Spinning And Such

I am really enjoying learning to spin my own yarns.  Isn’t that blue pretty?  I am also knitting a shawl (above), and no, I did not spin that purple yarn.  But I did knit and then felt the little bowl to hold my ball of yarn while I knit.  It was quick and easy, and the first time that I have felted a knitted project.  The pattern for the bowl is here, and the shawl pattern is here.
I have been learning how to spin on my drop spindle from classes on line at Craftsy.
I am enjoying the last few days before we begin school again.  It is time to get back into our normal routines. 
What are ya’ll up to these days?
Join the fun - 

EVERY ONE, please read Linny’s post today and join in the Prayers

Seasons Of Our Hearts

 I have noticed that my heart goes through seasons.  And if I am not  careful and aware, there are seasons where my thoughts become terribly self centered and my heart becomes heavy.  

 This heaviness tries to pull me down, and if I do not take a stand it will.

 I am realizing that there is nothing wrong with the “seasons” - seasons of joy, laughter, fun, playing; if fact those seasons are like Spring and Summer - active and well, FUN.  

 And the seasons of Autumn and Winter?

 Well, this morning I prayed to the LORD and He reminded me of the beauty in winter.  These are amazing pictures I took of frost on my window this morning.  Each one is exquisite in it’s creation and beautiful.  

And as I look at this frost, my heart feels more restful.  As the seed that waits in the cold, hard ground for the warming of spring my heart will wait also.  And I remind myself to look around me at the LORD’s creative beauty, to listen to the truth of hope found in the Bible and to wait patiently and trustingly as the seed waits.  
I remember that this season is a wonderful time to slow down, rest, contemplate, and seek the LORD’s direction for the growth that HE desires in the next season of my days.  I accept with appreciation that He has brought this season into my life and instead of heaviness receive it as a time of quietness in my heart.  
And today I will remember to “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.  to Him who alone does great wonders, for His steadfast love endures forever;"

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours!

Oh, To Share Life ...

 ...with the one you love.

 They have taught me to fight for what is important,

 to love extravagantly, even when it hurts,

 to give of yourself, and forgive when it is hard,

 to laugh, and play and enjoy the life that God has blessed us with,

 to remember that people are always more important than things,

 and that whether you have money or struggle to make ends meet, remember the most important things in your life...

 our real blessings are our family, friends and our gifts that can be used to love and serve the LORD and others.

 They have faithfully loved each other and those that God has put in their paths. 

They have selflessly given whenever they could.

 They have passionately embraced the journey that the LORD has taken them on;

 and look each day for His guidance and wisdom.  

 Are my parents perfect?  Gosh, even they would shake their heads and laugh “NO”.  

But with lots of hard work and enormous amounts of love,

I would say they are pretty darn close.

I’m grateful to God for them, and it was so fun to take these precious pictures of them.

Free

Praise the LORD, Caresse is now free from the horrible knot that has been causing so much pain in her shoulder.  The doctors were very happy with yesterdays surgery.  The plate was removed from her right knee, and the bone knot was taken out of her shoulder.  
She is in pain, of course, but happy that it is all over!  Thank you for your prayers for our family. 

Number 10 and 11

My darling Caresse will have surgeries number ten and eleven tomorrow morning.  The doctors will be removing the plate in her knee and the huge bone growth in her shoulder. 
I am so grateful for the wonderful doctors that will be taking care of her tomorrow.  They are truly gifts from the LORD!!

His First

 We had just missed this special day last year.

 The birthday when you turned eight.  

 This year though, we celebrated this day with you!  

 Yes, you turned nine this year,

 and we all loved singing happy birthday to you,

 and being silly, 

 and watching you open your gifts...

But, I am celebrating your FIRST birthday home.  The first year you have a family to sing the birthday song
 to you; the first year that your mommy got to make a cake for you; the first time that we got to see you laugh and blow out your candles; ...
this is the first year for me -
your mommy,
to celebrate the little boy who was born 9 years ago, in another country to another woman;
and to remember with thankfulness the circumstance orchestrated by The Almighty that brought my son to me.

Happy First Birthday Home Clive Charles.  I am so glad that the LORD gave you to me,
I love you,
mommy

Lost In Life

Merry Christmas to all of you, my precious family and friends.

