Car Wash Anyone???

Today I didn't have as much on the schedule and made the spontaneous decision to wash the van. The kids thought it looked like a lot of fun and asked to help. Anything that includes water they're usually quick to volunteer:). Here are the pictures:

When I previewed the post I noticed that they put the pic of the clean car first. That was the finished product and it was really dirty when we started. Not bad for a pregnant lady and 4 little kids, eh? I think there was at least a bucket's worth of water on the floor from the sink to the door too, so the floors got a bit of a bath as well.

Elyssia wants everyone to know that she lost her 3rd tooth today. This was the first one that Scott got to pull out. She tried to get me to pull it out yesterday, but it just wasn't ready. It came out just before Theo left, so Elyssia had to go show it to him:). We're down to one visitor, but he may have a lead on an apartment in town. There is a vehicle on it's way here for him as well, so hopefully we'll have things back to normal sometime next week.

The in-laws are coming today with plans to build the swingset structure for the kids. There's a lot of excitement around here! A lady in our church also volunteered to pick up a load of sand for the sandbox. This is going to be an epic weekend. Did I mention that we have missionaries too? Life's never boring around here:). Til next time...

Surprises never cease.

This morning Elyssia called me out to say that Garrison could ride without her helping him to get started. His training wheels are off and I have to admit that I was a little skeptical. He's gotten close, but being only 4 I wasn't sure that he was ready. Well, as the title says, "Surprises never cease". He rode a long way into the fields twice while I was watching and I'm thinking it will be every day now:). Our little boy has taken one giant leap towards confident manhood:). I know it sounds corny, but there is something about watching them master skills and the boost of confidence it brings.

Here are the pictures of the cinnamon buns. My mouth just waters looking at the pictures:) Good thing they're still in the freezer! I posted the recipe in a note on facebook.

Notice that there's one missing? Hmmm... I wonder where it could have gone? To a good cause I'm sure:))).


Here's what came out of the bedroom this morning after the men left for work:

She went outside to show the other kids. We laughed and laughed over how silly she looked. Definitely a good way to start the day!


Things are going quite well, although much too busy for Scott. There have been two men from the Legion that passed away in the last week. That has meant flower deliveries, visits and now a funeral on Saturday. He's been trying to get this driveway job completed and having two helpers needing supervision has proven to be challenging when trying to run errands in between. James is fitting in pretty good. He's an only child, so I think he's used to a very quiet setting. Our kids are breaking him in fast:). He's even going to see Elyssia lose her 3rd tooth. She's VERY excited about that! Actually, they've been quite good and I think things will be just fine.

One disappointment was that the apartment we thought would be perfect already seemed to have a waiting list. Greg didn't know that, but with the shortage of places around here, we really shouldn't be that surprised. We'll keep looking, but it might take awhile.

Amazingly enough the house is still quite clean. This is definitely a record, but I think it has a lot to do with removing the bookcase and toys from the living room. The kids have kept it mostly in their rooms and there's not the chance to scatter it when it's not on the wood floor. If only I'd thought of this last year:). It has definitely saved me a lot of work. The extra time has been needed for meal prep, baking and other chores. So, time's a-wasting. We're having a weiner roast tonight and I need to prepare a potato salad and try to enjoy some of the beautiful weather we're having too. Not too hot and definitely not cold. This is the day that the LORD hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!

Barely standing...

Actually I'm sitting down to type this post:). I can barely stand up right now. Who knew weeding could make a person this sore. Oh, maybe it's also the 4 trays of cinnamon buns, 2 pies, meatloaf supper, loads of laundry and playing with the kids. A combination I'm sure. Getting to eat some of the cinnamon buns was far more rewarding than weeding though;). I tried a new recipe today. This one rose perfectly and tasted better than any of the previous ones I've tried. I'll have to post the recipe with the picture I took sometime. Too tired tonight and waiting for Scott to get back with our other guest, James. The "men" are tired tonight too. They were using the jackhammer on a driveway all day and it definitely takes it's toll on a person.

Kiersten has a new favorite person: Theo. She calls his name and follows him around, whenever he's not carrying her:). I'll have to get some pictures. He went out with the older 3 to the "African Jungle" and played Lego, so he's at the top of their friend list. We're so blessed to have friends that love to play with kids:).

That's it for tonight. Not bad having too posts in one day, but I'm definitely ready to turn in for the night. Looking forward to some much needed rest...

