Matthew George Smiling

Yes, I did just name a blog post that. :-D We went up to see my nephew, sister and bro-in-law on the weekend. Needless to say, Matthew stole our hearts again quite effectively. :-)

Matthew George

This weekend, Jesse and I traveled to Manitoba to visit Hannah and Daniel... and Matthew. :-) It was so much fun meeting Matthew for the first time. He is very perfect and sweet. 

They are a very happy family. All seem to be adjusting well to his arrival. :-)

Babies and feet. :-)

Motherhood suits her well!!

That expression on his little face makes me giggle every time.

Father and son. Daniel makes a great dad.

Eventually, Jesse's going to make a great father as well.

Someday. :-) 

He's Here! He's Here!

Matthew George Ives made his grand appearance yesterday evening around 7:45 Manitoba time. A little over 7 lbs and a little over 20 inches long. The last we heard, Hannah is doing well... exhausted and adjusting, but doing well none-the-less. What a brave mama!!

I haven't got pictures yet but they'll be a-comin'!!

I'm an AUNT. And I have NEPHEW.

Hehe.

snAp sHoTs of my LIFE

This blog post belongs to the points in my life which have recently been happening and should be (?) shared with the public via blogger. I love today's social society.

***

Yesterday, Lydia called our mum to wish her a very happy birthday. After these were delivered and received, Mum mentioned that our newly married sister, Hannah Ives, was looking for a play pen to put the baby in while she was working the garden next Spring.
 "Oh," says Lydia. There was a brief silence. Then, "Are they... expecting?"
"You didn't know?" Mum asked.
 "No," replied Lydia.
"We thought you knew!" Mum said.
 "No, we did not," replied Lydia.
"Well, she's due in March sometime," Mum informed.
 I was at work at that point and Lydia wanted to text me but Jesse wouldn't let her because he wanted to see my reaction to the news. (He was also gloating in anticipation about referring to Lydia's and my 3 year old sister, "Aunty Sara.") So when I get home, Lydia waves a notebook in my face that had a big note written in it "Hannah is expecting sometime in March." I flipped, of course. Lydia and I have begun calling each other "Aunty Lydia" and "Aunty Naomi"... and we're wondering what on earth to give her that will be the greatest help. And we're wondering how visits are to be arranged and how to spoil Hannah and baby. Oh such a excitement!
I had wanted to wish Mum a happy birthday as well, so I phoned her and expressed my desire for her to have a lovely birthday. Then, I asked to speak to Marty.
"So," says my sister, "I'm... um... making a cake. Because... um... we all forgot it was Mum's birthday. Except maybe Dad. Anyways, Mum got off the phone with Lydia and said, 'That was Lydia wishing me a happy birthday' and we're all like, 'It's your birthday?!'"
It was a red letter day for communication among the Holter offspring.

***

Insomnia has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. So were night terrors. As I grew older, it seemed to get worse and better, depending on what was happening in my life at the time. When I left home, I slept better than I had in years. But when my husband and I began to share a bed at night, the first months were filled with me screaming frantically and trying to rid myself of whatever or whoever stalked my dreams.  I would wake up sweating and struggling in the blankets, but there was one thing that came to my consciousness very quickly: Jesse. He would hold me close, smooth my hair on my head, whisper in my ear... soon these instances diminished and now, I have them very rarely. It's because of him. I still struggle with sleeplessness. But when insomnia invades those dark hours, what used to be a curse is now a blessing. I lay awake, listening to my lover breathe. He sleeps so soundly, yet he would be awake in a moment if I needed him. I no longer fear the night. Precious are the moments of silence I share in the presence of my beloved.

***

This morning, we slept until past 10 and got up to make a brunch. Since the house was still cold from the night, we opened blinds and curtains to allow the sun's warmth inside. Jesse's cat, Snow, has a decidedly annoying habit of always wanting to be inside and outside, depending, of course, on what side of the door he is on. No sooner have we let him out, he wants back in and vice versa. Lydia seems to enjoy spoiling him by opening the door at his wish but we are not so kind. This morning, however, I opened the door wide, letting the sun into the kitchen while I made potato pancakes. The breeze mixed with the sunlight and the sound of the falling leaves made it a most delightful experience for us humans. Snow, on the other hand, was flabbergasted. Should he be in or out? Should he sit on the doorstep? Should he pace? Or should he sit? What would show his dignity best in this difficult situation? In the end, he sat on the rug just inside the door and glared at the openness until we shut the door.

