My new baby niece, Baby I. She was born late Thursday evening and is absolutely adorable!

Today was spent at our district Republican convention. It lasted longer than any I had been to before and was quite interesting. It was very affirming to hear others speak about their committments to life, marriage, and morality. I'm tired of feeling like I have to apologize for my beliefs when I know without a shadow of a doubt that God's way is best as described by the Bible.

I'm hoping for a peaceful day tomorrow to get some R&R. I've been trying to stay off Ravelry for extended periods so that I can keep up with the things that I need to get done. I'd like to get some knitting done, especially Baby I's and my niece's wedding stole.

It's the 2nd day of rain! Lots of it. Thankfully, the work hubby and friend did on Sunday seems to be keeping the basement from getting wet. I really could use about 7 days of sunshine and warm temps, although I have discovered that I have allergies.

I just have to say this. I'm tired of my faith being trashed by people who refuse to look at themselves and see the big honkin' plank in their own eye. Heck, they won't even acknowledge that they have sinned, not will they acknowledge that God could allow someone to go to Hell. The thing is, He doesn't send them their, they CHOOSE that path. Why is that so hard to understand? Probably because they are being convicted in their spirit and they are kicking against it so hard that it is easier to speak out and deceive others than deal with their own hearts.

I know how hard that is, but it is necessary in the lives of those who think they are believers.

Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
²¹ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
²² Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
²³ Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
¹³ "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Luke 3:16-17 (NIV)
¹⁶ John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Yesterday was beautiful!! Liberty is enjoying being able to get out in the yard and relax in the sun! I felt (and still feel) like I'm on the verge of a cold--just feel icky, kind of have a sore throat, tiny-grade headache. Not enough to put me in bed, but enough to make me feel just a bit miserable.

The other pictures are scenes from Sunday night. Our little L, enjoyed watching Disney's Peter Pan. He found several adorable poses (which he would hold for quite some time) as he watched.

I've tried to avoid thinking much about the FLDS compound that was raided and all the children and moms were taken away. It's one of the "religious freedom" vs. law things and it's hard to wrap my brain around. Well, this morning, watching the Today show, I've thinking a bit more of the subject.

I totally agree that what those men have been doing is abuse, I see the state perpetrating more abuse on the wives and children by keeping them separate. From the news report, they have been separate for about a week. The children, who have only lived sheltered lives, are being subjected to examinations and questions, not to mention culture shock. The wives, some not much older than most of the children, are fearful and worried that they won't get their children back. While I don't agree with their religious practices, they know nothing different. Yes, one young woman was able to recognize what was going on and make that call, and yes, this should have been made public and the men should face prosecution, but, I don't think many of the women even understand that life can be different. This is all they have ever known.

Dr. Phil--is he nuts? He bonded out the ring leader of the cheerleaders that beat up the other girl in Florida and then put it on the internet.

We had a fairly quiet weekend. S and I spent Saturday dinking around, watching Godfather 2, and then the evening was spent at Great-Grandmas. Hubby fixed her sewing machine table so that it would fit her new machine.

Yesterday, Hubby and our friend started working on the basement. This could come together more quickly than I thought.

I get to relax again today, well, at least take my time doing what I need to get done. I definitely want to start my niece's bridal stole.

More snow!!! This is what we woke up to this morning. Thankfully, the ground is pretty warm and the temps are coming up a bit, so it's melting. I'm trying to remain positive, but there is this nagging fear that we will never feel warmth again! (It will probably turn into one of the hottest summers on record or something!)

Last night was spent at home improvement stores. We're starting to remodel the basement. We brought home a lot of pvc, a new shower and faucet for the shower and two new windows for our bedroom. We've got cement to pour, lots of pipe work to do, walls to put up, etc., etc.. I'm looking forward to the finished project, but not the remodeling. The disarray tends to raise my anxiety a bit, but if I come into it prepared, hopefully it won't be so bad.

Things went much better yesterday. Things were a lot mellower and we were able to discuss some of her issues. She's beginning to see her need to "get into the boat" so to speak. She's been struggling to understand why God hasn't just healed her. I think it's finally sinking in that she needs to be a willing participant in that healing. One of her biggest concerns is being able to have me involved. She really needs an advocate, someone who knows her well, understands her illness, and will protect her from further trauma. We're looking into how to accomplish that.