Perks of Visitors

Last night around 6:30 the Friesen family arrived from Saskatoon. They brought 5 of the kids. It was a bit of extra work to prepare the food and suprisingly enough we had a lot of leftovers. It's always better to have that scenario than to run out of food though. After supper our kids wanted to show them the "African Jungle". 2 hours later they were sad to see their new playmates disappear. It was nice to have the adult conversation and have our kids occupied outside. There weren't any fights or "whining" as Kiersten likes to say. Caleb thought that he wasn't tired at 9:30, but less than two minutes later he was completely out of it. He had missed his nap, due to a trip to town with Scott, so I was surprised that he didn't fall asleep in his plate:). Garrison wanted to stay with Isaac and we jokingly talked about trading him for Theo. Theo is the one staying with us to learn how to do concrete. Garrison looked like he was considering it, but then laughed and said, "no".

This morning was a continental breakfast kind of day. Scrambled eggs, muffins, cereal, etc... It's quickly becoming the favorite style of the kids. The "men" headed off to work with a "larger than usual" lunch box and the day has actually been fairly quiet. We made beds, washed dishes, changed diapers, weeded for 2 hours. I have to say that I'm voting to give Elyssia two flower boxes to have hers in next year. They didn't put stakes or post signs to let us know what was planted where. For myself I'm thinking a rock garden sounds perfect:). A couple plants and shrubs, with maybe a small section of flowers. Elyssia and I got the majority of it done and the strawberries too. There will be another bowl's worth to pick tomorrow. Now my hands are swollen and red and I wish that I could say it was worth it. The fact is, flowers aren't edible, so yeah, I'm thinking of downsizing next year. We have flowers growing wild in several different places that keep the table decorated for a couple months out of the year. I've been told that if you water the one they'll actually get a disease. I'll have to look up info on when to prune the wild roses. They're definitely getting out of control, but I don't want to damage them. The boys enjoyed "cutting" out the tougher weeds and Caleb tried digging for awhile. So, now the heat is increasing and it's getting close to the much anticipated nap time. Still trying to catch up on lost sleep from last week. Scott's even taken a couple naps:).

Next it's prep for supper. Meatloaf, potatoes, apple pie(have to make the dough first and maybe some of Elyssia's lettuce. James arrives on the bus after supper, so there should be plenty. Til next time...

A couple minutes...

to relax before the rush. This morning it was taking the sheets off the beds to wash and trying to get the majority of the laundry done before the two young men arrive. The one coming to learn how to do concrete is being dropped off by his family tonight. That means there will be at least 12 at the supper table tonight! Guess I'm getting practice cooking for a crowd anyway...

This afternoon was the ultrasound. I think that, although I could tell what the gender of the baby is, I will leave you in suspense for another couple months:). That's part of the fun, right? While there I saw and talked to the same Hutterite lady that was at Caleb Village last night. They seem to be just as curious about us as we are about them. They always seem surprised that we actually have a garden and that we don't have our mothers living with us. They asked me today, "Who's going to take care of you after the baby comes?" They were shocked when I said, "no one". In their culture they are taken care of for several weeks and fed special foods, while a teenager or woman from the colony comes in to take care of the children, house and most of the new baby's needs. I'll admit that it wouldn't be too bad to have help for a couple days, but we like to settle in as a family and get back into the routine of things as soon as possible. When other people, even family, come I always feel like I need to be taking care of them and even make sure that the house is clean before they arrive. So, really it's more work for me to have someone come after the baby is born than if we just do things as usual.
After the ultrasound I headed to the grocery store. We still have a fair amount of food after last week, but no milk, fruit or veggies. I'm not sure how much these two young men can eat and whatever we don't need for them we'll need for the in-laws and missionaries this weekend.

Have I mentioned how thankful I am to be feeling better. I still don't seem to have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything, but we try to get the necessary things done and keep on going.


This afternoon Scott went out to use the riding lawn mower. A friend is letting us borrow it for a couple months. What a blessing! He looked like he was having way to much fun on it, to really call it work:). He pretty much finished the yard in about an hour(that used to take a week or two with the push mower because he'd have the energy to do about a half hour each night.


Better get back to work...