***

There was a party the other night celebrating numerous birthdays. It was a pot luck affair and I decided we were going to make use of the remnants of the roasted chicken we'd had on Wednesday. At my request, Jesse went to the garden and dug potatoes, carrots and an onion. He was also supposed to find basil and garlic but he couldn't locate them. He even got out his phone and googled what they were supposed to look like. (I love this man.) I was just on my way home from work so when he called me to ask for my assistance, I met him in the garden 7.25 minutes later. There was no garlic; apparently, it had all been harvested. But the basil and oregano were both there and flourishing. There is something remarkable about growing and harvesting fresh herbs. They add such delicate, full bodied flavor to a dish. In this case, I tore the basil leaves up and stripped the oregano from it's stems before adding it to the chopped meat.
Soup is very satisfying on every count. I enjoy all soups, though chicken and turkey are favorites. To make chicken soup, you must have chicken, chicken broth, a variety of vegetables, herbs and creativity. I suppose that is my favorite thing about soup: you can use your imagination. Good soup is an art. When we were eating my soup later that evening, I held a potato aloft on my spoon and announced proudly, "This vegetable was in the ground 3 hours ago."
Lydia snorted, as wise sisters always do and asked me to refrain from bragging. "What?" she calmly said, "Like you weren't raised eating fresh vegetables." True, but it felt good knowing my abilities as a hard working farm girl are still lurking under the surface.

***

There have been some people wondering about my spiritual well being. I appreciate your concern. I need the prayers. My search for Truth goes on and on every moment of each day. I do not claim to be well versed in Truth and Love. In fact, my lack of knowledge both frightens and thrills. I am fearful because I understand only a little of the depths to which I can plunge. God help me. But I am elated by circumstance because I can grow and learn. This is not the end; I can go on. My latest epiphany is that before I can forgive others, I must forgive myself, as God forgives and loves me. Because, guess what?! I hold endless grudges against myself and my past or future actions. I cannot exist this way. Do you ever have trouble forgiving yourself? There is a moment in which we see ourselves through the eyes of Eternity.

***

My piano schedule has filled dramatically. In fact, I am teaching 4 days per week instead of the usual 3. So far, 17 students. Lydia is also teaching (in my kitchen!) so we will be able to compare notes and ideas. I am looking forward to another great year of students. As I've mentioned before, my students broaden my horizons; at times, it is their genius and it is their ignorance combined which allows me to understand music more fully. My free moments are spent studying, scheduling, practicing...

***

Politics: I was raised to ignore them. In actuality, both parties usually annoy me to no end, so I chose to follow the ignorance. But ignorance does not make our world any better. My husband and his family are heavily involved with politics so when I began falling in love with Jesse, I sought to understand what was so interesting about two parties saying, "We're better. They're lying. We'll do this. See what they've done to the economy? You should elect us." The fact of the matter is, politicians talk down to people because people want to be talked down to. There are some free thinking, strong individuals who actually see outside off the box. But many people will vote for THEIR party, regardless of policy (or, the lack thereof). They will quote bold statements which have no basis in Truth because their party's politician said it. They want someone to blame so they blame whoever is in power. There are times we are not worthy of freedom. The most frightening thing? Great evil can be put into power through ignorance. Goodbye, freedom.
In regards to the Obama/Romney election, we were watching "West Wing". In this particular episode, President Bartlett was talking to Josh Lyman about economy, power and broken promises. His words were very timely given present circumstances and I wanted to share them here:

"There was a man named Canute, one of the great Viking kings of the 11th century. He wanted his people to be aware of his limitations, so he led them down to the sea and he commanded the tide to roll out. It didn’t. 
"Who gave us the notion that Presidents can move the economy like a play-toy? That we can do more than talk it up or smooth over the rough spots? It’s a lie. What we really owe that union is the truth." -- (Jed Bartlett) West Wing, Season 5, Episode 19 "Talking Points"

***

September 10th, 2011, we stood in front of an audience and proclaimed our commitment to each other. We had already made an everlasting commitment to each other on November 5th, 2010 but there were many who needed to witness our union. It was the best wedding we have ever attended... not just because it was our own (my goodness, if I could have passed the stress off to someone else...) but because it was a party where all could feel comfortable with who they were. There was good company, good music, good food... and most of all, so much love.
They say the first year is the hardest. I say, if this is so, then I am looking forward to the years to come. We have had our rocky points (like, for instance, Jesse was ignoring me and I wanted attention... so I poured a cup of cold water over his head) and sometimes, one of us will get annoyed at the other. But our friendship has never wavered, nor our respect for the other. There is such freedom to be who we are as individuals, yet someone there to lean on. I never thought I would ever meet such a kindred spirit. Even from the first moment of conversation, we felt a deep connection. I fought it at first because I was frightened; but it only grew stronger and more insistent. I know that God had a hand in this union.