Things have been wild on Ravelry. I'm often saddened by the horrible treatment some people seem justified in doling out. Just because someone's presentation may not be as sensitive (which is such an objective concept and some people are just bound and determined to be offended) doesn't give others the right to verbally abuse and malign that person.

I finally got my yarn to start my niece's wedding stole. I just need to get it wound off and get it started. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that I need to/should be doing.

I'm longing for wisdom with the difficult situation I'm facing today. My stomach is churning, my anxiety is high, but I'm not real sure what is fueling it. I really feel that it is time for something to change.

Our pickup just got stolen (and has been returned)!!!! I was sitting in the living room playing Spider Solitaire and watching CSI New York and I heard S yell at J to come into her room. I just assumed that something was wrong with her computer and I didn't pay a whole lot of attention. I could hear voices, but I thought it was the kids and the next thing I knew they were flying down the stairs and they crash through the door and tell me that the pickup had just been stolen!!

They were absolutely positive so I called 911 while J woke hubby up. When J got back in the living room he looked out the window and saw that they had left a white van in our field gate. I told this to the 911 operator and he said that they had a report of a stolen white van in town. My anxiety went through the roof! The sheriff showed up and checked out the van and then came and took our statement. He went down to see if he could find the keys to the van and then all of a sudden he was flying up the road. About 15 minutes later the sheriff's department called and said that we could come and get the pickup, they had the boys in custody, and didn't want us to have to pay a tow fee. They only had the pickup for about 30-45 minutes, but they ran a quarter of a tank of gas out of it, threw out all the trash and the ashtray (makes me wonder if there wasn't a little illegal drug activity) and make it smell like a cigarette factory. They were only 15 and now face 2 counts of grand theft auto, each. The sheriff said that they were on their way to the juvenile home.

They deserve their punishment. What bugs me most about this whole thing though is...where are their parents? Are these kids so bored that they have to resort to criminal activity to get a thrill or are they seeking attention, any kind of attention?

The more I look at this sad world, the more I long for Jesus' return. And, yet, there is so much work to be done and these kids need something to live for, purpose, hope. Obama can never truly give hope, only Jesus Christ can do that.

Oh, Lord, stir in the hearts of your people to reach out to the lost. Give us boldness in sharing Your Word, Your mercy, Your grace. Grant us wisdom to face the challenges that lie in this godless society that we live in. Lord, pour out your Spirit on all believers and supply their needs in order that they may lead others to Your Son and the great salvation that He died to give to all.

Ah, someday I'll find the template that suits me. I'm really liking this one!

I'm trying to rest this week. Of course, it's helps that my back and legs are aching from, well-you know, female things... Anyway, I've been getting some rest this week and am feeling a bit rejuvenated.

2 Timothy 3:1-9 (NIV)
¹ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--
⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
⁷ always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Do you wonder sometimes if God is paying attention?

God has been impressing the idea of rest on my heart and mind the past few days. It began with Matthew 11:28-30 on Friday. When my friend called and left that wonderfully encouraging message for me, wanting to encourage me because God was prompting her to, I began to really see that He was indeed paying attention to all the things that I have been feeling and struggling with.

Then, this morning, at worship, our worship pastor started to read Matthew 11:28-30. My heart was so struck that I didn't even sing along with the song Come Unto Me, I just let it sink into my spirit. The rest of the songs continued to feed my weary soul.

Then, in Pastor Jim's sermon, he reiterated Mt 11:28-30. Okay, so now I'm really getting the idea that I am to rest and that I am to find that rest in Him! It is okay for me to feel weary and burdened, it draws me closer to my Jesus and my rest will be like no earthly rest.

We concluded worship with these words:

Bigger Than Any Mountain

(1) Bigger than all the shadows that fall across my path,

God is bigger than any mountain that I can or can not see.

He's bigger than all the confusion, bigger than anything;

God is bigger than any mountain that I can or can not see.