These might be...

the last pregnancy pics I put up. I'm really not keen on taking them, but Scott took a couple this morning that I thought turned out well. Tomorrow I have an ultrasound. Will my theory about curly hair be correct? We'll see:)

It was a pretty good morning, Kiersten was wanting to chat so I ended up downstairs. She became quite quiet once we got there. Imagine that:). We sat on the stairs and listened to the rest of the sermon on the speaker. The others did very well upstairs and I didn't hear any thumping, so that's always a good sign. Two visitors from Saskatoon today. We'd met them once before. Nice to renew old acquaintances. Well, I'd better get a nap before it's too late. There's Caleb Village Hymn Sing and I don't think I can stay awake that long without the nap. I pray everyone else had a nice morning in the Lord's House. Til next time...

Showers of Blessing!

The week of meetings ended with a torrential downpour:). It was quite amazing really and although it was hard to hear Bro. Webster at times, I've always thought it was neat to hear the rain beating against the top of the tent. We didn't get any inside, so all was well. There were many spiritual blessings throughout the week and we thank the Lord for the work that He's done and continuing to do in the lives of those who came. Sadly, there were people who missed out on a great blessing by not coming, but we'll continue to pray for them as well. That God will give them a greater thirst for His word and taking full advantage of every opportunity they have to hear it preached and taught.

Along with the blessings, there usually comes some opposition. I won't write about it though. It takes one to a negative way of thinking, but we'd appreciate prayers as we work through these challenges.

A big praise! The Lord helped me to find our camera and I was able to get some pictures before Nathan left. Not of us together, but some pretty good ones that last night. I'll post those at the end.

Last night we decided that I would take Nathan to the airport so that Scott could help get the tent taken down. I was a bit nervous because I'd never driven through Saskatoon. I'm usually just a passenger. All 4 of the kids went and they did quite well. 1 Patch the Pirate story and 1 Mr. Dressup dvd got us all the way there:). I was sad to see Nathan go, but VERY Thankful for the time that we were able to spend with him. We hope to bring him back for our tent meeting next year. Maybe Jason and Mom as well. We'll see what happens.

Overall, the week was better than we could have imagined. We prayed that God would work and He really did! We prayed that visitors would come and they did! We prayed for God to work in us and He did! I prayed for the food to turn out good and for people to enjoy it. Judging from the comments: They did! So, enjoying a bit of quiet, but looking forward to and already starting to pray for next year's meetings.

Here are the promised pictures:

I especially like the one of Nathan with the Tim Horton's coffee. I've never had any to drink, but he says it's pretty good:). At least I know what to send him for Christmas now;). I really should head to bed. These late nights are catching up to me and I don't want to be tired for church tomorrow. Til next time...

A Powerful Testimony

Although I've heard Bro. Webster's testimony before, I never cease to be amazed by it or to feel chills when he's telling it. The final straw being a plane crash that he almost didn't survive. Being unconscious and waking up surrounded by fog in front and flames behind. He really thought that he was in Hell! He knew where he was going if he had died that night and it definitely wasn't Heaven. We're so thankful that God spared Bro. Webster that night and thankful that, although we don't have the same kind of experience that brought us to get saved, we do have a salvation testimony that God can use. The story of a changed life and one that we just want to spend serving and loving Him! There's a song that the quartet sings called, "Give me souls lest I die" and it's about wanting people to be saved so badly that you feel like you will die if someone doesn't get saved. More and more lately I've had this feeling growing. A yearning to see someone saved. It seems to grow stronger and it's almost overwhelming at times. It reminds me of the verse about those that weep for the lost and just having such an overwhelming love for others. I can't even imagine how God feels looking down at all these people that He's created and seeing them reject Him and deny His very existence. How He must long for those people to repent and come to Him. To talk to Him and love Him, which is what He created us for in the first place. Many of us enjoy the beauty of His Creation, but never give Him the credit for it. Many of us take for granted the very air we breathe. If not for God, we wouldn't exist and yet... I feel like I'm bursting this morning. The song, "Oh I want to see Him, look upon His face, there to sing forever of His saving grace." He's such an amazing God and I owe Him everything.

The attendance has grown a bit each night and last night there were 6 that hadn't come before. There were some missing from the night before and some that came back. The weather was kind of sunny, with wind blowing through the tent. I have to admit there was some sadness as I watched my friend Karyn drive away. It's like she's become a sister or something. She is my sister in Christ, but even Scott said, "It's like she's family." She came with a gift of cookies, blessed us with music and encouragement and left behind a family that will miss her quite a lot(ours:). As soon as I find the camera I'll try to get a good picture of the girls with their little tea cups. Elyssia was very excited about hers.

