You Capture: Photographer's Choice

Thank you, for hosting this weekly event.

This week's theme is Photographer's Choice.

I forget how park-like our property really is until I look at the photos. These are a few from this last week.

A path through a small wooded section out back:
Our private picnic area:See the squirrel climbing the tree? Raspberries are starting to ripen:
A wood fire, hot dogs and toasted marshmallows at the end of the day. Yummy!

See more great photos here!!

Books read in June:

The Negotiator by Dee Henderson
The Guardian by Dee Henderson
The Truth Seeker by Dee Henderson
Eyes of Elisha by Brandilyn Collins
Dread Champion by Brandilyn Collins
Color the Sidewalk for Me by Brandilyn Collins
Capture the Wind for Me by Brandilyn Collins
Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes
Summer Storm by Terri Blackstock
River's Edge by Terri Blackstock
Chocolate Beaches by Julie Carobini
The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas
The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

You Capture. Emotion

Thank you to for hosting this weekly event.

Here is my contribution for this week.


I love you Gracie! Check out more great photos here!

Metamorphosis Monday

Today I am joining Metamorphosis Monday hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. I thought this would spur me to completing a project.

I have this corner in my breakfast room by the back door that collects junk. Usually bags of birdseed, occasionally a BB gun, garden shoes, whatever.

I took a look through the barn and garage to see what was waiting to climb out of it's cocoon and found this plant stand:

(Sorry for the poor lighting - here is a close-up shot)

I have had this stand for several years, it belonged to an uncle and eventually ended up at my house, where it has lived in my garage as a tool table for DH.

I cleaned it up and applied several coats of white enamel paint.

Next came my new plant (Calathea) that I found at Menard's this week. The houseplants were buy one get one free so I couldn't resist. The plastic pot it came in just wouldn't do, so I found a 10" seagrass planter on clearance at Wal-Mart, only $5, and dropped the plant in.

The corner looks much better now. Check out more metamorphosss at Between Naps on the Porch. There is lots of inspiration just waiting to be discovered! Thanks, Susan for hosting this.

Also, thanks to Kimba and The Nester for giving me the courage to tackle new projects around the house. As the Nester says: it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

You Capture: Nature

I'm joining You Capture this week for Nature. Here are some Stella d'Oro that are planted in front of the office. Enjoy!

Fireworks of Glass

Some photos I took on a recent trip to the Children's Museum.

Fireworks of Glass is the largest permanent sculpture of blown glass by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. The 43-foot-tall tower rises above a glass ceiling.

This is a truly amazing exhibit.

Books Read in May:

Babylon Rising by Tim LaHaye and Greg Dinallo
The Secret on Ararat by Tim LaHaye and Greg Dinallo
The Europa Conspiracy by Tim LaHaye and Greg Dinallo
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
John's Story: The Last Eyewitness by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye
Ninth Witness by Bodie and Brock Thoene
Cape Refuge by Terri Blackstock
Beyond a Doubt by Colleen Coble
Without a Trace by Colleen Coble

I'm posting today, because I won't have time to read another book this month. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Babylon Rising series. Also, I am continuing to search for authors I haven't read before. Imagine, Babylon Rising is the first book I've read by Tim LaHaye! My favorite book this month was John's Story.

Memorial Day Weekend

Lots of wood splitting and hauling this weekend. Mom and Dad had two trees taken down in their front yard, so we rented a log splitter and got lots and lots of firewood for winter! Probably enough for a couple of years. The we planned a big picnic here. It rained so we moved it indoors. 18 friends and family were here.

Here are some photos from the weekend:

Isn't this the sweetest picture! I love these kids so much.

Photos taken two weeks ago:

I'm so glad Spring is here. Winter gets longer and more unbearable every year.

Look what UPS delivered...

Thanks, Megan at http://dailyessentialsanddeals.blogspot.com/ for featuring this great product. We tried it out right away.

The best thing about this company:



They give all credit to God for their success!

Megan has lots of great deals and devotions. This recipe is on my list to make this weekend. How did she know I have frozen blueberries that need to be used? Can't wait to taste it.

Thanks again, Megan!

Prom

Isn't he handsome!


My baby is all grown up!

Off to the prom! His girlfriend is such a sweety!

I went shopping with my sister a few days ago and found this at the antique mall:

Isn't it the cutest cup and saucer? I don't think I've ever seen any like it before.

April Books

The RESTORATIONovel Series by Terri Blackstock:
Last Light #1
Night Light #2
True Light #3
Dawn's Light #4

I know I read more this month, but I didn't start tracking until towards the end of the month.

Don't judge a book by it's cover!!!

I can't believe it has been almost two months! I've been so busy I haven't taken time to post but I couldn't resist sharing this video with you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

February

It's the shortest month of the year, so why does it seem so long? February is always the hardest month for me because Spring is close, and all we get are teasers. Two or three nice days, then back to freezing! It's dull, cold, and gray out. I think I will buy some flowers when I am out today. I also want to look for a couple of new houseplants.