 We had such a wonderful time with my family from Texas for Thanksgiving.  I loved having all of my children together too!  I hope to get more pictures up soon.
I have been a little lost in living.  And then there seems to be so little time to sit and blog the way I want to.  I love sharing our story with you, and the LORD’s grace in our lives.  And I love reading your stories.  I am hoping that I can become more consistent here.
Till then, I pray that you all are enjoying this special time of the year with those that you love!

What Am I Passionate About?

I’m going to do some confessing here.  
I have sinned big time against my LORD GOD.  I have often said that I am passionate for the cause of the children who live as orphans in this world.  And while I am deeply concerned and heart broken for the injustices done to them,
I have been wrong to say that.  And I must also apologize to you for setting such a poor example.

“Most Christians walk a fuzzy line between devotion to God and devotion to other things.” (One Year Devotion)

Our family has really been thinking on how we “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”.   I am looking deep to see what little impurities I have decided I can live with.  
So I need to repent.  
What am I passionate about?
The Word Of God tells me very clearly where my devotion should be;
“Love the LORD your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” Luke 10:27
And in Matthew, Jesus answered Satan’s temptation for his devotion by stating Deuteronomy,
“You shall worship the LORD your God and Him only shall you serve.”  
Let’s be passionate for the Kingdom of God!  

I am going through Matthew right now and writing down what Jesus reveals about the Kingdom of Heaven because God’s Kingdom is the one that we belong to, and if we are to be salt and light (Matt. 5) to our world, we need to make sure that we are representing His Kingdom in all that we say and do.  

We need to ask ourselves “What does the Kingdom of God look like and are we representing His Kingdom to our world?”  We need to search the Bible and be sure.  We need to ask some other questions too.
What impurities and compromises have I allowed that hinder my job to be salt and light? 
Am I teaching my children what His Kingdom looks like, or are they learning from a watered-down, confused culture?
When the LORD shows me a sin, am I going to be serious about changing it?  Or will I make excuses and continue to tolerate it?

What am I passionate about?

A Little Time...

(Sweet Noelani learning how to card wool with me)

 Ya know, the Bible says in Ecclesiastes “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”.  I’m thinking I need to share my “Mommy’s Time” with you all, “To every mother there is a season, and a time to every purpose, 
a time to cook, a time to eat cereal for supper; a time to wash windows, a time to let it go; a time to bathe children, and a time to let them play; a time to take a nap, a time to work; a time to listen to your child and a time to ask them to wait until you can; a time to teach and a time to be taught; a time to tickle and giggle, a time to hug the fears away; a time to watch the children grow and a time to pray for that growth; a time to enjoy the little one lying in your arms and a time to give them sweet kisses; a time to praise, a time to love; a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to draw near, a time to let go; a time to grieve what has been lost and a time to rejoice in what is found; a time to pick up and a time to be picked up;
in all the seasons of my motherhood, one thing has remained the same - to serve and love the ones that the LORD has given to me.  To daily remember the gift that each of them is in my life; and to be faithful to the work that the LORD has asked me to do.  The LORD has given me the time to do this work and I want to be mindful of doing it well for HIM."

 I think for me right now, there is also a time to blog and a time to not blog (LIT-ER-ALLY - LOL).  I want to, but I honestly have just not been able to do so.  And I’m a little funny in that I really can’t stand to blog without pictures, and I have been to tired to even pull out my camera.  However, I did finally take a few pictures yesterday.

 I bought my 1st sheep fleece and we just had to get our hands in it and play.  

Happy weekend sweet ones ... I must run now, because
“There is a time to take a shower ...”  and it’s my time.

I’m A Little Obsessed ...

...with fibers!!  I am learning how to spin using some wonderful Alpaca wool from a local farmer.  It is so soft!!  Thank goodness for the internet and the ability to learn from others!

The children are also obsessed with fiber.  We are learning to wet and dry felt fibers.  What fun!  I bought my supplies from Living Felt and I really like this company.  They have lots of helpful information.  

Aiden was really creative with his chicken.  The chicken was “born-ing” and egg, and it had food to eat.  He loves to play with it.  

Several of the children are making their second and third dry felts. The are really going to get excited when I show them how to wet felt a snake tomorrow!