24 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 9

Today I am thankful that I am able to be a homemaker. It was always a desire and a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I always just wanted to be a wife and mommy. I am so thankful that that dream was able to become a reality from day one of our marriage.
  I love being at home and making our little place a home. The home is such an important place for a family. For too many people and families their home is just a place to eat and sleep. They live most of their lives away from their home. I can't imagine how that would be.

 I am so glad that Jacob loves me being a homemaker. Honestly, at first, he wasn't too sure about the idea. Most of the ladies he knows work outside of their home. And he was concerned about how tight our finances would be on only one income--a very valid point. But I expressed my desire to stay at home to him and he consented. Now he loves that I stay home. And since we have started out on only one income, I won't be quitting a job when the day comes that we have children, so it won't feel like are getting a pay cut.
 But as I have said before, God has always provided--He is honoring that we chose for me to stay at home and to trust Him. He always comes through for us :)
  Another plus to staying at home, right now I have lots of time to sew and make things. I have a way to generate income from my home, which is great :) I am learning lots of new skills that make my products better.
 And perhaps the best thing about being a stay-at-home wife right now is that I am able to jump up and go with my husband wherever he goes. This upcoming move would be at lot more difficult if I had a job. Some of my girlfriends' husbands work away for a few weeks at time, and they aren't able to with them. I can't imagine that!
  I am so blessed!

24 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 8

Today the things I'm thankful for may seem silly, but I am grateful for them :)

  Coffee and chocolate are two of my very favorite things :) And when they are together--almost Heaven on earth!
 Coffee is one of my best friends. Unfortunately, I am usually not a very nice person in the mornings until I get my coffee. My siblings have been known to warn others about me before I have my "morning devotions" ;) I've also heard things like "creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Mrs Grinch" whispered as I made my way to the coffee pot. Sad, but true...things are getting better though. I'm also an afternoon coffee lover. I look forward to my coffee in the afternoon so much everyday. When I lived at home one of my favorite times of the day would be when we would all stop for coffee. It just isn't the same sipping coffee alone.
 Believe it or not, I drink my coffee black, with no cream or sugar. My brothers drink it how they say they like their girls: blonde and sweet. Oh brother....

Ah chocolate, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! I love thee in cakes, in cookies, in ice cream and all by thyself. I love you in almost every form you come in. I'm not sure who brought chocolate to the New World, but I am so glad they did.

Apparently I'm not too silly dedicating a blog post to coffee and chocolate--Tchaikovsky wrote two pieces in The Nutcracker Ballet one titled "Coffee" and the other "Chocolate". Maybe he felt the same way about them as I do. Below are both pieces, so grab a cup of coffee and some chocolate and enjoy!

Being a Helper is Powerful--Revive our Hearts Broadcast

Today I listened to one of my favorite programs, Revive our Hearts, with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. The broadcast today was titled "Being a Helper is Powerful" by Mary Kassian. It was so good I had to share it with you. It painted a beautiful picture of the creation of woman, paralleled with the love between Christ and His bride, the Church. Awesome, awesome stuff. Hope it encourages you as much as it did me!

Being a Helper is Powerful

24 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 7

Today I am thankful for adventures that the Lord gives us.
 I feel like my life has been full of adventures thus far. A few months after I turned sixteen my family moved Campeche, Mexico. My father had a job offer to manage a rice farm there. We lived there for a year. It was one of the most fun and unique things I've ever done. We were in a completely different culture, away from everything and everyone that was familiar to us. It caused our family to grow closer and stronger.
  We were almost in the tropics, and we were surrounded by iguanas, howler monkeys and wild parrots. We lived 45 minutes away from Mayan ruins and six hours away from Cancun.

Not too far from us there  was a very old city named Palizada. It was an import city on the Palizada river. The houses have red-tiled roofs like you would see in Italy or France. The ships would use the tiles for ballast on the journey over then would remove the tiles and fill with cargo and leave the tiles in Palizada.
  It was always hot where we lived, and for two birthdays in a row (my 16th and 17th) I got to go swimming. This was a real treat as my birthday is in December! My 17th birthday was spent in Rio Indio, a small little place with snow white sands and clear deep blue water. It was heavenly! We had miles of beach all to ourselves.
 We moved home when we learned that Mom was expecting Hannah.
 My father and I went to two father/daughter retreats in Georgia. It was wonderful. The second year we took Wendi with us.
  Now the newlywed adventure occupies me and we have been presented with another opportunity. We're moving!  Jacob's work is moving us to another city about 4 hours away for a few months.
 I'll be preparing this week, deciding what to take and what to leave. I never thought I would live in TWO cities! :)
  I was visiting with one of my grandmothers last weekend and she told me that we never know how what we are learning now will affect our lives down the road.
 So even though I am a little unsure about this next little adventure, I want to learn everything that I can from it, and be content wherever I am.

