Just another monday...

I suppose so, if a person weren't looking at the day to see all the ways that the Lord was working and blessing! Today was another one of those cold, don't want to get out of bed, kind of days. However, our children are of the mind that morning starts as early as possible. Our chickens haven't been laying that many eggs and we had a bit of a dilemma. We had only one egg and today was "pancake day". Scott needed 3 eggs because he does a batch and a half to feed the hungry crew. Thankfully I looked up egg substitutes and it said to mash half a banana for each egg needed. We usually have bananas in the house, so that was another thing to be thankful for! These pancakes turned out to be some of the best ones we've ever had. They were light, fluffy, filling and very flavorful.

I did succumb to laying back down for awhile after breakfast, but thankfully the kids didn't get into too much while I drifted off for a bit:). Elyssia and Garrison even managed to get a fair amount of schoolwork done on their own! I love it when they're motivated to do things like that:). The Lord provided me with more energy in the afternoon and the motivation to bake a few things to go with the supper. We have a fair amount of rhubarb in the freezers, so it was an easy decision to make Rhubarb crumble for dessert and then some rhubarb muffins for breakfast tomorrow. This is one of those months where the sale day is coming about a week later than normal, so we're working to stretch the food to last til the next sale day. It's kind of a fun adventure, but sometimes the kids are less than thrilled at some of the meals or snacks that we end up eating:). I always try to remind them of the children who have far less and how thankful we can be that we get to eat foods that we really enjoy most of the time and have more than enough to fill us up every day!

Tonight Scott got in around supper time and then headed off with the boys to pick up a straw bale from a neighbor. We now have two hay bales, which should last the goats all winter and after this week we'll have two large straw bales too! We're thankful that things are just about ready to move the goats into the barn. It's been a slow process getting the inside of the barn ready because life has been so busy, but it's almost there and after the Remembrance Day service we should be able to relax til Christmas. Scott will have some inside carpentry jobs, but they're independent work, so there's more flexibility.

We had our first little "skiff" of snow yesterday. The kids were so excited and wanted to wear their snowsuits to church. It was cold, but not really enough to warrant that. However, we let them, so as not to dampen their excitement. It's mostly melted today and wasn't quite as cold. It's actually supposed to be fairly nice for a couple days this week.

I think that overall it's been a very good day and I look forward to seeing what the Lord has for us to do during the rest of the week!

Addictions and Praises

Hmmm, not sure that sounds so good, but might as well tell the truth:). You know you're addicted to something when you think about it at least 4 times a day. This has definitely been my experience with facebook. I really have a love/hate relationship with it. A big part of why I'm drawn to it is because I like feeling connected to friends and family that are too far away for me to visit on a regular or even once a year basis. To feel like we're still a part of each other's lives somehow. To share the excitement of engagements,weddings, babies, and sometimes just the everyday. However, when you find that your mind starts thinking of things in terms of "I should remember to post that" or I'll check real quick, but end up on for 30 minutes to an hour, it really starts to be more of a harmful addiction than a harmless one. Being addicted to the ministry and soul-winning is probably the only "good one" that I can think of:). I'm not saying that everyone using facebook is doing wrong or addicted, just that I've realized how easily it happens. Feeling like you can't turn it off completely because then it would seem like you were all alone and missing out on what friends and family are doing. However, after adding restrictions on usage, I've found that it's not so bad after all. I did go on to post some pics on Thursday, but I've been sticking to my Friday only rule for awhile now. Yes, I may find out a couple days after something important happens, but if someone really wants me to know they can call or e-mail me, right? I've found that I can catch up on everything in an hour or less on one day, rather than getting sucked into it and losing at least an hour out of each day. That's one more hour to spend with the family that the Lord has blessed me with! Yes, there is still quite a few times that my mind wonders what I'm missing, but the Lord is gradually taking away more of the desire to give in to my curiosity. There is also the side of me that argues, "You're wasting opportunities to witness to others or encourage them through posts", but I think there's more chance of doing that if I'm focused on raising the little ones that the Lord has given me so that we can go out together and encourage or witness to others in the community around us. We live in a small town and it's amazing how many people come up to us on a regular basis asking where one of the kids is, etc... If I don't know them, chances are that Scott has worked with or for those people. It's amazing how many positive things they say about the kids and I'm usually the one that walks away encouraged. So, maybe this doesn't make a lot of sense to many people that might end up reading it, but I'm thankful for the waning desire to use facebook. I pray that I don't get sucked back into it, but instead keep focused on "the race that is set before me".