***

Regarding items of varying sizes and importance that float through my life: God, Jesse, Lydia, The Cat. Oh my... I'm going to be an aunt. :-D They have all been duly noted upon. Enjoy, dear readers. May the future be brightest and may Truth be an amazement.

Long Due

Life is not an exact science, it is an art. -- Samuel Butler

The past few weeks have been crazy. And when I get some downtime at night, I'm either spending quality time with Jesse, Lydia and Snow... or I'm falling asleep. I haven't even had the energy to post pictures. Lol. But I have some time today and I intend to use it for a number of things, catching up being one of them.

Lydia. She's moved down from Endeavour and is living at our house. She is working at the Pharmasave with me and (if all goes as planned) she's going to be teaching guitar lessons in the fall. It's been great having her around. (I'm not just saying that because she reads my blog. Lol.) Among her many attributes, she is pleasant, kind, smart, funny and a very hard worker. She cleans my bathroom. I like her. ;-) Since moving here, she has cut and donated her hair for cancer and bought an i-phone. Also, we have played and sung together at Will Elliot's 50th birthday party. I had forgotten how much fun it is to practice together. Our voices are very similar so when we do manage a harmony (we're just learning how those work) it's a little astounding. I hadn't realized how much I miss my siblings until she moved in. Now, it's better.

Hannah. And Daniel. :-) Bless their hearts. They're married and pretty happy about it too! What a beautiful wedding. Hannah's day was perfection. As you may know, it's been pretty wet this year. When Hannah said she wanted an outdoor wedding, none of us were sure if that was going to work out. Especially when it rained... and rained... and rained some more... right up until a couple days before the wedding. But the day of the wedding, so many prayers were answered!

It was gorgeous!

Hannah made her dress.

She ordered the flowers online and had them shipped to my folks' place. (Sun flowers, blue delphiniums and white roses.) 

Lindsey made the wedding cake. (I got to watch most of the process... such fun! Lindsey is really talented.) 

The end result was amazing. Lindsey spent a lot of time on that cake.

Lydia, Ellie and myself played the music for the ceremony. 

(Due to everything being really, really hectic, we didn't get to practice much at all, but we still sounded fine. I can't imagine how much better it would have been if we were a little more organized. Lol! The more I'm in the music world, the prouder I get of my siblings and their musical abilities.) 

Jesse and I got to meet Daniel's family finally. They are so great. Hannah is going to fit right in. :-) Oh. Fun fact! Hannah was a barefoot bride. Love! 

Our British Columbia, Washington, California, etc., etc. trip. It looms upon us with a raging speed. Hehe. I am astonishingly excited. I am looking forward to hours of Jesse and me time. I am looking forward to seeing my aunts and uncles and my grandparents and great aunts and great uncles and cousins. I am looking forward to staying in hotels and going to Disneyland and doing a little shopping, etc. I am looking forward to experiencing a beautiful coastline drive and San Francisco!!! I will do my best to take pictures and post them as we go.

Lindsey tried to visit us this past weekend but things came up in her life and she wasn't able to make it happen. Sadness. But we did have a wonderful visit during the wedding festivities and we will get together again. Someday, it will happen. The good part about this was that we got the house cleaned up. ;-) The state of the upstairs is such that we could (should!) get medals for tidiness and ingenuity. Lindsey, we miss you!!!

And besides all of this prittle-prattle, what have we been doing most? Working and living. Mostly working. Haha. :-P But Pharmasave always outdoes itself when it comes to being a great job. I love my bosses. I love the managers. I love having new runners so my feet don't hurt so badly at the end of the day. And I love having my sister working with me; having breaks and lunch with me; driving to and from work together. It is hard work in ways but it is a very rewarding job and I love waking up in the morning looking forward to a full 9 hour day at work.