24 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 5 and 6

 I'm thankful for our weekends in the country.
We spent days four, five and six with my family. It was wonderful! My mom and I drank endless pots of coffee :) and I played and played with my little sisters.
 Our menfolk and Wendi hunted Saturday morning and my Dad and youngest brother both shot a doe. Sunday morning before church my other brother got a doe as well. Lydia was so excited about the deer on Saturday she kept asking during breakfast when they were going "to peel the deer." We laughed and laughed
 It was great to visit my old church on Sunday morning and see all of my old church family.
  I was also able to go and visit with all of my grandparents this weekend. I am so thankful to still have all of my grandparents alive and doing well. I love having them to draw wisdom from. My dad's parents have been married over 50 years, and my mom's parents are almost there too.
 I am so grateful for the Godly heritage the Lord has blessed me with.

24 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 4

Today I am thankful for the deliciously cool weather that blew in this week. In our part of the country, summer heat often extends into October and occasionally November. Cool weather brings so many wonderful things. Here a few of my favorite things cold weather brings:

•  I'm so happy to pull out all of my cute cool-weather clothes--sweaters and jackets and boots. I love wearing boots and my favorite pair are a pair of cowgirl boots Jacob bought for me on our honeymoon. I wear them all the time, they are so comfortable.

•  When I lived in the country, usually the first good cool night we would build a fire outside and drink hot chocolate and roast marshmallows. Since I'm in the city now, I'm content just let my coffee cup warm my hands :)

•   Cold weather brings out the soup and stew lover in me so big batches of soups and stews are in our future.

   When the cool weather blows in, all of the men in my family get itchy trigger fingers and are ready to get in a deer stand. Camouflage is the color of choice during this time of year for many people I know.
   Last year Daddy, my brothers, and Jacob harvested several deer and combined the meat and we made a couple hundred pounds of smoked venison sausage. It was so good! We don't put cure or any preservatives in the seasoning mix. The recipe was given to us by one of our dear old neighbors who used to own a meat packing plant.
  It is something we do every year and I can't remember a time when we haven't done it. It is one my favorite times of the year. Over the years we've had various "uncles and aunts" -- close friends of the family-- help us and it is always a fun time of visiting.
  Here are a few pictures from last year.

 Our manly men cutting up all the meat. We girls got in on it too, but there is no photographic evidence.

 Yours truly weighing and packaging some of the fry meat and backstrap that we didn't turn into sausage. That we some of the meat we use in stews and shish-kebobs.

 Wendi and Jacob  moving meat to Daddy to be ground. In the pans in the back are meat that was just ground, ready for stuffing.

 Stuffing the sausage into casings, with little peoples looking on.

 Ready to go in the smokehouse.

 Smoked sausage on top, jerky on bottom. Every year my brothers try to make jerky--we're still learning. It gets better every year ;)

Yummy! Daddy and Josh packaging the smoked sausage for the freezer.

Hurray for cool weather!

24 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 3

 Today I am remembering and thanking the Lord for His hand of provision. He has provided for our every need and it astounds and amazes me to think about it.
  I am a homemaker. We are a newlywed one-income family. To say that we aren't always in high cotton is rather an understatement :) But we have never once wanted for a thing.
  We were so blessed when we set up our home. We were given so many things--our dining set, our couch, our coffee table and end tables, just to name a few. And we had some amazing wedding showers (3!). What we weren't given directly, the Lord provided the money for us to get what we needed.
 It hasn't stopped since we've been married, actually it has increased. I posted several weeks ago about our dryer and how He gave us a much newer one for free!
 Right before we were married a co-worker of Jacob's came to him and asked if we needed a deep freezer. Jacob told him yes, and the man said that he had a small upright one that we could have. They needed a larger one now and had a spare. As it turns out, that freezer was the perfect size for our apartment. Having freezer space is such a blessing. I am able to store so much more food than if I only had the little freezer above the fridge. I can catch things on sale and make meals ahead and have them for later. And did I mention that we were given the freezer for free?!
 Another way that the Lord has provided for us is through our health. In the 10 months that we have been married we have both had excellent health. We've still fallen prey to colds and allergies, but those things haven't been anything requiring a hospital stay or numerous doctor visits. Even earlier this year when a horse spooked and dragged Jacob out of the horse trailer, his injuries were minor--they could have been so much worse than they were. He has protected us every step of the way.
 All of these things are a confirmation to us that we are in God's will. We are happy, we have all that we need and then some. I have no doubt that He will take care of us as long as we serve Him.

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.  Psalm 37:25 KJV 

Carpet Cleaner--from your pantry

Earlier today I found a recipe for carpet cleaner (on Pinterest, where else?!). I had been needing to buy some carpet cleaner for a few coffee spots and a place or two by the front door.
 I saw the recipe and decided to try it before I bought any from the store. I'm always open to expirements :)
 Guess what? It really worked! And it was so inexpensive and easy--barely any elbow grease and it was quick.
I am completely sold on it and never have to worry about running out of cleaner again. Yippee!