On the list of praises-4 visitors at church today! Yes, 3 of them were visiting family and all of them were from out of town, but it was a wonderful encouragement after the last couple "quiet" Sundays. We've had a lot of people traveling over the summer and early Fall. Sometimes I'm tempted to be discouraged when numbers are down, but the Lord continues to show us that "He is building and we are His workmen". We need to be faithful in our own attendance and prayers for spiritual and numerical growth. Praying that the Lord will soften and convict hearts that need to be saved. Praying that He will open up opportunities to witness and be a blessing to all those He brings into our lives. But, one of the greatest areas of ministry that He's given us is our own children! Training them and cultivating in them a love for the things of the Lord. Encouraging them in the day to day getting along and working together. Giving them our full attention in the "slower times" so that we can be a light in the "busy times". This is not something that I do well at every day. I often feel like I've completely failed at the end of the day. Like I've been impatient, inattentive, said the wrong things at the wrong moment, etc..., but I think what's important is that we don't let that discouragement lead to quitting, which equals long term failure. I'm thankful that the Lord gives us so many examples and verses in the Bible about those who messed up, but repented, got up and continued on for the Lord. When the complete story of our lives has been written, I truly hope that our lives are a reflection of what the Lord can do with a life fully surrendered to Him and His will.


To God Be The Glory Great Things He Hath Done!

Too early?

According to some friends-It's never too early to start with Christmas decorations, music, etc... So, that's my excuse for posting our Christmas smilebox early:). It was a cold, frosty morning and perfect for pictures! Here is a sample one that I'm trying out:

Make a picture slideshow

Apologies to all my American Friends and Family. I know that the usual tradition is to start after American Thanksgiving, but that's over a month away and we already had our Canadian Thanksgiving. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway;). It's a much longer countdown when you start after the Canadian October Thanksgiving. Our growing season is shorter here and there's snow in the forecast for the weekend. So, I hope that some of my family and friends will enjoy this "early" Christmas smilebox.

Lest I Forget...

Kiersten has been saying "that's Fantastic" a lot lately, although sometimes it sounds like "fancastic". It makes me laugh and was something I wanted to write down for future.

The other thing came from Caleb. He told me today that he really liked the lemon cake I made last night. "It made my heart happy", he said:). Then he walked off saying something about Jesus. Wonder if he thought Jesus enjoyed it too, since it made his heart happy and not just his tummy:).

Brrr...

It was one of those cold Monday mornings. The kind where I just didn't want to crawl out from under the warm blankets and start the day. But! The smell of applesauce oatmeal pancakes cooking on the griddle was enough to motivate me to brave the cold and start the day:). So thankful for Scott's tradition of fixing us pancakes on Monday. It turns an ordinary Monday into something extra special. Yes, I still get to wash the dishes, but it's a break that I really appreciate.

Once Scott headed out I was definitely tempted to climb back under the covers:). The reality that we were out of bread for sandwiches prompted me to get a batch of dough rising on the counter and before I knew it, we were ready to start school! So much for going back to bed... The day passed quite quickly. We started "church practice" again today. The oldest 3 are generally well behaved, but haven't been participating in the standing and singing like they should, so we started with a few hymns and it was nice to hear their little voices again:). Adelaide is the main one needing help with church behavior. She feels the need to chatter quite loudly as soon as Scott starts preaching, so we end up downstairs quite a bit. I think it's better to have her get her wiggles and noise out during our "home practice", rather than trying to teach her on Sundays, where it's more of a distraction to those around us. The older ones weren't that thrilled, but ended up having a bit of fun, in spite of themselves:)

That brought us to lunch, which included bread fresh from the oven! Hard to beat that. Add some butter and homemade jam and life seems brighter somehow:). The sun actually came out and warmed things up quite a bit, which was an unexpected blessings. It was quite cold when the kids did the morning chores-water and food for the goats and chickens. The chickens must be settling in again because there were 2 eggs this morning. They haven't been laying until later in the day, so this was an unexpected blessing. More motivation to bake too...