Chorus: He's bigger than all my problems, bigger than all my fears;

God is bigger than any mountain that I can or can not see.

Oh, yes, he's bigger than all my question, bigger than anything;

God is bigger than any mountain that I can or can not see.

(3) He's bigger than all the giants of pain and unbelief;

God is bigger than any mountain that I can or can not see.

He's bigger than any discouragement, bigger than anything;

My God is bigger than any mountain that I can or can not see.

So, today, I'm working at unloading our food co-op truck and I leave my cellphone in the car, charging. Mind you, I've had a pretty icky week (see previous posts). I go back to the car to get the checkbook and I checked my messages. There was the sweetest, most encouraging message from a dear friend of mine. She had felt the Lord prompting her to call and encourage me today. It wasn't so much the message that touched me, but the fact that it reminded me that God is truly paying attention and that I just have to keep hanging on to the end of the rope!

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gently and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Mt. 11:28-30

Sometimes I wish God would just speak to us and give us a clear answer in regards to situations that seem beyond human understanding. I'm standing at a precipice. If I go one way, someone could be seriously hurt, if I go the other, trust will be broken, someone could be seriously hurt emotionally, but the potential for healing is much better. I'm afraid to break this person's trust, it's incredibly difficult for this person to trust, and that's putting it mildly. But, if I don't do something, something far worse could happen. I'm still not sure why this has been given to me, but I'm going to trust God as best as I can and hope that He will give me clear direction and, honestly, that He will take the responsibility from me.

It is raining/sleeting here today. The sky is heavy and gray. It will probably snow a couple of inches. This seems to be the winter that just won't end. I desperately need to get groceries, but, oh, I don't want to go out in this stuff.

I need motivation. My knitting is just sitting and I have so much that needs to get done.

My mom is doing okay, it's just a couple of ulcers and her iron levels are improving, so she'll be able to come home tomorrow from the hospital.

I have not enjoyed having her there. She's never been in the hospital, is always healthy as a horse, as the saying goes, and she and I are very close. I'm very thankful that it was a simple solution.

I'm pretty moody today. I can't quite wrap my head around what I'm feeling. I'm a bit overwhelmed, I feel somewhat lost as to a specific direction that I need to take.

Today has been long and intense! I'm reaching out for some help for my friend and I'm praying that she is ready to take that step. She is feeling overwhelmed by her mother's condition and I can't seem to make her understand that if she would go and get the help she needs, her mother would have quite a weight lifted off of her.

My mom ended up having to go into the hospital for her anemia. She's currently receiving a blood transfusion and tomorrow will have a scope down her throat to figure out where the bleeding is coming from.

I'm exhausted!

To anonymous..maybe we could discuss the issue, rather than just commenting in a drive-by fashion.

I have returned to BID. I've realized, after another crisis came across my plate this afternoon (please pray for my mom, we have some pretty serious anemia going on and we need to get to the bottom of it pretty quickly), that my emotions are really raw with everything that I've had happening this weekend.

One of the interesting things regarding yesterday was the fact that 8 years ago yesterday, I experienced a nervous breakdown that led into a year of anxiety, panic attacks, and severe depression. It took several more years to really come to terms with it, understand it, and get over parts of it. So, to have what happened happen on that particular anniversary was a bit overwhelming, but I didn't even realize it until later. I'm so thankful for what the Lord taught me through the period of my life and I know that He continues to use it to refine me and so that I can help others.

We've had an interesting thing happen on the political front. I can't say much more than that right now, but the whole things stinks of dirty politics. We shall see!

It's been quite a weekend.

Saturday I was able to spend some time with a dear friend and found out that there are some serious issues going on in their family. Very sad and the ridiculous HIPAA laws have not helped the situation. I posted a question on BID on Ravelry and the majority believe that a teenager should expect and receive complete privacy from their doctors. I'm having a ton of trouble believing that I have no right to know what is going on in my child's life without his permission. I am very thankful that my children have always trusted me and share with me.

Saturday evening things got a bit more interesting. I called got called into a crisis situation that lasted through Sunday evening. I keep praying that the situation has been averted.