DS#2 takes his driving test today for his license! He's really excited. I will have to take him out of school early, which is the best part of it all for him.

DS#1 is still having problems with the area where he had a tooth pulled last Sunday, so I will probably take him in to have it looked at while we are in town this afternoon.

Can't wait for Spring! Here are a couple of pics from late last spring. These two were so busy getting a drink and then trying to run me off, that they ignored each other! Hummingbirds are very protective of their feeding areas. We loved sitting at our kitchen table and watching them eat and fight each other. I can't wait to welcome them back.

Something new to play with!

Word Clouds at Check it out!

This word cloud is the following poem:

Beautiful Christian Sister

By Maya Angelou

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.

When I say...I'm a Christian, I'm not shouting I'm clean living.
I'm whispering I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.

When I say...I am a Christian, I don't speak this with pride
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be by guide.

When I say...I am a Christian I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say...I am a Christian I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say...I am a Christian I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say...I am a Christian I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... I am a Christian I'm not holier than thou.
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!!!

Happy Homemaker Monday

Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom has this going on:
Check out her site for more!
On my bedside table:
Proofing a manuscript for Cathy
On my TV:
Chuck - I need something lite!
On the menu for tonight:
Rotisserie Chicken
On my To Do List:
Make menu for the next two weeks, make grocery list, do grocery shopping
New Recipe I tried last week:
Nothing new, I haven't done much cooking lately
In the craft basket:
Irish Chain Quilt
Double Delight Quilt
Yo-yo's
Looking forward to:
Spring
Favorite photo from last week:
My camera is broken, and the one I am using is not taking good pictures. They are over-exposed. So, I hope to get a new one soon!
On my Prayer List:
http://www.charsjourneythroughcancer.com/
my sons
my mother and father
my Aunt Clara
my grandmother
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Psalm 37:7 (New International Version)
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Go vote

for my photo at http://sarahjessicaparkerbeauty.com/

Here is the photo:

Give-aways

Check out the book giveaways at http://literarydiscoveries.blogspot.com/2009/02/romance-your-spouse-giveaway.html

Also, Paula at bell'alimento is giving away some great pottery from HarwoodHomemade.

Our Week in Pictures

The weather has been what this week focused around. It has been extremely cold for several weeks now, in the teens, single digits, and below zero. Winter is not my favorite time of year. Tuesday night brought a big snow storm and we were snowed in Wednesday. Once our road was plowed Patrick decided to go see his girlfriend so he had to clear the driveway. with a shovel. Finally his brother took pity on him and helped. It was COLD out.

We still have all that snow on the ground, but the roads are passable. Mom and Dad left Wednesday for Florida. I hope they enjoy the warmth. Their trip this year has been delayed due to Mom's heart attack and will be shortened because of it.

DH and I are going to the Indy Home Show this afternoon. I plan to take lots of pictures!

Faith 'n Fiction Saturday

My Friend Amy is the host for Faith 'n Fiction Saturday. If you're interested, check it out here.




Today's question is:

One thing we share in common is a love of books. I know there are participants of Faith 'n Fiction Saturdays that read over 200 books a year!But while we may read a lot of books, only a few books in our lifetimes are special enough that we would never part with them, always recommend them, and maybe even reread them.So...what fiction books with faith elements are on your keeper shelf? Please keep your answers to no more than 5 books!

Since my absolute favorites come in series, I am counting the series as one book. Hey, Amy did it this week, so I guess she will forgive me if I do it too!

The AD Chronicles by Bodie & Brock Thoene - The detail in these books give you a view of life in the time of Christ
The Mark of the Lion Trilogy by Francine Rivers - The life of early Chrstians is revealed
Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson - Fun books following a group of prayer partners
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers - The story of Hosea and Gomer and God's love
RV There Yet? by Diann Hunt - Childhood friends in midlife travel across the country to help save their childhood camp. This book is a funny look at adjusting to the changes that come with age

Snow

We got about 4 inches of snow today. Big, fluffy snowflakes that looked very pretty coming down. Thankfully the wind has not started blowing yet. I'm ready to move south! Unfortunately I have to drive to Carmel tomorrow morning. Maybe the roads will be cleared by the time I leave home.



I am going to be starting the new Curves Smart Start program. Hope it works!

Time to catch up! And an AWARD!

I have been MIA for several weeks now, so this is a "catch up" post. My mom had a major heart attack in November. She had a heart cath this past week because the heart function tests showed only 20% function in the front part of her heart. The heart cath showed that the stent was still in place and looked good. It also showed great improvement in the functioning. She is feeling better.

Christmas was loads of fun(and work). There were 19 people here for dinner. I loved every minute of it!!! Lots of family time, good food, and fellowship.

New Years eve I started the Double Delight quilt mystery put on by Bonnie Hunter of quiltville.com. I have now finished step #2 and am ready for step 3 cutting. I will be doing the cutting this evening. I peeked ahead at the final quilt and LOVE it. I am using colors similar to Bonnie's.