After the two oldest were finished with their schoolwork we were able to have a much anticipated(for the mama anyway;) quiet time. Kiersten went right to sleep, but unfortunately Addie never did fall asleep. I think Sundays throw her schedule off a bit because she sleeps for the car ride home, but then not til bedtime. So, it was nice while it lasted. Back to getting remotivated to finish off the day.

Send the kids outside to jump on the trampoline while I search Pinterest recipes for inspiration! Yes, it started with a recipe for molasses cake. It's currently on the counter cooling and smells wonderful! I think Scott will enjoy the surprise. I had a harder time deciding the main menu and changed my mind a couple times. I'm currently starting to smell the turkey lasagna and waiting patiently for the "Olive Garden Breadsticks" to finish rising. The kids are anxiously awaiting their chance to be taste testers. They did get a bit of the extra lasagna noodles, but I'll admit that I decided to type this post to help the waiting time go faster:). The smells are enticing and waiting is the hard part...

Other fun activities in our day included reading books with Kiersten, playing Schleich animals with Addie(her favorite are the mama and baby pigs). Garrison very generously allows her to play with them and they keep her entertained quite well. The older two alternate between reading, creating and Lego. Caleb has been trying out his hand at whittling, but also dress up, etc. I'm thinking the boys room might look a bit like a tornado when they're done, but it's all in a day's work, eh? I think that they earned the privilege of (messy)playing after all the help they give with chores, etc...

Just waiting on the last load of laundry in the dryer. Supper dishes will be the end of our work and hopefully we can have a relaxing evening with Scott. I think we've reached the halfway point in our R.M. Ballantyne book-"Pirate City". The end of each chapter usually leaves us in suspense and we're hoping that Mariano will escape from the Turks! We're also currently reading through the Gospels in devotions and we look forward to seeing what kind of questions the kids come up with throughout the reading. They really do have some interesting observations and questions. It's good to get us, as parents, seeking to help them understand things more fully.

Guess I should go check on the progress of the supper! This Monday is definitely one to remember. Til next time...

Can It Be?

Do I really have a 9 year old daughter? Why, yes, I do:). Amazing how time has flown. I remember, amidst the nausea, feeling her kick and being amazed by the little life growing inside. We were so excited to meet her for the first time, although I was quite sure that we were having a boy. We lived in B.C. at the time and they weren't allowed to tell at the ultrasound whether it was a boy or a girl. I remember being in awe when I heard that we had a girl. It seemed like a miracle because I had 3 older brothers and only one girl cousin on my mom's side and Scott had 2 older brothers and a myriad of boy cousins. There seemed very little possibility of us having a girl first, but God knew exactly what we needed. We loved her from the start and she challenged us as individuals and as parents to give more of ourselves to others. We thought that we had it figured out. We "knew" what to do and we were going to have a well behaved child;). Well, God had something different in mind. He has taught us more through this little one and the 4 to follow more than we ever imagined. More about our own shortcomings and weaknesses. More about how our behavior looks like when seen through the parent child perspective. How many areas that we need the Lord's help in. How wonderful it is to love, invest your life, money, time and energy into taking care of others. How wonderful it is to have those little arms around you and hear them say, "I love you". How painful it can be to have to correct those you love and also to admit when you've wronged them and ask their forgiveness. The amazing and numerous times and ways that they keep us humble. The joy of seeing her repent of her sin and accept the Lord's forgiveness and salvation. The love that compels her to share the Lord with her siblings and friends. The outgoing personality that causes her to reach out and befriend all those she meets. The incredible help that she has been as each baby joined our family. The heartache watching her struggle to overcome weaknesses in her life. Wanting to take those burdens from her, but knowing that we can't. Knowing that some of her struggles come from our past sin and weak areas. Knowing there is so much left to teach her and how quickly the time that we have can disappear. We thank the Lord for our firstborn, Elyssia, and pray the Lord continues to guide and protect her through the years and temptations in the years ahead. Elyssia was born 5 days after her due date. but extremely early on a Sunday Morning. She was just on time and has encouraged us to greet the morning early and cheerfully(whether we liked it or not:) ever since:

This was the time on the clock when she came out to see her "birthday spread". She said that she was awake at 5:30 and was going to read, but decided to wait so that she didn't wake up the others. Considering that she used to wake us up at 4 and be ready to go, it's quite the improvement and was very thoughtful of her!