On the subject of BID--I can write about it here, this is my space! I decided to leave the group this morning after being told twice that I was condescending, offensive, and patronizing. I guess liberals just can't handle facts!

I've been struggling lately with a feeling of "dryness". I haven't been doing regular devotions and prayer time has been sporadic at best. I haven't been able to put my finger on it, other than the winter being long and always feeling so tired.

Yesterday I had to take hubby to Des Moines to pick up one of the semi's and I ran a couple of errands. I went to the Christian bookstore and was glancing around and saw Beth Moore's Get Out of the Pit 40 day devotional journal. I picked it up and looked through it. I've had the book on my shelf since it came out, but hadn't even looked through it. I decided to buy the journal and commit to reading the book and doing the journal work to kick start my alone time with God.

So, this morning I started reading the book. I've always thought about my "pits" in terms of sin, my inability to lose weight and even get focused on that, my prayerlessness, my laziness, and those are certainly things that help to keep me in a pit, but I discovered something else this morning...I've lost vision. Beth Moore says, "We become what the Bible calls stiff necked. The close confinement of a pit exhausts us with the endless echo of self-absorption. Visibility extends no further than six inches from our noses. We can't see out, so we turn our sights in. After a while, nearsightedness breeds hopelessness. We feel too buried in our present state to feel passionate about a promised future."

That is the perfect description of how I feel currently. Visionless, buried, nearsighted, self-absorbed. I'm looking forward to getting into this book and finding renewed vision.

Oh Lord, give me a passion and a strength that only come from you. Help me to see my way out of this pit I feel mired in. I know that You don't want me to stay here. Thank you for beginning to draw me out.

What a weekend!!! Friday night ran late, then Saturday morning came quickly. I had to get up early for our last ladies breakfast in the format we've been using for years. We're excited about the new direction that it is going to take, going into our homes and opening them up and practicing hospitality.

After ladies breakfast we were off to the bank and post office, followed a short half hour and my "sister's" house. A trip to the local church to pick up my friend's angel food boxes (way cool ministry). We ran a couple of other errands, stopped for lunch, and then went to my nephew's and niece's birthday party for a short time and then headed to a friend's Longaberger party. We were able to stay there for an hour and then we were off again.

I was able to be home for about 45 min. before I had to leave again to get to my sister-in-laws. She had scored 2 free tickets to Third Day and invited me to go along. Since it was over an hour to get there, we had plenty of time to talk and catch up and it was wonderful.

The concert was great!! The first band was a young band from Australia called Revive. They were very good. The second band was DecembeRadio and they were awesome. The lead singer is a Tom Petty look-a-like, but a much better singer, in my estimation. They could really rock and I really enjoyed them. The third band was Sanctus Real. They were great, too. Finally, Third Day came on and we worshipped and rocked.

Despite the late night, it was a lot of fun and I'd do it again. Of course, Sunday morning came quickly! After church we celebrated mine, hubby's, and pops birthdays. The whole family was here and we had fun playing with the Wii. The boys got into boxing and mom and I bowled. She beat me three games in a row!!

The next few days look pretty quiet, so I'm hoping to catch up on my knitting. Ravelry had me pretty wrapped up a few days last week, but I'm hoping to avoid getting caught up in any ridiculous arguments. They just aren't going to understand until the Holy Spirit opens their minds and hearts to the truth of God's Word.

God is so good! It was not a hemorrhage, but some sort of stroke. He is responding and opening his eyes and that is truly miraculous!!!!!

Today has been a weird day. I haven't been motivated at all, despite the sunshine and warm temperatures. I mildly sprained my ankle last night and so moving around hasn't excited me. It's not terribly painful, just a bit uncomfortable when I move it funny. I have accomplished a bit of laundry, a smidge of knitting, and a raucous debate on Ravelry about being a submitted wife. That one wore me out.

The lady that I do Bible study with and counsel some is having another down turn and that is depressing me. I've tried reaching out to someone I thought could help, but I have not heard back. I know that God does not want her given up on, but those around her are wearing down.

