinner, creating a delicious aroma in the house. This is such an easy roast to make. I simply put a raw chuck roast in the crockpot, sprinkle it with dry onion soup mix (1 pkt for small roast – 2 pkts for large roast), and spread 2-3 cans of cream of mushroom soup all over it. I put on the lid, set it on high, and sit back and let it cook. I sometimes turn it down to low in the late afternoon, if it seems to be cooking too fast. This roast just falls apart when I take it out, and is so delicious!

I will be cutting up some potatoes and roasting them in the oven to go with it. Then I will just add a green salad, maybe some rolls if I get around to it (probably not!- remember that baby that wants to be held), and I’m done. I may have one of the girls stick some refrigerated cookie dough in the oven when the potatoes come out for dessert.

Last night we made Cashew Chicken using the recipe from Cindy at An Army for the Lord, and it was really wonderful! It tasted just like the restaurant version that we’ve always loved. If you’re a chinese food fan, you might want to check it out! We served it with white rice, egg rolls, and fortune cookies (always fun for a laugh!)

In case you’re wondering if I’ve been typing ALL of this with one hand, I haven’t. Little guy woke up during the roast recipe and is now running around happily. Ryan just arrived home from work and is doing chores. Laura is writing on her computer while watching “I Love Lucy” (we got the entire series boxed set for Christmas, and she especially is enjoying watching them!). Tommy is playing a Mario Olympics game on the Wii in the living room. Sarah is baking brownies in the kitchen (she was a step ahead of me – I didn’t even have to ask someone to make dessert!). Michael is playing on a Scooby-Doo site on the family computer. Anna is putting macaroni in a cup of water to freeze (the kids have been doing freezing experiments for the last day or so – appropriate for January anyway – I think we have about 10 containers in there now with frozen water, Cheerios and a rubber glove, which will hopefully present us with a frozen hand!). Matthew is at work and Jeff is out looking at another car! Just thought I’d give a roll call.

About time to start cutting up those potatoes. . . if David lets me. Have a wonderful evening!

Blessings,
Nancy

Happy Birthday, Matthew!!!

Today is our son, Matthew’s birthday!  He is 17 years old, a fact which is boggling my mind!  I really don’t know where the years go!  It seems like yesterday he was just a little boy, and now he’s taller than me and on his way to being grown up.

 Matthew is truly a “gift from God”, as his name implies.  He blesses us with his quiet wit, inquisitive nature and sensitive heart for God.  He loves the Lord and is very concerned about doing what will please Him. 

He has a hard place in the family, following two older brothers, but is very strong in voicing his beliefs and standing up for himself.  He has the gift of persistence in all that he does – if it’s something he wants to do or learn, he won’t give up until he does.  I always joke that I spent two full years of my life just following him around (when he was 1-3 years old!) – he was always in the cabinets or into anything – he would rather explore than play with toys!

Matthew is very skilled with the computer and is a great source of help and support to me as I fumble around on it and try to learn new things.  He is presently putting together a computer from scratch as he can afford the parts.  It always amazes me when he knows just how to fix our “technical difficulties” that pop up almost daily (due to various users of various ages!)

Matthew enjoys being outside and playing sports, especially basketball.  When he was two years old, we had to install extra locks on the doors to keep him from going outside and heading to the neighbor’s basketball goal (remember that persistence?), and he used to sit and watch golf on t.v. at the same age, because there was a ball involved!  He has always liked any kind of ball game.  We spent many seasons watching him play baseball and basketball when he was younger.

These days he enjoys playing battle/war games on the computer and can frequently be heard cheering on his fellow soldiers. 

He enjoys his job and the friends he has there, and is a very diligent hard worker.

He loves cats and has really enjoyed our kitten, Macey, since she came to live with us.  Many evenings he can be found either carrying her around or chasing her around, depending on the mood of the moment!