She requested blueberry muffins as her "cake" for this year:). She received books, Lego Clickits, hand lotion, a library card and deodorant for her birthday. Can you believe that she was super excited about getting her own deodorant! She's been borrowing mine, claiming that she "needs" it:). We went to the library yesterday and requested a card for her. She's been asking for awhile, but I wanted to make sure that she would take care of it and the books that she checked out. She's a bit more organized now and likes to put things in a certain place. Kinda reminds me of myself at that age. She will "loan" books from her personal collection to Garrison, although she has "very limited hours" that it's open:). Her other gifts were a toolbox, sleeping bag, skirts, tights and fabric for sewing projects. Nana already helped her to make a blanket and bib for the new baby.

Caleb waiting to see what's inside the gift bags!

This one's not sure she wants to be awake yet, but is looking forward to the hot cocoa with marshmallows!

Big brother is keeping little sister warm on this very chilly October Morning. These two get to have their birthdays next month and Garrison is hoping the waiting time will go quickly!

Elyssia is currently enjoying putting together the Lego Clickits and singing the hymn, "Praise The Lord" in her bedroom:). Her newest skill is whistling. She does it as she goes through her day and is getting quite good at it. She's trying to figure out how to do songs and Garrison is trying to learn from watching her. Caleb decided that he was missing out and gave it a try the other day. He gave up after awhile and just decided that making sounds like an ambulance or police car was just as good:))). Thank you Lord for the blessing of children and the joy that they bring. Still lots of challenges and crazy times, but we wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world!




Happy 9th Birthday Elyssia Anne Holloway! We Love you to the moon and back!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

This is one of the few Canadian Thanksgivings that we've gotten to spend at home. We've spent the majority of them at the in-laws, but having animals this year necessitated us being at home. Quite nice and relaxing though, for which we're very thankful. Earlier in the year we were given a ham by a man in our church. He passed away shortly after that, so it was quite special to eat this the ham and think of what a blessing Bro. Tom was. Many of the other things were from our garden or the in-laws. It was wonderful to have the pumpkin pies turn out, especially since I was using fresh pureed pumpkin instead of pie filling. The flavor still wasn't as good as my mom's, but I didn't dread having to finish the rest of my piece:).

The kids were busy with a history and science lesson this morning, so that freed me up to make a lot of the side dishes. I just realized that the green beans didn't make it onto the table, but they'll make a great side dish for supper! We also have a jello salad that we get to eat this evening. I'm thankful that we didn't try to eat it all at mid-day. I've never really liked that overly full feeling after eating and I seem to feel it even more with baby inside.

Here are some pictures of our decorations and Thanksgiving feast:

It felt good to declutter the mantle and set out the simple decorations that we have. There are times when we've had too much and really didn't know where to put it up without it looking cluttered. The lady in the middle and the squirrel pot were gifts from friends that moved away earlier this year.

Two little (gentle)men that I'm very thankful for!

Three little ladies that we love very much! Unfortunately one of them was feeling too sad to smile:(.

Miniature oatmeal pies!

The first pumpkin pie that we cut into:).

Starting to cheer up a little bit...

Trying to be creative and displaying some of our homegrown carrots!

I asked the kids to get some pinecones for decorating this morning. I didn't take a picture, but instead of bringing me a handful they brought at least 50! Guess I'll learn to be a bit more specific with my requests:). Overall it's a wonderful Thanksgiving. The two little girls are taking a nap and the 3 older ones are helping Scott harvest the last of the potatoes in the garden. The dishes are done, the family has been Skyped and I'm going to try to take a quick nap while I have the chance:).


Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian Family, Friends and Faithful Readers!

Mission Accomplished!

My mother in law came for a visit this week and brought us LOTS of tomatoes! Scott LOVES tomatoes, but I think that expecting him to eat two half filled crates would be a little too much:). I'd asked her to bring extra so that I could experiment with making homemade ketchup and salsa. The ketchup is made, but we haven't tried to get the kids to eat it yet. We'll save that experiment for later on... The remaining corn is in the dehydrator today, which should bring an end to our preserving for this year. God has blessed and we're very thankful for the bounty preserved for winter.