Yesterday, despite being my birthday, was a sad day. We had our Republican County Convention yesterday and I was on the registration committee. The gentleman in charge of registration fell very ill shortly after we got there. We could tell something was wrong, but we were hoping it wasn't as serious as it turned out to be. Thankfully, a dear friend of mine was there and she realized it was pretty severe and she called an ambulance. Sadly, it was to late. He suffered a massive hemorrhage on his brain and is now in a coma and not expected to live much longer. I had just spent a morning with him a couple of days before and got to know him a bit more. I'd always enjoyed him, I can't explain why. So, I spent a good chunk of yesterday praying for him. By late afternoon, we knew that it was bad. Oddly enough, I soon found out that he is the father of a friend of mine from church. I called to let her know that we had been with him while it was happening (2 friends from her own church who had no idea that he was her father and we were praying for him, what a GOD moment!). She was very appreciative and grateful that he was doing what he loved and that God had put people around him who were praying and caring.

I've been pondering it all since it happened. How quickly things can change. One moment he was helping us all to understand what we were to be doing and the next he was in a chair, sweating profusely and unable to hold his head up. Life is precious. It is a wonderful gift from God! Are we living it to serve Him, are we living it abundantly? Are we letting the people we love know that we love them? Are we living with an attitude of gratitude and joy? I pray that we are, you just never know.

My birthday was still a nice day. Hubby and I went out for supper and I was able to get some relaxation time in during the afternoon. Today, I feel like I'm coming down with a cold and am very stuffy and headachy. We are quite worn out from the very busy week we've had, early mornings, later evenings, and it all begins again tomorrow. Praise God!! He remains so faithful even when life gets hectic and busy and sometimes confusing.

We may not end up with quite as much snow as they were predicting! Woo Hoo!! Unfortunately, they are calling for very cold temperatures again this weekend. Only a short time until spring!

My darling son won a bet with hubby last night. Dad bet him that he couldn't scale the wall in the barn and open the loft door and get down a bale of hay. Dear son proved dad wrong and we got to go for pizza last night for supper! Afterwards, we came home and enjoyed our favorite disney movie "101 Dalmations". The kids used to watch it almost daily when they were little, and my son would watch it 3 times a day if I let him. It is still as wonderful as they remembered (and hubby and me, too!)

Today I'm hoping to get something done. I've been fighting a headache on and off for over 36 hours, but it might be nipped in the bud now, so I've got my desk to clean up (since dear son took my desktop computer to his room since hubby bought me a laptop). I need to work on laundry, cleaning the house, two baby sweaters, graph out a crochet project and a few other things. I guess I'd better get busy!

My birthday is this week, so my friend (the lady that I've been doing Bible study with for a year now) threw me a party today. We had a great time and she got me some really sweet gifts and made me a wonderful birthday cake! Considering how difficult her life has been recently, this was a huge step in the right direction and I really enjoyed myself!

The weather is decent today, not warm, but the sun is shining and it's gaining in strength, so it feels a bit warmer. Unfortunately, we're expecting 2 inches of snow tomorrow and the possibility of more on Thursday. They are even talking about people's mental health on the news in regards to this very long winter.

S and I went to see "The Other Boleyn Girl" yesterday afternoon despite the reviews we had read. We found it to be fairly decent and enjoyed it. It wasn't terribly factual, but the costumes and sets were great and the acting was okay. Of course, it peaked our interest, so after the movie we headed to Barnes and Noble for some biographies!

The weather went from being sunny and warm (it was in the 60's before we went into the theater) to rainy and cold! By bedtime, it was sleeting and raining and when I woke up this morning, snow covered the ground again. The warmth felt so nice yesterday. I'm trying really hard not to complain, but I'm really ready for spring.

I really need to get something done today, I have bookwork to do, knitting to get done, and some cleaning, so I'd better get to it.

We have company this morning and had totally forgotten they were coming. Baby L is almost 3!

I wish I had taken the camera, but I didn't. Yesterday, during chore time, hubby called me and told me that a young bald eagle was flying over the barn area so I went out on the back step and watched a beautiful young eagle soar over my head. It would have been a beautiful picture, but, well, oh well.

After writing my post this morning, hubby called me to come out and see all the eagles that were out there. There were at least 5 full-grown bald eagles. They were to far away to get a good picture, but it was cool to watch. We didn't realize that we had so many around here.