CARPET CLEANER:

First, sprinkle the stain(s) with BAKING SODA and rub it in a little. Let set for 10 or so minutes. Vacuum up the baking soda, then mix:

2 cups of warm water
1 T. white vinegar
1 T. dishwashing liquid (I used Dawn)

Sponge onto stain generously and scrub. Let dry and say goodbye to stains :)

Note: I haven't noticed any vinegary smell--which was really the only concern I had with the mix.



Also check out the following recipe for Homemade Fabric Softener

24 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 2

Yesterday was about sisters, today I'm thankful for my little brothers. People laugh when I say little, as they have been much bigger than me for years.

For many years, it was just us "Big Three". Not having a sister for so long, I would play trucks and guns with them and they would (sometimes) play dolls with me. More often than not we would end up playing "pioneer" which was a hybrid of the two--guns and babies. :)

 We big three have always felt like we were a unit--you didn't mess with one of us without messing with the other two. And you certainly didn't want to get in a debate with all three of us! :) We share the same visions and goals for our families and lives.

  We are happiest and have the most fun when we are together. We have always loved working on projects together, and my brothers are the main reason I enjoy firearms so much. They told me that ladies need to know how to shoot--after all, Jael took up a tent peg against the enemy. One day after working with me to get my groupings closer together and to the center of the target, Josh said, "Well....it isn't as close as I like it, but if it were a hog, a coyote or a man after you, he'd be pretty wounded and you could get away."

Typical pose for us three..none of us paying attention.

There, that's better :)

  Josh and Patric are a team. They work best together. They can take of the family business completely by themselves if my father has to be away. They can build almost anything and can fix almost anything.

  I am so proud of the men they are becoming, but even more, I am proud of the men of God that they are. They are dedicated in their walk with Him and their love for Him inspires and convicts me at the same time.

  I love them so much and miss them greatly. I'm just glad that we get to be together pretty often and that they love Jacob so much and vice-versa. It makes it easier to get together and have them over that way.
 Whoever gets either one of my brothers for a husband will be one lucky girl!

24 Days of Thanksgiving : Day 1

I decided to try to post something I am thankful and grateful for every day this month until Thanksgiving. There will be no specific order of importance in the posting, just the things I am thankful for that day. It is my goal to post everyday, but that may be interrupted a time or two as I learned this week we will probably be moving to another city for a few months. We will be leaving before Thanksgiving, but I will make an effort to post everyday.

Today I am thankful for my little sisters.

There was a time when I thought I wouldn't be blessed with sisters. I have two wonderful brothers, 3 and 6 years younger than me. I wanted a sister so much, and when my mom had a miscarriage when I was nine, I was crushed. A year later, the Lord gave me my first sister, Wendi. She was my real, live baby doll and I loved having her around so much.
  I occasionally joke that my prayers for a sister must have stacked up in Heaven then all of them came back at one time, because six years later Hannah was born. Two years after Hannah, Lydia was born, then almost three years after Lydia, came Faith. The last three were all born at home and I was blessed to assist with their births--which was awesome! I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.
  I love them all so much. I never dreamed how much I would miss them when I married, or how much they would adore my husband and vice-versa. Jacob was more than a little surprised while we were courting when I told him that Mama was expecting another baby. He loves to shock people with the fact that he has sister-in-laws that are 20+years younger than he is.

 We didn't know that Wendi was a girl until she was born. Mom had had a sonogram, but Wendi was too modest and didn't cooperate. I was so happy that she was a girl, I cried when I held her for the first time.
  This is Wendi's first year to hunt and last weekend she shot her first deer. It was an eight point buck and we are all so proud and excited for her, especially Daddy. :)  Not only is she able to "bring home the bacon (or venison!)" but she can also make it into a wonderful meal. She is learning to sew and is doing very well.

 Mom says that Hannah is exactly like I was when I was little only red-headed instead of blonde. Soooo prissy and dramatic--I have apologized to Mom on several occasions for all the drama and silliness she had to put up with when I was young :)
 Lydia is Jacob's sweetheart. She loves her Jacob so much that I think if we were closer in age she wouldn't have ever forgiven me for marrying him. She told Mom the other day that "Jacob is really mine, Becca just shares."
  Hannah and Lyddie are best  friends and take care of each other.

And last but not least...Faith. She was the surprise we are all so thankful for. She was only 3 months old when I married, so many times I feel like I am missing out on so much of her first years. Thankfully, modern technology has helped make it easier, and I always get lots of pictures from home of her doing cute, new things. I was worried that she wouldn't know me since I live a good hour away and do not get to see them as much as we all would like. But so far that hasn't been a problem. She loves me and knows me and gets very excited when we talk on the phone or when she sees me. She'll hug me and hold me for a long time and has started trying to say mine and Jacob's names. She loves Jacob too, and like the other little sisters-in-law, has him wrapped around her little finger.

Faith eating marshmallows for the first time.

 I never ever dreamed that I would have sisters so much younger than me, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. It is a little amusing sometimes though, as some of my friends have children the same ages as my sisters!

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