Nana also brought birthday presents for the girls. Kiersten and Elyssia were excited about all the gifts, even the leggings! Kiersten was really happy to have such a variety of presents in pink(sleeping bag, tool box, tights, socks, barrettes, skirts, napkins and a water bottle, all pink). Elyssia has a bit more variety in colors and is enjoying each gift as she uses it.

We had a wonderful time with Nana here and it takes awhile for the kids to stop looking for her when they wake up in the morning or from their naps. She always seems to make life seem more fun and exciting around here:).

Trudy, our milk goat, has been delivered to the farm that she came from. She will stay there for about 3 months til they're sure that she's pregnant, then Scott will go back and get her. He said that she seemed quite sad to see him to. She was going along the fence, watching him and trying to figure out how she could get to him. We know they'll take great care of her though, so we'll enjoy the break from milking and extra chores for a couple months. It'll be interesting to see how the little goats take her being gone. They might need a little extra attention.

The chickens are doing well. They're quite contented in the barn. They've been laying between 4-6 eggs a day now, which is quite nice. We're hoping that we'll eventually get at least a dozen a day so that we can share some, but we're very thankful for the ones that we have to use right now. The kids love gathering the eggs and no one has been pecked yet:).

We've had a quiet start to our weekend, with Scott being gone, but we did our best to keep busy. Most of the house is company clean, we baked lemon muffins, steamed and pureed the big pumpkin(hoping to make a pie for Monday), put a meatloaf in the oven and cut the potatoes up for supper. Now to keep the kids occupied and out of the snacks til Scott gets home:). It's a beautiful, sunny day and we thank the Lord for His wonderful care and love in our lives. I don't know where we'd be without Him and really don't want to even consider it!

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to all our Canadian Family and Friends!!!

Another Monthly Appointment

We've passed one more month off the calendar for waiting to meet this new little one. I'm looking forward to seeing the countdown in the last month, but will do my best to be patient:). The Doctor said that baby measured in the 78th percentile for height and weight in the last ultrasound! Not sure whether to be concerned about a 10 lb baby or what... Healthy is what we're praying for. One prayer request is concerning delivery. There are some nurses training to work in the delivery room, but apparently there are none qualified at this time. The Doctor said to plan on delivering here, but they'll let me know as the time gets closer. I really don't want to be taken to Rosetown or Saskatoon, so please pray that we have what we need to deliver here when the time comes.

Other than that, we're awaiting the arrival of Nana. She's coming to visit for a couple days and the weather for driving is beautiful! Praying she has a safe trip and looking forward to the extra visiting time.

One week from today...

we will be done milking Trudy! It's been an adventure and we've mostly enjoyed drinking it and (Scott) making different cheeses. We've all learned a lot and that will help it to be easier next year once she's had her babies. This year we were a bit scared of hurting her at first, but she's shown us that she's pretty easy going and given us a lot of milk to work with. It'll be interesting to see what the little goats do without her around. They've grown a lot over the summer and they all have horns. They're quite playful and enjoy butting each other, running and jumping. Thankfully they just butt each other and leave us alone:). I think we'll have to do a batch of goat's milk soap next week to keep us through the winter and that will complete our milking adventure and experiment for this year. I don't look forward to the price of milk in the grocery store, but I'm thankful that we have that option for the months Trudy isn't producing. The kids have been asking if we'll buy a milk cow, now that we have the barn, but I think we might wait another full year with the goats before making that decision. The cow is a LOT bigger and more responsibility. Plus there would probably be more milk than we would know what to do with. One goat has kept us quite well, for which we're very thankful.

It froze hard last night, which is another reason to be thankful that we're almost done. Milking in the winter months would be REALLY cold! Scott and the kids brought in a big bucket of carrots from our garden, some leeks and also some parsnips. I think that just leaves us with the potatoes to pick sometime in the next week or so. It wasn't a bumper crop year, but we thank the Lord for His provision and look forward to trying again next year! Praying that it's a milder winter, but deciding to be thankful either way. We'll have the new baby to keep us occupied after Christmas, so we'll enjoy all the extra snuggle time:).