Matthew was blessed with beautiful curly hair (to his disdain!), which he keeps cut very short now, but which used to be so adorable when he was 1 year old and blond (It has since turned dark brown, like his siblings).

I am so thankful for the gift of Matthew!  He challenges me, makes me laugh, exasperates me, touches my heart and blesses me every day (whether he knows it or not!) 

Happy Birthday Mattie!

I love you!

Mom

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Here is a delicious meal idea for a chilly winter evening.  This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law quite some time ago, and we have enjoyed it for years!

Chicken Pot Pie -

2 unbaked pie crusts  (I use the Pillsbury refrigerated ones)

1-2 cups cooked and cut up boneless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)

1 pkg.  frozen mixed vegetables (10 oz.), cooked and drained

2 cans cream of potato soup

1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

-Line pie plate with one pie crust.

Mix remaining ingredients together and pour into crust.

Top with 2nd crust.  Seal and flute edges.  Cut slits in top to release steam.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 40 minutes until golden.

Cool 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

I always make 2 of these at a time, and I usually serve it with fruit or muffins.

Blessings,

Nancy

10 Things That I Want to Do in 2008. . .

January is a good time to think about new beginnings and fresh starts.  Maybe you’re like me and you find yourself thinking of things you’d like to improve or accomplish when the new year begins.  In this spirit, I thought I would share my list with you of what I would like to accomplish this year.  I’m not sure I’d call them resolutions, but more like goals to work toward and keep in mind as I travel through another year.  Maybe some of these are on your list, too!

1.  Declutter my house.

2.  Lose some weight.

3.  Spend more time consistently in God’s Word.

4.  Make a quilt.

5.  Show more love to my family.

6.  Read more books with my children.

7.  Maintain an attitude of thankfulness.

8.  Learn to cook more things from scratch.

9.  Plant an herb garden.

10. Grow deeper in my relationship with my Lord.

I know that the Lord  has His own list of what He has in store for me this year, but I feel certain that a few of the things on my list are on His list, too! 

An encouraging verse for me in reference to fresh starts and new beginnings is found in Lamentations:

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is His faithfulness;

His mercies begin afresh each morning.”

                        -Lamentations 3: 22-23 (NLT)

God is a God of new beginnings – He has given us each a new beginning in Christ.  May you know His great love for you this year and may you rest in His fresh mercy each and every morning!

Blessings,

Nancy

Happy New Year!

Happy 2008! 

I thought I’d share how we spent our New Year’s Eve around here.  Years ago, Jeff and I started a tradition of staying home on New Year’s Eve, playing board games and having snacks.  Jeff is not one who loves to play games (like me!), so this was always the one night that he would play them with me!  This went on for a number of years, until some of the children got old enough to stay up for the new year at midnight.  Since then it has turned into a family game night, with appetizer-type snacks and poppers at midnight – Matthew has added fireworks to the list, since we moved to the country and he always has some left over from the 4th of July.  This year we had hats and horns for the kids, which I may ban from now on (the horns) due to the ear-shattering noise which not only was extremely irritating at midnight, but also scared the animals so much that one of them had an accident – we’re not sure which one, but does it really matter?

Our menu consisted of the following:  Chex Mix, Mushroom Stuffing Balls, Cheese Ball and Crackers, Summer Sausage, Cheddar Cheese Crisps, Magic Cookie Bars, and Mini-Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The games for this year were:  Sorry, High School Musical 2 DVD game, and Disney Scene-It DVD game, which was a big hit with the team of Ryan (no surprise!), Sarah and Anna winning!  Here are some of the Sorry players (no pun intended!) -

Midnight arrived and with it the New Year, as well as the poppers and horns!

Yes, David was actually up at midnight!  I was torn between letting him stay up and putting him to bed, just to be woken up by all the noise – so he stayed up! 

Ryan and Laura had a horn blowing contest which just about finished me!

We all had a good time ringing (or blowing) in the New Year, and look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us this year!

Blessings,

Nancy