On the way back to the house, hubby pointed out how close the deer had been to the house last night (I'm such a great tracker, I walked right by on my way down to the barnyard!!).

One photo shows how they scratched through the snow to find grass to eat and the other shows scat from the deer in prospective to the back door. (Objects are closer than they appear!)

Baby is all better! This picture was taken about 1/2 hour after the one asleep in the chair. The heating pad worked!

Yesterday continued with lots of excitement around the dead deer. The coyotes didn't come back, but by late evening, our local pair of bald eagles were enjoying a lovely dinner. They were chasing off the crows and the other deer that move through there in early evening. Hubby says that they are back again this morning.

This weekends weather looks better than it has from awhile. I'm excited!!

My youngest is graduating in a couple of months. This is bringing on interesting feelings lately. Things like the "101 Dalmatians" commercial makes me melancholy, we use to watch that over and over when the kids were little. Last night Hubby, middle daughter and I watched "The Return of the King" (well, got through the first half) and it made me miss reading together as a family. I think my favorite part of homeschooling was our reading times. I loved reading out loud and discussing what we were reading. I guess it's time to wait until I can read to grandbabies.

There are so many things I'm looking forward to by having adult children, on the other hand, it's proving to be more a life change than I anticipated. In talking to others that are going through the same transitions, I'm seeing the same things. There is a feeling of facing the unknown. There are questions about their marriages, what their purpose is now, and many others. I'm praying that the Lord will give us the tools to make it safely through the transition, I know that He will.

This morning has already been a crazy morning. Last night the coyotes were thick due to a dead deer by our creek. They were howling and barking, it was awful. We kept Liberty in knowing that it would be a bad situation. This morning we figured they had all gone into their dens with nice full tummies and so we let Lib out to go potty, etc., and before long we had to get the guns out to shoot at the coyotes (they are in season, perfectly legal!) because they were chasing Liberty. I had to stay in the house so I was crying and praying for God's protection over her. She's just the best dog I've ever had! The coyotes were so close to the buildings that my husband could have thrown something at them and hit them! The guns frightened them away and Liberty is safely in the house sleeping off the excitement. She's going to have to be carefully watched until the deer is gone. The crows are working on that, too!

We've also got another baby in the house...he was born yesterday, but is very tiny and was too cold this morning, so he's relaxing in Liberty's chair on the heating pad. Hopefully we caught him soon enough.

I'd better get in the tub. The furniture repair man is supposed to be coming today to fix our loveseat and while he probably won't be here at the beginning of the time he quoted, I'd better not count on that and be ready.

I was blessed to see biblical parenting in action today.

First we visited Baby A, M, and C. Baby C is absolutely adorable! Mom is a very young mom and she and her husband have been through some fires since their marriage. Baby A was born at 30 weeks. She is healthy, whole, and full of vim and vinegar! Baby M was born about 15 months later and he too is doing very well. Baby C is just about 17 months younger. You would think that mom would be pulling her hair out, that she would be frazzled, and that the house would be a mess. You would think you might see snotty noses and crabby children. But, the truth is, it was the exact opposite! The kids are happy and healthy. The house is lived in, but clean. Mom is calm and satisfied. Her contentment is something I wish I had had when my children were her age. I so often wish that I had known then what I know now. We really enjoyed our morning with them all.

After dinner we enjoyed the afternoon with Baby A(2) and Baby K and their mom. Again, we were able to witness the joy and contentment of choosing to live biblically! Baby A is a few months short of being 2 and she is going through the touching thing and tempting mommy to respond. Mommy did respond and sometimes in a firm manner, but after every time of discipline (which was so lovingly administered!) Baby A would come to mommy and very joyfully hug her. She would laugh and smile and exhibit obedience. Mommy didn't make a big deal of the disobedience, she would just calmly mention what Baby A was doing wrong and then if Baby A chose not to obey, mommy would calmly, in the midst of conversation, administer a bit of discipline. It was such a blessing to see biblical living in action.

Unfortunately, the sweater that I made needs to have it's neck enlarged since Baby K is quite a good sized baby. Shouldn't take much to fix it and it will give us another excuse to go and visit!

