Seek My Face

My mom got this little devotional for Eric and I called "Jesus Calling" By: Sarah Young. I started reading it the other morning and it has a little devotion for each day and I really like it.
Especially today's devotion was great.


"Seek My Face, and you will find more than you ever dreamed possible.
Let Me displace worry at the center of your being.
I am a supersaturated cloud, showering Peace into the pool of your mind.
My nature is to bless. Your nature is to receive with thanksgiving.
This is a true fit, designed before the foundation of the world.
Glorify Me by receiving My blessing gratefully.
I am the goal of all your searching.
When you seek Me, you find Me and are satisfied.
When lesser goals capture your attention, I fade into the background of your life.
I am still there, watching and waiting; but you function as if you were alone.
Actually, My Light shines on every situation you will ever face.
Live radiantly by expanding your focus to include Me in all your moments.
Let nothing dampen your search for Me."



I love this! How often do we lose sight to the idea that God is ALWAYS there. We know that He is there but do we really believe it? He wants to bless us and we so desperately need Him do so.
We often search out false blessings and like the passage said He fades into the background. He is still there but we are not allowing Him to do what He wants to do for us. I also love the "supersaturated cloud showering Peace in the pool of our mind" WOW! Do I ever love the rain and especially today while we are in the middle of a storm. I know having grown up in Washington State I love the rain, love it, love it. The sound, the smell the feeling of just standing underneath it and being showered on is all amazing. Now imagine that is God's Peace and He is just waiting to shower you with it. Making your mind have the peace that surpasses all understanding. Now I will take that any day and by my understanding of our Heavenly Father, He wants to give that to us every minute of every day, we just need to seek Him.
I already feel refreshed and ready to think and dwell about this all day, at least that is my hope. My hope to turn to Him and seek Him during the day. So often I have a great devotional only to turn around and ten minutes later I am short with my kids or get frustrated and lose my cool. Today I am going to try to seek Him more than I have before. I sure hope you do.

I'm Back!

We officially are up and running at this house and it feels so very nice. I am so very appreciative of my internet connection it is 1 MG speed and it is wonderful! I feel like I am back. I finally got to check my Google Reader and there were only 200 something new posts to read. I have been out of the loop but not really. It has been nice not getting stuck on the computer for hours. I have indulged the last couple days but it will end and I am going to put myself on a schedule. Have not figured it out yet but it will probably be early morning and after kids have gone to bed at night. I am excited to write more and maybe get in a schedule or routine here too. Be a little more organized and hopefully it will help me be more creative with my writings. Maybe have weekly topics like crafts for the kids, recipes, family life, devotion of some sort and homeschooling. I don't know what do you think? What would you like to see more of? What is it you like about my blog?
Okay I better go and do the dishes now since I have no dishwasher and a counter top full of dirty dishes. I am 95% unpacked and organized but it should be fun this week with the rain and being stuck indoors with the kids.

Moving into the Land of Technology

Yes, we are moving!! Again, I realized that we moved close to eight times int the last decade. So why not start this decade with a move. There is this little spot in town that has six little cottage houses. We have wanted to live in one for now seven years! Finally, God has opened the door for us to live there.

We have loved living out in the country do not get me wrong. However, with only one car it has been very difficult with the kids and being so far out town. I have really learned how to be resourceful and shop for two weeks and menu plan way better than ever. I have appreciated being in a quiet rustic setting. I love seeing animals, wild turkey, deers, quail and yes even FOUR BLACK BEARS one day! The kids have loved their pink house but are very excited to move to the Blue and white house.

We were very hesitant to move and on the Sunday after Christmas we really sat down and prayed and talked about what terms we wanted when we talked to the landlords. We decided on a certain amount for rent and different stipulations. There were two house available on for more rent with a garage and one cheaper with a carport. We decided on the one with the carport and lower rent. On Monday morning the landlord called saying they were offering the house with the garage for the rent we could afford!! Praise the Lord!

Next we had to tell our landlords we were leaving and give 30 days. They were sympathetic and understood. Our new landlords wanted us to move in on the 15th if possible. We looked at finances and decided that we would tell them we could move in on the 15th but without a deposit and if they really needed us in then it would be okay. Sure enough God worked out the details and they agreed to it. They even offered to break up our deposit over four months, who ever heard of landlords doing that?

The icing on the cake is that in November Eric was tired of looking at our boxes in our storage shed and one day at a job there were people moving and he offered them our boxes on loan. He lost their number and now we were left without boxes?!? We got some from Craigslist and from his aunt, but it clearly was not enough. Then this Monday the guy calls with the boxes and said they were ready for us to pick up, WHOO HOO! They even had couple more boxes for us. It turns out as of today I have four boxes that I have not used and one roll of tape left. I feel like the widow with the oil and flour preparing for Elijah bread when there was not enough for her and her son. But she faithfully made bread with the little she had and there was still enough left over for her and her son too. But the other story that comes to mind it the widow who had debt and Elisha told her to get as many empty vessel and poured the oil in them. She kept pouring oil until all the vessels were full. I was able to share the blessing of our boxes and they were so grateful and in turn there were plenty of boxes for us in fact just the right amount.

God cares about the little things and I am blessed.
Now my mom and my uncle are on their way up here to watch the kids today and tomorrow while we move and clean up. What a blessing.
The only thing left is for our landlords to rent the pink house and we get maybe some of our rent back but more importantly our deposit back.