That about wraps it up for this week. We got a lot accomplished and look forward to seeing what the Lord has for us this weekend. Til next time...

Who Told The Kids...

The Party Started At 6:30am? I guess it's an internal thing. The older 4 were all awake close to 6 and I guess it was okay. Scott had to leave for work at 7 and was able to see Kiersten open her presents and eat a "breakfast" cupcake:). She was quite happy with her gifts and I just wanted to share a couple pictures before we officially start our day.




Birthday Girl In Pink Pajamas!








Birthday Dress From Mommy and Birthday Necklace Elyssia Made For Her! A Beautiful Birthday Girl:).

Ready for a birthday?

Yes, we are!

Tomorrow Kiersten turns 4 and this is what she gets to wake up to:





I think she will be quite excited about the pink"ish" cupcakes, the pink swimming trunks( I finally found some longer ones:), and the lamp. She told me several times that she REALLY wanted her own lamp! I found this really cute one at the Salvation Army last week and thought it would work really well clipped to her bottom shelf above her bed. I've heard from reliable sources that she also has a pink sleeping bag and pink toolbox, etc on the way:). Are you sensing a theme here? Yes, Kiersten loves everything pink! She definitely likes girl things, but also has a rough and tumble side to her. Over the past year we've watched her change quite a bit. She's eager to learn and help in the kitchen. She doesn't like to be left out of anything the other kids are doing. She's learning to be a bit more gentle with animals. Still a work in progress as far as the cats are concerned.

We pray that this is a year of continued growth and look forward to seeing the Lord work in her life. She talks often about getting saved and Jesus dying on the cross without us bringing it up and we pray that the Lord continues to convict her little heart and bring her to true repentance and salvation. Our first prairie baby is growing quickly and we thank the Lord for each day that He allows us to spend together. There won't be a three year old in the house again until November of next year when Addie moves into that position. Overall I think it's been quite a good one! Til next time...

Farm Life in The Fall!

All kinds of jam to see us through the colder months!





Baking Fresh Bread To Warm Up the House!




Fresh Eggs From The Chickens! The one all the way to the right in the back is from today and it's like twice the size of all the other ones:).





The Canning Shelves Include Jams, Syrups, Pears, Peaches, Dried Corn, Apple Cider, Apple Pie Filling, Preston's Enchilada Sauce and Apple Twirls. I'm hoping to add homemade Ketchup and Salsa, but we'll see if we have time for that.





The school room is nice and cozy, but hard to get a good picture because of the lighting downstairs.



Off to change my blog background, milk the goat and enjoy more Fall Cooking!

Busy Canning Season!

I have to admit that in between homeschooling the kids I've been canning everything possible. I haven't taken a picture of our canning shelves yet. It's wonderful to see the variety of colors and foods that the Lord has allowed us to preserve. I don't think that I have any green ones, which is kind of unfortunate:). Maybe one of these years we'll have enough cucumbers to make a batch of dill pickles. We had plenty of peas, but the kids only like to eat them fresh, so we didn't think it was worth the extra work. I'm contemplating canning corn in the future too. This year I just dried it and we'll grind it for cornbread this winter. I love when the weather is cool enough in the mornings to motivate me to bake in order to warm the house without succumbing to turning on the furnace. I think it's been around freezing a couple times already, but thanks to all our wonderful quilts we're nice and warm without the furnace yet. Holding out as long as possible:). We have hot cocoa on the really cold mornings and do our chores as fast as possible, which is usually enough to keep us warm til the sun comes out in full force.

School days seem to make the weeks go by even faster than usual. It's hard to believe that we're in our 5th week already! It's October, so we'll probably have some birthday posts coming up. Kiersten, our first prairie born girl, will be turning 4 on Thursday. Amazing how much has happened in those 4 years. January will be our 5th anniversary of moving to Saskatchewan and bring the birth of our 3rd born prairie child:). I find it interesting that our 3 B.C. born children have all gotten car sick while driving through the mountains over the past couple years. Wonder if there's something hardier about the prairie babies:). They definitely had a much colder winter to live through their first 5 months of so. I love the mountains, lakes and rivers, but over time I've found that I like driving through the prairie better. It's more relaxing and the other cars don't seem to be driving so close:).

I hear the timer for supper, so I'm thinking this is a good time to sign off.