The sun is shining this morning! Woo hoo! There are 45 degree temperatures in the forecast! I'm so looking forward to that!

March is just around the corner and that is always my hardest month, but I'm confident that the Lord will get me through this one too! I just need to follow the advice I give my friend, perspective, faith, and attitude! It may be March, but I don't have to give into anxiety, depression, or other negative things. I can be hopeful, joyful, because I have a God who understands.

We did cancel knitting group again last night due to the icy roads, but hopefully in 2 weeks, we'll have no problem getting together. I enjoy that time so much. Knitting, eating, and chatting! Are there any better things to do? I don't think so!

Today we are going to visit the new babies that we haven't had a chance to visit yet. Baby K is just over 2 months and baby C is just a few days old. (Baby C is Baby A's and Baby M's baby brother. Hee Hee!)

Yesterday didn't turn out quite as bad as they had predicted. There is a lot of ice and some drifting, but we're getting so used to it that it is really minor.

The weather continues to drain us all. We are expecting more freezing rain and 3-7 inches of snow today. Tomorrow, it's supposed to blow, which means that our road with blow shut again, there is just no place for the snow to go! I took J to my nephew's on Friday and drove through a tunnel of snow up by my in-laws. I could barely fit my medium-sized SUV through it, there is no way that Hubby could get a semi through there.

I just keep trying to hang on to the glimpses of sun and warmth that we get, I don't want to get into a funk emotionally because of the weather. It's so easy for me to go there and March is always my difficult month.

I am so grateful to the Lord for all the tools He has given me to deal with the challenges that we have faced over the past year. Unfortunately, we added to our list of challenges last week when our niece miscarried her baby. It's all so sad!

I didn't watch the Oscars, I hadn't seen any of the top movies, nor do I care to (except, maybe, Atonement), but I did look up the dresses. Many were quite stunning. I didn't see a one that made me go "hmmmmm".

So, today is a knitting, watching the rained out NASCAR, finishing the laundry kind of day because it's not fit to go outside again.

Obviously, it's been a very long time since I've felt like blogging. The winter has been quite long and my energy levels have not been great. Much of January and February were spent knitting and catching up with Gilmore Girls. Our roads have been awful and we've really spent a lot of time just hanging out at home. I'm really beginning to crave summer food and summer clothes!!

2007 is coming to an end. I'm excited about 2008.

2007 has been a very challenging year, but there have been many blessings that have come as a result of those challenges.

Probably one of my biggest blessings was the Lord getting me through March. This was year "7", the year, according to they cycle that my anxiety and depression runs, should have been my time to fall back into it. I started praying in just before January and asked others to do the same. March came, twinges were felt, prayers were sent up, and God provided a "diversion" to get me through that time. I am still in awe and amazement! So, despite the challenges that this year has presented-emotionally, physically, and spiritually, God drew me closer and got me through them all!

Other blessings include His guiding me to an area in my life that I've always wanted to go-counseling. It has been one of the most difficult things to do and one of the most rewarding. Despite some huge failures, we've had some successes and we've become forever linked.

There are still many difficult challenges to face ahead in the new year, but God has proven His faithfulness (as He always does) and I'm excited to watch Him work.

I don't often make "resolutions", but I do have some goals for the new year...journaling more, deeper study in God's Word with an emphasis on knowing where passages are located, more study with Beth Moore (what a HUGE blessing those have been!!), more joy, more compassion, more love. (Oh yeah, and lose weight...)

May you all be truly blessed this coming year.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!

Our sweet nephew's 2nd Christmas, he just turned one a couple of weeks ago. His little life has been upset by things he doesn't understand yet. Pray that God will do a mighty work!!

My niece and her finance. We're excited to help them plan their August wedding. Definitely something to look forward to!

Baby E in his new Dale of Norway sweater. Obviously, he wasn't enjoying it, but we were!