So, we start another day! Last night ended about 11 and this one started at 6. We had a turkey to get in the oven for the noon meal. We'll have quite the crowd this afternoon-14, plus any extra they find along the way:) That's not very many for some of you, but the Lord is giving me practice cooking for more and more lately. The secret ingredient is praying as you make it and put it in the oven. Asking the Lord to help it to turn out well and for people to enjoy it. I learned that from my mom and it's worked every time:). The sun is shining bright and I have a feeling it's going to be another wonderful day!

AmAzInG!!!

We are truly having an amazing week. The preaching has been wonderful, the extra fellowship has been awesome! Making new friends and spending time with my brother has been so much fun. I'm thankful that we have a couple more days because I never want this week to end! I know it has to, but we're trying to make the most of every day.

The first night we didn't have as many as we hoped for, but it was HOT!!! Like 100+ and we didn't have fans or anything to keep us cool in the tent. We made it through and the sermon was totally worth sitting through the heat for. There were 2 first time visitors, but the one that touched me the most was a little boy and his puppy that stayed from the beginning to the end. We prayed that he would come back last night, but the weather was the exact opposite, so we understand his staying indoors. We finished just before the rain started to pour. There was thunder and lightning near the end, but it was another sermon well worth staying to the end for. There were 2 different first time visitors and they really seemed to enjoy themselves. I think we had close to 30 last night, which was quite good, considering that about half our regular church people weren't in attendance. We've continued to make contacts and today they'll hand out more invitations and hopefully I'll reach a few more on the phone. Last night my friend Karyn came all the way from Three Hills to play piano for us. It was SO nice:) Nathan sang "How deep the Father's Love" and I just about cried. It is such a powerful song and the message of all that He gave for us is so amazing! There are several more that we're praying will come tonight. It just seems to get better and better and it's hard to wait all day to get back to the tent:).

The meals have gone really well so far. Praise the Lord!!! Today is Lasagna and Scott's mom volunteered to take one to the church because Prayer Meeting is at noon at it was a little complicated to try and get them out here for lunch, then back there to pray, then back out this way to hand out invitations. Praising the Lord that my in-laws are here to help! They're the best in-laws a girl could ask for:). The kids are doing pretty good. They're enjoying all the company and Elyssia is busy making little cards and gifts for them through the week. I have to find my camera and show the sewing basket that she made with Nana the other day. It's too cute! She also made a little coin purse for Karyn and did a good job with the stitching.

Another praise was that yesterday when I was being pulled in three different directions. The kids wanted to be at the park, but I needed to help get the snacks prepared and also make sure that Karyn had what she needed... My friend Jeanette came to the rescue. She was at the park with her kids and she volunteered to push the kids on the swings so that I could be in 2 different places before the meeting. It was a Wonderful Blessing!

So, tonight the weather should be just about right. We came home last night to a bit of water in the entry because it had poured down so hard and washed through a little crack at the bottom of the door. It could have been worse though. Another friend had water come in and go down the stairs to their basement! I pray that it didn't take too long to clean it up.

We were able to have a nice visit with Karyn this morning and she will play the piano tonight before heading back to Three Hills. Getting to spend time with Christian friends down here on earth just gives us a little glimpse of what it'll be like when we get to Heaven. Visiting with friends and family from long ago and then friends of today will be icing on the cake after meeting my Lord and Saviour! Getting to spend eternity with them. Makes me ache for the friends that aren't saved. Oh, how I want them to be saved. To be able to keep them as friends for eternity, rather than just for the short time that we live down here on earth. As Bro. Webster has been preaching it's brought back many of the passages in Revelation about the end times. I shudder at the suffering and pain that the lost will go through during the Tribulation, but even more so when they face eternity in Hell. Not because they're really bad people, but because they choose to reject God's offer of salvation. There's still time right now, but His offer won't be around forever. So thankful that our parents accepted the Lord as Saviour and that they taught us about the Lord. There is no greater joy than knowing, loving and serving the Lord!

Another HUGE answer to prayer was one that I included on my prayer list on the side. Bro. Fountain had Stage 4 Lymphoma. We just got an update from him today and after 4 treatments they can't find any sign of cancer anymore! That is AMAZING! Praising the Lord for that and many other things. I'm going to add another request to the list, but I wanted to put it in the post, in case you never see the other. It's for Karyn's dad, Bro. Ironside. He has an appointment with a pulmonary specialist and they think he might need to be on oxygen. Please pray that he would be strengthened and have at least a couple more years before that is necessary. He is such a sweet man and we pray that the Lord gives him many more years with his family and friends.