I received an award from Amy! Thank you Amy!

I am to post 5 things I am addicted to, so here goes, in no particular order:

Reading
Digital Scrapping
Genealogy
Blog Following
Photography

Now, I am to pass this award on to 5 favorite blogs. I have many blogs in my Google Reader that I love, so this was a tough choice. I chose these:

Tongue in Cheek
Chocolate Chic
The Milkman's Wife
The Stone Rabbit
Rue's Peanut Butter and Jelly Life

Have a great day!

Vanessa

"Mom" video

The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

We had a great Thanksgiving. DH's parents came for dinner. We had a traditional dinner, turkey and the trimmings. It was a nice day, with both of the boys here for most of the day.

I have been playing this evening, and thought I would post my results. I thought it was time to document Grace's birth. I just need to get some info from her mom to finish this little album. I hope you enjoy these photos.

Your Pilgrim Name Is

Damaris Billington

What's" Your Pilgrim Name?

Apple Butter Making!

We made apple butter Saturday. Below are photos of the process. Enjoy!

Journaling: The apples are ready, so we got family together to help make apple butter. It’s been several years since we have done this. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun and we have delicious apple butter! Dan picked 5 five-gallon buckets of apples early Saturday morning, then started the fire and got out the big iron kettle. It took about 2 hours to peel all the apples. We used 4 buckets of apples, a gallon of apple cider and a quart of apple cider vinegar, We then ate lunch while the apples cooked. Next we added about 8 - 9 pounds of sugar, salt, ground cloves, lots of cinnamon, and lots of Cinnamon Imperials (red hots candy). We then cooked and stirred for another hour or two. It took lots of hands to keep the line going when we started bottling it up. I was in and out of the kitchen heating jars and lids, all while getting the hot water bath ready for the jars and keeping an eye on that. After everything was placed in jars and the hot baths were going, we made fried biscuits and had biscuits and fresh apple butter! YUMMY! We ended up with 52 pint jars, 6 12-oz jars, and 9 8-oz jars. Lots of apple butter for all.

It's the end of August, so I better update. So, what's new in our world?

DS#2 started guitar lessons. He wants to play like Eric Clapton. He has a new girlfriend. She's really sweet. So far, he likes his classes at school. Some how he managed to get signed up for three different English classes, 11th grade English, Novels, and Composition.

DS#1 starts his second term of college this next week. He's a little nervous about having to learn three new computer programs in the next three months. I don't think he will have any trouble with it. He's very good at anything to do with computers. He's also working full-time, so he is a busy guy.

DH goes to Minnesota this week. It will make for several long evenings since the boys like to visit their girlfriends. I think I will work on cleaning out and reorganizing the closet under the stairs. Not a lot of fun, but it needs to be done. If I get it cleaned out I can use the shelves to store my stash of fabrics.

That's all for now,
Vanessa

It's been a long couple of weeks for me. Lots of pain in my neck, shoulders and arms. Dr. made some changes in my meds, which helped for a few days. Now I have added OTC meds and am alternating ice and heat. I guess I have pinched nerves in my neck caused by the cyst along my C-spine. Not a lot of fun.

Despite the pain, I have managed to get some sewing done. I made a Boppy pillow cover, a tote bag (grocery bag), and managed to cut out fabric for a new baby quilt.

No scrapbooking lately. I need to get some prints ordered and start on DS#2's book.

That's all for now. My arms are hurting from typing.

Well, today my firstborn turns 21 years old. How did that happen? He wanted to go to Hard Rock Cafe for his birthday dinner. First time he had been there. We had a nice time.

Last week Grandma was hospitalized for a few days with a bladder infection. She is now in a nursing home for convalescent care. I hope she makes new friends and decides to stay. She needs more care than is possible in anyone's home.

I need to get the rest of my quilt pieces cut for Gracie's quilt. Still looking for an appropriate Bible verse to embroider for the center block. I decided to do another Hugs and Kisses quilt. I liked the way Kaden's turned out.

I see the throat specialist again tomorrow. I haven't noticed any changes since I saw him a month ago, so I don't know what the next step will be.

That's all for now.

Boy, I didn't realize it had been so long since I started this blog! Busy, busy. I will have to schedule time to blog.

Today is Grandma's 91st birthday. I made a lap quilt and took it to her this afternoon. I figured since she is the reason I started quilting I would make one for her. It's a strip quilt that I tacked with embroidery thread. She seemed to like it.

I'm still looking for a quilt pattern for Baby Gracie's quilt. I really need to start it. She is due the first week of October. I also need to find a Bible verse to embroider for her quilt.

I haven't done any digi-scrapping lately. I've been trying to catch up on my paper scrapping. I need to finish DS#1's scrapbook and start on DS#2's.

DS#1 starts on-line classes tomorrow. He's still looking for a job.

I'll try to post weekly from now on. At least, I will put it on my to do list!