I know that it has been a very long time since I've posted. We have had a very busy fall. Harvest, family things, and general living. Despite some things being pretty tough, God is good! My friend, who's little girl died in February, found out that she was pregnant shortly after that. Well, just over a month ago, she gave birth to a healthy little boy! I finally finished his Dale of Norway sweater (they are very Norwegian-so it was a no-brainer!) I actually did the entire pattern according to the pattern and steeked it the other day. It went much easier than I expected and am looking forward to doing more this way-so much less finishing to contend with!!

This is our old farm truck. It has been sitting without it's engine for quite some time. Hubby and son decided that son needed the learning experience and so they spent much of the winter and summer rebuilding the engine and carb. Just a few minutes ago, son drove it into the driveway!! To many kids don't learn how to work or work with their hands these days, I'm thankful that mine is such a hard worker!

I haven't blogged in a very long time! It's not that life is boring, it's the opposite, and it's not because I didn't want to, it just seemed like every time I sat down to write, I forget everything I wanted to write!

It has been a very busy late summer, one filled with lots of change and challenges.

The biggest change was our church moving from our country building to a bigger building in town. We went from 3 services down to one. I'm praying that God will be glorified in this move and that we will follow His lead.

I'm so thankful for fall, though. I love fall! I love the cooler temperatures, the lack of humidity, the changing colors and football! It's not that I don't enjoy summer, I do, but everything changes in the summer and I enjoy getting back into a routine. We started our next Beth Moore study. That's exciting!! We have 30 women signed up for this one-Believing God. I know that He will work miracles as we learn to believe Him!

He's been driving home some points from several things that I've been studying! We are Abraham's spiritual heirs-it's all over the New Testament! I've often struggled with whether or not we could actually receive the blessings that God's Chosen People, the Jews, received, but we can! How exciting it is to watch God putting it all together! There has been so much more, but it's hard to put it into words. I just know that He is working!

I haven't gotten much substantial knitting done. I spent a couple of weeks knitting blue cords for all the Bible study ladies. Now that I'm done with that, I'm getting the lining in my felted bag, I've been working on some socks and need to get a baby sweater done.

Finally!!! This is my jacket! I started it on 8/5/05 and finished it today!! Of course, I wasn't working on it the entire time, it got put away for over a year, but I decided that I wanted it before fall and I was tired of unfinished things lying around. Now, it just needs to cool off!

Baby T's sweater is done! It's from the Leisure Arts booklet that goes with Debbie Macomber's "Back on Blossum Street". They did their's in pastels, but I had this Patons "Look At Me" variegated and decided to use that. It came out so cute!!

Finally, clue 1 of MS3 is finished!! I am enjoying knitting lace. I'm loving the challenge. It's something new and different and I like how the pattern is unfolding. Time for clue 2.

I wish I could figure out how to get past this "blogger block". All through the day I say to myself, "I should blog about that," then I sit down and NOTHING!!

It's so silly, because we've been having an interesting summer-at least, it's been interesting for me! God has been teaching me a ton of things and bringing freedom in areas that I had pretty much given up on. He's showing me what is sin in my life and how to eradicate it!

Hubby and I celebrated our 20th anniversary last weekend and baby boy turned 17!

I'm tired of politics, it's started way to early and I'm having trouble getting excited by the group that is running.

Anyway, there are dishes to do and things to knit!!

My first prayer shawl is finished and I'm praying that it will be very comforting to it's recipient. She is a dear friend who is facing a daunting trial with her health. I'm so thankful that this worked up quickly and I think it's gorgeous!

In Loving Memory of my step-dad, Kenny
He died 30 years ago today.

I'm also working on Retro Ribs from Interweave's newest sock book. I really like this pattern. I'm using one of my favorite colorways from Regia.

I also decided to join my first knitalong, Ms3. This is awesome. I've never done much lace-weight lace. It's challenging and I'm enjoying it. I chose black Merino Lace and I'm using beads, although they are not showing up very well. (If you click on the picture, it will come up bigger and you'll be able to see the beads.)

Well, despite the fact that I haven't had much time to blog, I have been getting a little knitting done! This is the first 70 rows of "Alix's Lace Prayer Shawl" from Knit Along With Debbie Macomber, Back on Blossom Street. I'm really enjoying this one! I'm using the lightweight Grandma's Flower Garden from Socks that Rock.