That about wraps it up for now. There is so much going on and I'm sure that I've forgotten to include some things, but mostly I just wanted to take time to thank and praise the Lord for his mercy and goodness!

Exciting day!

Yes, there was a lot of work going on today, but it was exciting thinking about starting the meetings under the tent on Monday. The kids were really well behaved, which made my job a lot easier. I fixed enough food to feed at least 20, but some had to leave after the snack break, so we have Lots of leftovers. That's okay, I'm sure we can find someone to eat them in the next couple weeks:). The tent went up pretty quickly and the kids were able to help with little things once they had it secured. Mostly they enjoyed playing at the park next to the tent. After lunch Bro. Webster and some of his helpers had to fly back to Prince Albert. I took the kids out there to see the plane and he was kind enough to let them get inside before they had to leave. We stayed til he took off and got some pretty good pictures. Here are some that I'll share:

The last two pics are from our trip to Georgia. I finally got some printed off:). Overall, the weather was perfect. Not too hot, windy, etc... I think I only got one mosquito bite too, which is not bad for a trip to town, from what I hear. Praying that they won't be bad during the evenings we're in the tent too. We think that we've discovered why they're not so bad out our way anymore. My friend Shirley thinks that the dragonflies are attracted to the Canola in our fields. The dragonflies eat the mosquitoes! I think that dragonflies are my new best friends:).

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

Sore feet

This past week I've had very sore feet, but at least it's just due to being on them all day:). Today was no different. It started off busy and has just started to slow down, as the children fall asleep.

Scott headed out in the morning to study at the church and pickup the church freezer around noon. I stopped in this evening to put some things in it and it sure is nice:). We can have ice cream socials now:). Or just have ice cream to go with the pie at a potluck. For now it's jam packed with all the baked goods that he took from our freezer. I needed the room to store the ham, turkey, buns, etc, for this week.

I spent most of the morning working on a surprise for Scott. He's been wanting to get his office clean and organized, but with all his other work it just hasn't happened. So, after about 2 hours I was able to vacuum the floor and actually found most of the missing office supplies:). The rest of the house was clean, so before he got home I had time to cut and insert the tent meeting invitations into the tracts. Their going to try to go to some of the surrounding town during the week and invite them to the meetings and church. We've made quite a few contacts the last several weeks and quite a few have said they'll try to make it to at least one of the nights. It's encouraging and we're praying that the first night will just make them want to come back and hear more. God has a way of working things out that way. My dad said that he would just go to one church service with his sisters(so that they'd leave him alone) and he walked the aisle that Sunday and got saved! I'm so thankful that his sisters(and God) didn't give up on him!

Around 1:30 we headed to town to go to a friend's Epicure party. We wanted to stay longer than the hour and a half, but we had a long to do list. First it was to the post office to mail a box of prayer cards the missionaries left at the motel. Then to pick up the key to the Kinman park bathrooms. Next it was posting a flyer by the dollar store. Registering the two older kids for the summer reading program at the library. Picking up a milkshake to perk us up:). Picking up hams from Co-op. Picking up pictures from WalMart(I finally got some of the Georgia pictures printed:)!!!) Then the second to last stop... The grocery store... There were a lot of things to buy for the week ahead and it was good that I had Elyssia with me because I needed two carts. She helped push the one until it got too heavy. She gave it her best effort, but was having a hard time budging it:). So, we managed to get out of there and stopped at a friends to call Scott and see if he wanted us to drop off food and the key for the people bringing the tent. They were running late, so we dropped off the ice cream and put the baked goods in the church freezer before heading home. I was very happy to come home and see that the house was still clean! Scott and the kids helped me to unload and put things away and now the day is almost finished. After devotions Scott headed into town to meet the man and help him get his motor home hooked up. I imagine that he'll be home before 10. Hopefully we can get a good night's sleep, since tomorrow starts early. I'm not sure how long it will take to set up the tent, but they're starting early. I'll take the kids in and make lunch for the workers. Then it's back home to give some kids a nap and hopefully have a somewhat relaxing afternoon. That about sums up our day. I think I earned the sore feet:).

Productivity Feels Great!