What would be left of our tragedies if an insect were to present us his?

 -- Emile M. Cioran

Spiritually and emotionally? Lately, stress has been the biggest thing on my plate. Between dealing with some old memories and people I would rather not deal with, the wedding days were hard on me. But God got me through it and I was fine. I love Lydia living in our house, it's amazing having her around; but it's a change and change is stressful. God is getting me through this too. Beginning to work full time had me freaking out that I wouldn't be strong enough to pull my share of the load and that I would get involved in all the drama. I hate stabbing people in the back. It is almost worse than lying. Both make me feel unclean and my conscience kills me. Haha. But God has given me strength where there is weakness, on all counts. Have I forgotten to lean on Him at times? Oh yes. But He has never left my side. Not once.

Jesse has been there for me as well. The longer I am married to this man, the more I respect him. For instance, on our trip for Hannah's wedding, we forgot the video camera. It was a fault on both our part, but instead of getting extremely upset about it, he kinda blamed himself and got over it. We contacted my mother-in-law and had her meet us half way the next day with it (and our pillows). Point of the tale? He didn't blame me. He didn't even blame himself for long. He didn't yell about it or even get very frustrated. He was calm, understanding and at peace. What a guy. Oh and the other day, we got to his comic shop five minutes after it closed. He was so disappointed. We had missed it our last time through the city as well. But he didn't blame anyone and he cheered up shortly after. He just rolls with the punches and is at peace with God and man. I can't believe I married someone who is so beautiful. Jesse, I love you.

We've been watching a show called West Wing. As you may be able to tell from the title, it's about the happenings of the West Wing in the White House. Martin Sheen plays the president and he is marvelous. :-) But I mostly appreciate the portrayal of the government. They may not make all the decisions that we want them to make but they are not demons. They are people who have to choose which impossibility is the best probability for success. They're wrong sometimes but they are also right. For this job, they receive hatred from the people, because there is always someone who disagrees with you. The more important the decision, the more widely spread the differences of opinions. With greatness comes great responsibility... and suffering.

This show was taking place through 9/11 so they made a special episode in response. I thought it was well balanced. In fact, many of the views expressed were ones I could apply to my background, people I know, situations I get involved in, etc. But the best line was this one:  "You want to get these people? I mean, you really want to reach in and kill them where they live? Keep accepting more than one idea. It makes them absolutely crazy." -- Joshua Lyman (West Wing: Isaac and Ishmael) 


Do you know what makes extremists? They stop seeking. They stop searching. They get stuck on a couple of ideas and that's it for them: they don't move on. Extremists never reach their full potential. God created us to always learn and change. He loves a tender, meek heart. It has taken me years of tears and physical suffering to understand this. I used to be an extremist. If it hadn't been for God's grace and love, I have no idea where I would be today.

 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7)


Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4)

God bless you today!

Picture Update

I am so happy for them! :-)

Love their hair.

Uriah.

Mum. Isn't she lovely?

Dad and Jesse talking about Jesse's current work project.

Cilla and Martha washing dishes. Such good girls. :-)

A Post of Few Words

The recital is over and done! It was a success; my kids did amazingly well. I am so proud of them. The past few days have just flown by and tonight, we're on our way up north to prepare for Hannah and Daniel's wedding. The next week is probably going to be very busy so I wanted to post a few pictures of what we've been doing lately. Enjoy!

 One of my students' mothers made these for the snack after the recital... in fact, she made the music notes which decorate the cupcakes. They were sooo good.

If it hadn't been for this wonderful man, the recital would have been much more difficult for me. Before, I would have to haul the keyboard on my own or wrestle a fellow hauler out of someone. Haha! But he always carries my keyboard now... I don't have to ask. He just does it. Between him, Lydia and others, things were set up and taken down in record time. :-)

Another mother gave me this quilt. I have already designated it for wrapping up my keyboard when we have to move it.

 The finished deck. We're really excited and happy about all the added place. As soon as we get back, we'll have to have a deck warming and have everyone over. :-)

The sun finally came out!

Now, if it will only stay that way for Hannah's wedding. Mom says that the spot they wanted to get married at is a bit puddled right now. Lol! 

A Post of the Tired Mind

I was just sitting here, thinking about how tired I am. Two of my students transfered their lessons to Thursday so I have an hour to sit and relax. And I think I need it. My only wish is that Jesse were home from work. Soon, though. :-)

I am thankful I have something to be tired from. And of course,

If you must have motivation, think of your pay check on Friday. -- Noel Coward 

(My inspirational quote of the day.)