God is good and I have seen His Hand in this whole endeavor more than anything before. Each step guided by Him.



Plus I will have cable internet and actually have the speed of 1 MG and that id light speed compared to the 20KB I have now.

Merry Christmas

This is the Christmas letter I sent out ....

I hope this letter finds you well and I hope this year has been a blessed one.
This year has brought forth many things for this family and probably for you too.
In May we packed up and moved to the Central Coast. We have been so fortunate to have a great house in the country.
Eric has a great job and I am home with the kids.

Kira turned four in April and has been such a delight. She is such a learning sponge. I love it.
She can write her letters and numbers.
She is constantly asking me how to spell things.
Kira is very eager to read, so we might begin basics in January.
She is excelling in her speech class and is getting all her sounds so much better.
She still loves to draw and is an amazing artist.
She got second place in a local coloring contest!
I really enjoy teaching her and she is such a helper around the house.

Enzo had yet another amazing year.
He was able to get transferred to therapy up here (did take forever though).
He loves his Occupational therapist (OT).
Enzo was receiving In-Home therapy through the school district.
When he had his evaluation at 2 and 1/2 he scored at 3 years and above
for many of the educational skills and therefore does not need it!
He did start speech therapy with a great teacher and I can already hear a difference.
At our Mommy and Me class just last month he had a major break through.
We were peeling clementines and he held it with his right hand(good hand) and started peeling with his left side(weak side). I was almost in tears. This is the hardest bilateral movement he has done.
We have been working on taking his shirt off with minimal to no help.
Well, he can do that too! He will initiate doing it too.
I think the light bulb has gone on and it seems like he is very aware of his left side and wants to use it without me coaching him to.
Praise God, for He is good!

We as a family have had a great year with lots of change, but good change.
We hope your Christmas is super and that you have a blessed New Year.

Christmas in the Air

Oh how I love this time of the year. It is cold and all I want to do is curl up in a blanket and crochet, knit or snuggle with the kids. But I have been doing quite a bit. I crocheted the cutest slippers and hat with ear flaps for Kira for Christmas morning. Made Enzo some Spiderman mittens and hat with ear flaps. I used a red skein and a blue skein of yarn together and crocheted Spiderman type of design. I am planning on making him slippers and her mittens so they each have the same set.

The rest of the list for handmade gifts is as follows:
Pajamas for everyone
Felted Knit Slippers for Eric
Finish the Dolls for the Kids-
*Pirate (Jack Sparrow)
*Pirate (Will Turner?)
*Girl (Lucy)
*Girl (Kira doll) Last year Kira doll had a few flaws and has been so loved but has holes so I am refurbishing her.

Doll Cradle (hopefully we will get this made but if not Her birthday is in April and we will do it then)

I think I am biting off more than I can chew but we will see:)

The past few weeks we have been busy making Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments for teacher gifts. We handed them out yesterday and everyone loved them. What an easy but beautiful gift for teachers. Inexpensive too and the kids had so much fun making them.

This last Saturday we went to see our friends who are here on furlough from Kenya for a month. What a blessing to see them and hear how God is using them to minister to the people there.

My parents are coming on Friday to visit until Sunday. They got an amazing deal at the hotel and Saturday night we are staying there and having a mini vacation with the kids.

We will spend Christmas Eve with Eric's parents and Christmas day we will be home all day at our house making new memories and traditions as a family. Breakfast will maybe consist of cinnamon rolls or something yummy and probably going to make a Honey Ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner. Lots of down time.

What are your traditions? What do you make for dinner?

Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for my beautiful family.
I am thankful for our house in such a wonderful place.
I am thankful I have food to feed my family.
I am thankful for clothes on our backs.
I am so very thankful for a loving and merciful God who takes care of all of us.

When I asked the kids what they were thankful for, these were their responses.

Kira said "I am thankful for Jesus died on the cross"

Enzo said " I am thankful that Jesus is in my heart"

I could not be more blessed with those responses.
I am so thankful!

Going No Shampoo

Okay I have tried and failed before but now I am really serious. It has six weeks since I used shampoo on my hair. "Gross" some may say, but I am doing it. I knew there was a transition period of a few weeks but nothing like I have gone through. I was starting to get frustrated and I almost went back to my shampoo. But last night I had a revelation. It is the hard water! I read another gal's blog about going no poo as people call it. She was having the same issue but noticed when she stayed at a hotel her hair was soft and shiny. So she realized it was the hard water. Thank you, thank you. I used her method last night and my hair is almost perfect. I think I need more solution because my hair is sooo thick.

Here it is for you hard water folks

Boil 1 quart of water
Add 1/4 of Baking Soda (now be careful because I did not think about it and it overflowed on me, so pour in slowly)
Mix and let cool
Put it in a squeeze bottle and use like the normal solution
Get your hair wet in the shower
Saturate hair and rub in scalp and rinse
Follow with Apple Cider Vinegar solution for conditioner and rinse

My hair is soft and I can actually run my finger through it.
It looks great and I am so much happier

And it is cheaper too

Homemade Toothpaste Recipe

• 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons of baking soda
• few drops of pure Peppermint extract
  

I made this last night for the kids because I ran out of the Tom's Maine fluoride free and did not want to pay $5 for another tube. Simple Mom had these recipes and more.

I used this recipe last night minus the peppermint extract, I did not have any, but the kids liked it. Cool!
I love making things cheap and natural.