So, today we had some unplanned projects that we ended up doing. Scott was heading out to install some windows when the guy called and said that he should wait til noon because things were muddy after the rain.
Scott ended up making a bench for the kids to use at the table and this evening he made a matching one for the end of the table. They can all fit on one, but we figure that one will be the boys and one will be the girls. I'm starting to feel quite colonial:))). Especially since we have a cinnamon broom from Cracker Barrel, a kitchen table that's about 100 years old and wood floors that look old because we haven't refinished them:) There was cherry pie for dessert, so all we needed were some candlesticks on the table. It stays light til about 10pm though, so we won't need to make use of those til the winter.

Today was MAJOR housecleaning because tomorrow I have groceries to buy and an epicure party to attend. Garrison and Caleb decided that they needed aprons, similar to Elyssia's so that they could help me bake cookies. Well, they said this about 3:30. We went through Elyssia's fabric scraps and I picked the most boyish material I could find. Handstitching it takes a while, so I only finished Garrison's before supper. I'll have to work on Caleb's tonight, if I get a burst of energy. If not, I guess he will have to wait awhile.(sorry, Scott says I shouldn't post the pic of Garrison's apron. It might embarrass him:).


After supper the girls and I made a batch of Skor cookies. I got this recipe from my friend Shannon when I first met Scott. The first time I made some and gave them to him, his friend came over and ate half the batch! Needless to say, they're a delicious cookie and maybe I'll post the recipe sometime. Or maybe I'll just let people wish they had the recipe:)))). Below I'll post pictures of all these little projects. There's still a bit of work to do before the house is ready, but the major work is done. Enjoy the pics:

If you notice you'll see some things that made me laugh. The way the girls heads are tilted alike. The makeshift apron that Elyssia tied around Kiersten. Just a couple pieces of her material:) The purple sunglasses that Garrison "borrowed" from Kiersten. Maybe you'll see some that I didn't, but that's quite a bit for a group of 5 pics:). Have a great weekend everyone!

BuSy WoRkErS

Elyssia and Garrison enjoyed their work days away from home yesterday. Garrison helped Scott with a couple carpentry jobs in town and seems to enjoy just being with his dad. There was a playhouse in the backyard of one house they were working at and the owner said that he could play in it. When Scott went to check on him he found him fast asleep inside:).
Elyssia went over to have a sewing day, but they started off the day baking buns and cinnamon rolls! She brought some home to share and they were very tasty:). She completed 2 projects and almost a 3rd throughout the day. I will post pictures of her apron and a baby quilt that she made for Kiersten to use with her doll. I think she was working on potholders when Scott came to pick her up, so Sharon said that she would do the binding and bring them on Sunday.

Is it just me or does it look like Elyssia has grown again? She keeps stretching out and now she has 3 loose teeth! I 2 on the bottom and at least one on the top. She's going to have a funny grin pretty soon:). A couple more months til she turns 7 and she's in a hurry to get there.

Beautiful weather today! It started off with a thunder storm and some rain about 3am, but since then the sun has come out and the kids are amusing themselves outside. Hopefully they can do that all day, since I have some housecleaning to do. The first of the helpers are arriving tomorrow night and there's quite a bit going on tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing what the Lord will do in the week ahead...

A quiet day?

Today I'm thinking it will be rather quiet. This morning started off busy as I got the kids dressed and fed. We had an air conditioner guy scheduled to come and look at the outside unit at 8:30. He arrived right on time. I don't know if they figured out why it doesn't work, but it might be a simple fix. We haven't used it since we moved here, but Scott decided to have it checked out this year. It was scrambled eggs and toast this morning and there was nary a crumb to be found when they finished:).

So, why the quiet day, you might ask. Well, Elyssia has been invited to go over to a lady's house to sew for the day. She's super excited and it will be interesting to see what she makes. Scott was already planning to take Garrison with him to work today, so I'm left with two little ones. Two little ones that still take a nap and seem to play quite well together when the older ones are away:). We shall see what the day holds, but I'm thinking it should be a good day.

It also looks like God may have answered another one of our prayers. We've been praying for someone to come and help Scott with ministry things. A while back we got a call from a young man who is coming to work in the oil fields and needed a place to stay while he looked for an apartment. He's saving up to go to Bible college in a year and is moving here from Ontario to earn the money. So, it looks like he will be staying with us for awhile. He will have odd hours sometimes, but this is encouraging news and we're praying that God will use him while he's here. He's scheduled to arrive in August, so we'll have time to enjoy the tent meeting and a couple weeks before we have to get things ready for his arrival.