Here's another one:

We can only learn to love by loving. -- Iris Murdoch

Btw, if you hadn't noticed already, my sister Hannah is getting married on June 2nd. It's going to be a red letter day!

Excuses... excuses

Once upon a time 

there was a girl who decided

 she wasn't busy enough

 and took on more work. 

She works at the Pharmasave, she works at home, she works at the theatre and she also bakes cookies. She has no time for things like writing blog posts or keeping up online or writing letters or scrapbooking or practicing the piano.

To top everything off, her beautiful sister

 decided to get married

at the beginningof June 

and wedding planning was added to the mix. 

So, the authoress doesn't mean to be rude by not updating about her life. It's merely a matter of being really, really, really, really busy. 

(P.S. She still has time for Jesse.)

(And Snow.)

Amazing People

Hannah

Once upon a time, there was a night in which something spectacular and marvelous happened; a miracle was brought into existence and great joy reined in the hour: a little girl was born. She had dark brown hair (lots of it!), blue eyes and a vivid personality from the first. They named her Hannah Caroline after her grandma and she became my sister. The world was never the same again. 

My first memory of Hannah, or at least, of her existence, was the night she was born. I woke up briefly when my grandmother was picking me up and carrying me across the yard to their house. I remember sensing the excitement and all the lights and people and... promptly going back to sleep again.

My second memory of her consists of something I'm ashamed about but it sheds light on the way our relationship was... kind of... is... ;-) 

Second memory [::drum roll::]: 

Hannah (2): being irritating

Naomi (4): irritated

Naomi: seeks revenge

Naomi: does something to make Hannah angry

Hannah: is angry

Hannah: bites Naomi

Naomi: tattles

Hannah: gets into trouble with parents

Yes, it's funny and a little sad. I am sitting here hitting myself on the head and wondering at the devious thoughts of young children. Scary! 

Hannah and I get along much better now than we used to. ;-) There are many subjects we don't agree on and she's very annoying sometimes (I don't think that's going to change) but in spite of that, I have matured enough to realize that my sister is amazing. (I am quite serious about this, Hannah darling!!) Here are some reasons why: 

She is very determined and does not give up easily.

She works hard and laughs harder.

She is very creative and you never know what to expect from her!

She cooks/bakes WONDERFUL meals. 

She sews, crochets, writes, etc, etc... basically, works willingly with her hands. 

Her conscience is very tender... if she senses something amiss in her life, she will do everything in her power to get back on track. 

She loves children. Working at camp with her last summer was a wonderful experience. She usually had the littlest cabin of boys and oh... did they respond to her. Something about her... 

She has a generous spirit. It simply shines. She gives and gives and gives. It never seems to dry up! 

When she decides that God wants her to do something, she does not wait around for it to happen. She makes it happen. 

She is sincere and honest. If Hannah says something, she really believes it with all of her heart. 

And she makes the best smoked chicken in the entire province! She made her own smoker with an old range, a tunnel underground and who know what else. ;-) Whatever she did, it was right. I still have dreams about it. 

Hannah, you are a beautiful, brilliant, wonderful person whom I am so glad to have for a sister. I love you! May you find joy in being who God created you to be.

Welcome, 2010... I feel really, really old

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:... Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9: 8 & 11)

New Year's Greetings to all of my blog readers from a chilled Saskatchewan dwelling girl. Actually, it isn't as cold as it could be or was. I don't have as many layers on as I did the last cold snap we had. Hehe. Only two pairs of socks and a hoody/sweatshirt over my regular wear. Did you know how much warmer a person is when they put the hood up on a hoody? Holds the heat in better. It is -33* C (-26* F) today and the sun is shining on the sparkling, crisp snow.

There never is a dull moment around our place. If I'm not reading, watching a video, practicing music, writing, playing with my siblings, baking bread, boiling caramel for corn, cleaning, doing dishes, bossing [smile], correcting school work, giving spelling tests, entertaining company or on the internet, I'm doing something else.

[Question from Jesse's school work:

“Why might a perfume manufacturer give a perfume an esoteric name?”

Their answer: “The manufacturer might want a name that suggests mystery or romance.”

Jesse's answer: “A product with a cool name probably will sell better.”

