The silence has ended.....

To say this has been a tumultuous year would be an under statement. My grandmother went home to be with the Lord on January 1st, 2015.  My uncle followed on February 2, 2015.  A week before that a cousin on the other side, Scott, passed away in a car accident.  I am at a loss on how to move forward emotionally, but one thing is certain.  You have to move forward.  I am sticking with prayers and memory making to get through this rough patch.  I know that the Lord is more than able to help me through anything I am facing.  My favorite phrase this month....

"He is a BIG GOD!"  

My problems and issues are nothing to him.  I need to hear this and even say this on a daily basis.

Millwood Sky

What do I do now?

I've cleaned today as much as I can (want to). I've fought with my evil nemesis, a.k.a. "the sewing machine". No beautiful skirt for Princess B, today. I've contemplated meal planning, but since there are exactly three foods that the whole family will agree on what's the point. We had a great meatloaf last night. Mr. Man liked it two plates full, or was it three? My Mama was over and complimented it. Couldn't get teenage Manboy to try it, though, as it was not pizza or fries. (If anyone knows what he eats and where let me know...) Since my heading says cooking I will share the recipe. I didn't take any photos, though, as I was not thinking Tuesday night Meatloaf would be blog worthy, but hey that's life.

Easy Pleasing Meatloaf

2lb lean ground beef

1 pkg Stove Top stuffing (6oz) for chicken

1 cup water

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cup Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce, divided (or ketchup)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients except 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. Shape meat mixture into oval loaf in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with remaining sauce. Bake 1 hour until done.

Makes 8 servings.

We were talking about childhood memories of food the other day. Doesn't it seem like food used to taste better when you didn't have to fix it, or is it just me? I loved my Ma's popovers and fried porkchops. She used to make mashed potatoes all the time. I have been married 21 years and I think I have mashed potatoes twice. She grilled, too, and her steaks were to die for. She made french toast and pancakes for breakfast. Yum. Hey, Ma if your reading this I'm coming over. Cook for me!

Oh, we had the best news!!! A new baby in the family.

Welcome Princess P! You are loved and prayed for. Much love to the cousins who now have nothing to do more important than loving you. The world is blessed by God because of your arrival.

The dress I made for Princess Beezer...

This is the dress I mentioned a few posts back. I thought it turned out fantastic... of course I might be a little biased.

We celebrated July 4th in style.

An artist would not have been in the top 1,000 words I would have used to define myself. Crafty, maybe. Then one day an elderly wisp of a woman pulled up in my driveway and asked to see the inside of our unusual home. She commented that she had just sold a vacation home in northern Florida and that this might be the last trip she would take on the route that lead her past the big yellow house. Knowing her opportunity to examine it was passing she pulled in.

We are accustomed to people stopping by to reminisce or just out of curiosity so we invited her in with the warning that we "live" in the house. She quickly saw it was not a showplace, but a home. She was dressed in simply elegance and we could easily tell she was a woman of means. She seemed truly delighted with our home.

We described the rich family history, pointed to the old photographs and told of the quirky slanted floors. At last when the conversation naturally lulled the lady stopped in front of a faceless angel I had painted and displayed on the dining room wall.

"Are you the artist?" she asked. "It is very good."

As she took her leave and thanked us for our kindness, I felt as though I should have been thanking her.

God sees us for more than we are...just like the lady saw me. Let your identity come from God's view of you. It will be beyond your wildest dreams for yourself.

Faith

After a lifetime of experiences I sometimes feel I am no closer to understanding "faith" than I was 20 years ago.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

What? Has there ever been a more mysterious passage? Can we understand or comprehend it?

What I have found as I have walked through various situations and problems is that pure faith can only exist in the darkest circumstances. If there is any natural way for things to work out our fleshly "faith" will trust in those natural sources. When God becomes your only source of hope... When there is no natural way for your circumstances to improve...When there is no silver lining to your dark cloud, then you can find that ember of pure faith burning in your heart. Suddenly, when that faith exists it doesn't matter how everything works out or even if it does. Only Jesus matters and your faith, your pure faith, in Him.

Have a great day...and don't forget to count your blessings.

Counting My Blessings

I have been in a crafty mood lately so I made a dress for the 'little princess' at my house and a headband to match from on of Papa's old dress shirts. It is a red, white and blue theme for July 4th. I took a page from Granny's frugal upbringing and made a tank top out of the left over material. Waste not, Want not. I still have a smidge of material left. I wonder what I could make with that? The material was so soft due to many washings and wearings. Reusing old clothing to make new might not be such a bad idea. I was pleased with the results and will share photos soon.
I am counting my blessings today. It seems to get me into a better mood and I am rather stressed today due to my sis and ma being out of town. You know how I worry! I was thinking that I am very blessed to live in the country. Our little dirt road doesn't get much traffic and I love to sit out on the front porch and enjoy the view. The ceiling fan makes it bearable in the Georgia summer. My hydrangeas are blooming like mad. My husband was really proud of that and kept suggesting(nagging) that I go and take some pictures, so I did.
I am so blessed that the kids are healthy. Sometimes in the midst of being a referee for all the squabbles I forget that this is a sign of health and happiness. Seeing the way that they interact with each other I wonder if the world will be ready for them when it is time for them to fly away. I think that each of their personalities is so unique. They are all passionate and I love them each to pieces. My family is my greatest blessing.
God is always near me. My relationship with Jesus is the highlight of my life. I realized a long time ago that this relationship was to come before all the others. Truly, I cannot be a good wife, mother, daughter, sister or friend without first coming before God and having an intimate relationship with him. I want to live a life that will be a blessing to Jesus.
"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen you heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24
God Bless You and Don't Forget to Count Your Blessings.

Family Life Rocks!

This is a photo of the Big Yellow House in Georgia where we spend our days making memories. I don't have enough room to tell you everything I love about this house, but the thing I love the most is that this house is the hub of our family. It is the place I most want to be at the end of a challenging day. I want my babies around me and my hubby here and it wouldn't bother me if everyone 'out there' moved 'in here'. (I've never liked to be by myself.) Maybe I would feel the same way if we lived in a cardboard box...as long as we were together. I hope I never have to find out.

My house has a lot of family history and that makes me feel connected to the past. The way I look at it we are continuing that history making with our family.

Being a family means compromising each and every day. We have to learn to give and take. We are trying to raise children in this Big Yellow House who will be able to enter the world gently and make it a better place. This is a balancing act in parenting...How do we instruct without dictating? I want them to learn to make good choices, not to wait until Mama or Daddy comes around to tell them what is right. I want them to be guided by their personal relationship with Jesus each and every day. I have to trust them to soak up the lessons we are teaching, I have to trust myself, but most of all I have to trust the Lord who ultimately loves my children more than I do and wants to do them good all the days of their lives.

Family life is a challenge, but at the end of the day I have the exact life I dreamed of.

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Don't forget to count your blessings!