Another friend mentioned how quickly the summer is going by. In reply to her answer:) I don't think that time goes slowly anymore once you're a mother of more than one child:). It's a good life though. I sometimes think back to the time before we had Elyssia. Yes, we had fun, but the house was clean by 9am and there wasn't anyone to mess it up. There was more free time, but no one to really spend it with while Scott was at work. So, I'd rather keep this fun, crazy, busy life with 4, then be back at the beginning watching the clock, hoping that time would hurry up so that Scott would be home from work.

I have a question for those who read this blog. I'm wondering what people with 4 or more people in their family spend on groceries each month. Those with 6 people like us and those with 6 people and the kids are teenagers. I've heard some really crazy amounts lately and I was trying to see if that's really the average or if there is a lot of overspending. Our budget includes diapers, wipes, cleaning products and paper products. We have $40 a month for eating out that is one top of the $400. When it was just two of us we budgeted about $200. Adding $50 extra as each child came along doesn't seem too unreasonable for me. I figure that we spend an extra $100 when we have company frequently, but not always. Just trying to find out if our amount is normal, below average, or even considered too much by some for a family our size. I haven't been making all our bread yet, which I figure might save us a bit, but since I buy a lot of ours in the 50% off bin, I think it wouldn't be that much of a savings. I rarely buy store bought cookies and try to avoid most of the kids snack items. It's cheaper to bake things for them and they seem to fill up faster. I think that we could probably save $100 a month if we lived in the States and did coupon redemption. Sadly, they don't offer many up here. The Lord has provided through the Extra Foods Family Savings Days though and we save $15 off each $100 that we spend. We're very thankful for that. It means free diapers:). So, just curious...

Well, the younger two are finished with their snack, so I think it's play time. It's quiet like I thought it would be and believe it or not the younger two aren't getting into trouble:). Always a possibility though. They've got the whole day ahead of them...

I'm so thankful...

that the Lord answers prayers. It is a wonderful faith grower, seeing your prayers answered. Last week I was praying for cooler(baking)weather, among other things. The end of last week and beginning of this week has been perfect for it! There are now cookies, brownies, toffee bars, pies, quick breads, muffins, etc filling the freezer. Yesterday Scott went to price out the cost of a chest freezer for the church and also for us. The prices are quite reasonable, so hopefully we'll see those arriving sometime this week. I'd like to be able to transfer a lot of the baked goods to the church, in order to make room for the food items I need to feed the helpers next week. The Lord also worked that out, and it looks like we'll be able to feed them here instead of at the church. I could've done it there, but it would have required quite a bit of transferring of our kitchen supplies there, since that kitchen has kind of the bare minimum for meals. We always do potlucks and haven't needed much more than plates and utensils. So, that was another prayer answered. This morning in my devotional I was reading about John("Praying") Hyde, missionary to India in 1892 to evangelize Punjab. It said that after struggling for several years he rededicated himself to working through prayer. Reminding God of promises He's made. Knowing that He wants people to be saved, but earnestly praying and showing Him that that is our desire too! In early 1902 Hyde prayed to win at least one soul to to Christ per day. By December 31st, he had seen 400 people saved! I know, from reading many missionary biographies, that this is not the result of all missionaries. Some gave their lives to the mission field and only saw 1 saved. They were sowing the seed of the Gospel though and others that came after them reaped the harvest. It's a reminder and an encouragement to keep praying, to not give up. I remember praying for some people for over 10 years before they got saved. Some of the people on our prayer list probably don't have another 10 years to live though and NONE of us are promised tomorrow! There could be a car accident, fire, etc and life is ended. Last week I was reading about a farmer that told the preacher he was going to be saved sometime, but not til he was good and ready! The next Monday the preacher got a phone call saying that the farmer had fallen from the hayloft and died instantly(he died lost). When we're young, we think we have the rest of our lives ahead of us. Having seen several friends die young and hearing of others, has given me a more realistic view of how quickly life can end. Seeing my own father leave the house, looking like his usual self and then being told a couple hours later that he was dead, was perhaps the one that hit closest to home.