In light of the fact that both answers are correct, I find the difference between them interesting. The former is full of class; Jesse's: country-fide. :-)]

We have been doing ok. The past week has been a little rougher as we contracted a virus/cold and several of the kids have been coughing a lot. Some nights are worse than others. It's a strange cold in that it seems the cough is not that it is in the chest but because the sinuses are draining down the throat. Bread and water seem to help, thankfully.. it's especially nice at night or early morning (I'm talking 2 am or so). ;-) [January 7th, 2009 update: almost all of us have this cold/cough. Last night, Ellie coughed almost all night... she can't seem to find anything that helps. I'm really looking forward to everyone getting over this. :-P And really hoping that those of us who don't have it will stay healthy.]

Yesterday was Hannah's 22nd birthday (happy birthday, Hannah!!). We had a big birthday meal: chicken strips that were made by cutting off the breast meat of five very dead and delicious chickens, cutting the meat into strips and dipping each strip into a mixture of mayonnaise, dried onion and dried mustard, then rolled in sesame seeds and cracker crumbs. Bake at a moderate temperature for the correct amount of time and you have a feast fit for a king. [mouth waters in remembrance] Thank goodness for leftovers. Hehe.

We also had butterhorns (crescent/bread roll of sorts), homemade jello made from homemade raspberry juice, honey (which we get from our bee-keeper neighbors) and plain gelatin (which we did *not* make from our cow's hooves :-P) (it was rather good... the consistency, color and flavor was lovely but she needed to add another cup of honey) (I'm still puckered up), shrimp (at Superstore a few months back, if a person bought a certain amount of dollars worth of goods, you were given a shrimp ring. We were given three.), punch, veggies and...we were supposed to have potatoes. Cilla, Ellie and myself all worked on them and I put them on to boil (I even boiled a teapot and poured the water into the pot so it would heat up faster) but I made a mistake and didn't turn them on high. By the time it was discovered, it was almost time to eat and by the time they were done, most of us had already stuffed ourselves so full that there was no room for even one small bite. In fact, we were all so full that we had to wait until four pm before we ate pie, ice-cream and caramel corn.

Do you remember the little native girl that spent some of the summer weeks with us this past year? Well she and her 'dad' came and celebrated with us. We had a pretty good time... the kids went snowmobiling and the grownups (mainly my parents, Eugene and my brother Jesse) spent hours discussing all sorts of matters and we read a couple of stories, etc, etc. The most exciting thing was when Eugene and Cilla came down with some sort of stomach bug that we're still not sure about. We're hoping it's not a virus but it seemed strange for stomach poisoning as they weren't very sick at all. I think they each threw up three times. Very strange. Everyone else feels healthy... so far. :-)

[Being as there are four girls of fairly marriageable age at our house, the topic of weddings is a common topic of conversation. A couple days ago, I overheard Uriah say something about my wedding (which is not happening until I find the groom :-P ;-)) and Cilla replied with a sigh that tried to sound harried and distressed but was in all reality very pleased with the prospect: “I'll probably have to be a bridesmaid.” Ruth stood up at that and held a hand in the air announcing, “I want to be the princess!”]

Has anyone watched the documentary “Pioneer Quest”? Eugene brought it over for us to watch and watch we did until 10:30 pm last night. :-) In case you haven't viewed it, this documentary is about two couples who have been chosen by a company to spend a year on the MB prairies, living like the pioneers did back in the 1870's. They were given supplies and clothing just like they would have had in that time period. They lived in a tent for nearly two months before they built their cabins. They had to dig the well(s) by hand, learn how to milk a cow, work with draft horses, build corrals, a barn with wood from trees they harvested with axes and sawed into appropriate lengths, and on and on it went. The first few months were very difficult. The isolation really got to one of the couples, especially the woman. But it was amazing to watch the change in her eyes when she began loving the place. It was like she finally came home. :-)

Now, of course, my family is talking about living just like they did. I'm not sure what will come of it, if anything. If nothing else, we all love our hot showers. :-)

[And while we're on the subject of marriage: Cilla was walking through the kitchen singing, “Holy, holy, holy...” and Zeke picked up, “Holy, holy, matrimony...”]

Speaking of films, I picked up a movie at our store called, “Firehouse Dog”. It's about this boy and his dog. Very funny, very touching. :-) It's almost better than “Beethoven”. Not quite but almost. :-D I love movies with firehouses in them. Lol! It's always nice to find a film that's clean and funny. A pleasure to watch.

Anyone read “Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis? I did recently and found it to be... interesting. There are a lot of truths in it. But some of it I'm not sure about. I'm actually glad it's as short as it is because I don't think I could have finished it had it been any longer. Something else that really helped was what the author wrote in the preface about being careful not take Screwtape literally. He is a demon and his “father below” (that title made me laugh every time I read it) is the father of Lies.

One thing that was mentioned that really rang a bell with me was how Screwtape's nephew was encouraged to try to take the Christian's mind off today... this moment. Placing it instead on tomorrow or yesterday or some time in the future. In fact, putting his gaze on anything but God. It made me realize how often I start worrying or anticipating the future or regretting the past. Doing that is not bad in itself but the fact that it takes my gaze off of my Lord and Savior is the problem. It's an age old concept and one I have heard my entire life. But for some reason it really hit home for me this time.

[A friend of mine from church said, “In college, I'm such a nerd. My friends and I sit around listening to Gaither Vocal Band, read Sherlock Holmes to each other and knit!”]

Because of the that book, I've really thinking about my struggles and how much power God really has and how, if we really want His will, it will become apparent in our lives. It's strange to think of how many times I've listened to that evil voice saying, “You don't really want that. Not truly. Because if you were really living in God's will, you'd be so oppressed. You wouldn't have the freedom you have now. No, you wouldn't! I swear it.” And when I realize that outside of God's will there is nothing worth living for and embrace it, I find that every word the little guy said was a lie. Every word! Because it is true, Jesus' burden is light. There is never so much freedom as there is in God's will. All the guilt and and blindness are gone.

[Martha celebrated her 13th birthday recently (I can't believe we have another teenager in the house ;-)) and a friend called to wish her a happy birthday. After he did so, he chatted with me for a bit and when I got off the phone, my dad asked, “So, how is he?” I replied airily, “Oh, he's just fine! They just put the turkey into the oven.” (It was Christmas day.) I didn't realize what I'd said until it was repeated back to me. Now you know how I really feel about you, K. Lol!]

We're scheduled to sing again on the 9th. It's coming up quickly and I'm not sure if it's going to work out. Since we have been sick, practicing has been not working that well. [January 7th update: Hannah & I are planning on doing music with just the two of us. I had to change the program three times as more people came down with this cold. We have never done more than one song with only two of us so this will be a good experience... at least we hope so! I'm a bit nervous about it but definitely don't want to cancel because I know they must be looking forward to this date for the last two weeks.]

Could you please pray for my mom? She has a gum or tooth that is infected and can't figure out what to do about it. Tried to call a dentist but can't make an appointment until Monday. She's not feeling that great, of course, and it's hard for us to know what to do. She's had trouble with it before but she wouldn't have it checked into for a couple of reasons. I'm really hoping that she will put aside all of the reasons and get it fixed this time.

And now I will end this long but rather brief update on my life and leave you to wipe your face with relief that you actually finished it. :-) :-) :-)

I hope you have the happiest of holidays behind you and a wonderful year ahead of you.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2: 20)

Odds and Ends...

Me: Hurry up, guys! I'm starving!"

Martha: Is your belly shaking hands with your backbone?

Lydia: You've been reading Louis L'Amour.

Such was our conversation at the dinner table. :-) We haven't been doing much, if you couldn't tell. Ellie made beans and homemade tortillas for lunch. They turned out very well. There's nothing like a bowl of hot beans, smothered in butter and a nice stack of homemade tortillas to eat with it. I got this recipe for tortillas from Well Tell Me, a website/forum devoted for folks like us who make things from scratch. :-)
Oh, I was just wondering... does anyone know of a tortilla press that isn't made out of aluminum? We can't seem to find any.

I spent a lot of time on our 2008 dvd today. I was about half way finished with I ran out of my creative juices. :-P Oh well. I'm working on our horse trip right now. We had some funny video footage of frisbee games that we played with the N. family while we were in town. I have been enjoying working with that.

Oh, another bit of news, Hannah just got a birthday gift from Courtney Wright. Among other things, it was a CD by a quintet entitled Blue Highway. It's gospel bluegrass and it's done really well. I love it! Anyone else heard of them?

check out their website: www.bluehighband.com

Picture

I love this picture. Sister Hannah and horse Millie...