There is a lot to be thankful for, but only because the Lord has provided it. Sometimes I wonder, "why was I born in a free country?" I didn't deserve it. I could have been born in the Middle East, where women are treated more like possessions, where it would have been very difficult for me to hear the Gospel and be saved. But I wasn't. I'm no better than those women, no more deserving. That thought alone gives me SO MUCH to be thankful for. We're not all called to go to those countries and share the Gospel, but we can be a part of it by financially supporting missionaries that the Lord does lead over there. If we can't help them financially we can still help them by PRAYING for them daily. I'm thankful that the Lord answers prayers BIG and small. I'm thankful that He's there for me day and night. When I'm happy and when I'm sad. I'm thankful that He's made a way for us to talk to Him and oh so thankful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Making a way for ALL to be saved. Amazing what thoughts an answer to prayer can lead to, eh?:)

Burned...

my finger while making the caramel for the popped corn today. Amazing how one tiny little burn can hurt SO MUCH! After the past week of serious baking, which equals a freezer packed and ready for the tent meeting:), this once again turned my thoughts to what the lost are facing after this life. I think this little burn hurts and I can't imagine what it would be like to be living in fire day after day. It gives me great sadness to think of those in the past who have rejected the Lord and in the present day of those that think they don't need him. Thinking about the rich man who begged for just a bit of water when he was in Hell. I ran cold water on my little burned finger for 5 minutes and it still hurts! I put ice on it and it still hurts! I don't believe that I'm going to Heaven because I'm better than anyone else. It's only because of the mercy and grace of God that has saved me. Accepting 14 years ago that I was a sinner and that I couldn't save myself. Believing that Jesus had died on the cross to pay the price for MY sins and that He was the only one that could save me. That was an AMAZING day! Feeling released from the guilt of my sin and the fear of death. When the kids ask me if I'm afraid to die I can truly say, "no". For those reading this that are unsaved, this gift of salvation is offered to ALL who ask! For those who say, "what if there is no Heaven or Hell?" I have no doubts about that, but if I were wrong, what do I have to lose believing the way I do and serving the one who created me?" If the unsaved are wrong they have everything to lose. Once we die, there is no second chance. We face the Lord and the unsaved will hear, "depart from me, I never knew you". If you're reading this and you aren't save, it's not too late. Romans 10:3 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved". Romans 10:9-11 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." God sent His ONLY son Jesus to die for the sins of the world. For ME and for YOU! It's the most wonderful gift and it's free to us. Not to Jesus, who had to suffer and die for us, but the fact that He willingly gave HIS life for mine is SO AMAZING! Life here on earth, in light of what He did, seems so trivial, BUT He has a purpose for us. He wants us to tell others what He did. To spread the Gospel, to see others saved!
As the week for our tent meetings has gotten closer and closer the Lord has been burdening me more and more to pray for the town of Kindersley, the surrounding towns, Canada, our missionaries, friends from the past, and those in the States. Praying for at least one more Revival before He returns for us. I get more excited as each week passes to see the Lord return for us, but also more burdened for those living around me. Friends, neighbors, family that feel they're okay, they don't need anything more... The saddest part is that most of them are such "nice, sweet" people. If that were the key to getting into Heaven, they'd have it made for sure. The problem is that God has said in His WORD that there is only one way to get to Heaven and that is through Jesus and what He did on the cross. Admitting we're sinners(we all are). Confessing that sin, asking for forgiveness and believing that Jesus's blood, shed on the cross, can save you. It's so simple and yet it's harder for most people to do than trying to be good and thinking they can "earn" their way into Heaven. So, some of those who may "stumble" upon this blog may have a choice to make. Do you go on living the same way as before, or is today the day that you ask the Lord to save you? I don't know all those who read this, but God does:). He CREATED each one of us, formed us in the womb. HE knows who needs to be saved and desires that ALL would be saved. Unfortunately, many people still choose not to. If this makes a difference to even one person, It will be Worth It All:).

Making memories...

celebrating Scott's 34th Birthday! It might have been the warmer weather or the pregnancy, but I sure did get worn out today trying to get things together for Scott's special breakfast, Birthday cake, indoor picnic, etc... By the time we needed to fix supper I just about ran out of steam. I changed meal plans because it was over 90 degrees and I didn't want to turn the oven on. This year I made my first pound cake. It was actually a sour cream pound cake, but it turned out really yummy. We put on fresh strawberries from our patch and cool whip. The only thing that would have been better would've been an ice cream cake, but we have lots of Birthdays left this year to get one for:).
I'm really not sure how the camera card came out last night, but I found it on the living room floor this morning. It must've popped out after I took the devotion pics, cause they're on here too. I'm just going to post all the pics without captions. Too tired to line it all up. If you have any questions feel free to ask. We also enjoyed some freezies that Mr., Cousin, Uncle Ben brought for the kids the other night. Those were a nice way to cool down this afternoon.
So, without further ado, I present the day(s) in pictures: