Blog Award!!

This is my first award ever and I am really excited!

The award is the "Pure in Heart" award. This award is given to girls whose blogs are pure, lovely, and Godly! Samantha and Addie tagged me, so here goes.

If you have been tagged, here's what to do:




A) Post about your tag!



B) Pick ten bloggers who deserve the PURE IN HEART award



C) Leave a comment on the ten people's blogs letting them know you tagged them! ( you may tag whoever you want, even the person who tagged you, if you like)



D) Answer these questions and put them up in a blog post:



1: Apples, Oranges or Bananas?
All of them. Especially in summer!!! Oranges are best, though....



2: How many siblings do you have? 3


3: How old are you? 16-almost 17



4: Do you live on a prairie, woodland, swamp, city or other?
I live out in the middle of no-where. It is very peaceful out here. The birds sing in the tree outside my window every morning (that is the BEST alarm clock), the cows graze in the pastures, and the flowers bloom in the summer time. It is perfect! Ok, well, not perfect... right now the wind is blowing 200 miles per hour.. (ok, I am exaggerating.. not a lot, just a little... ;-) lol).



5: Scissors or glue?
Ooh, I don't know! Scissors are essential to sewing, so I guess scissors!

6: describe your dream house.

A nice little cottage or farmhouse. White siding with black trim. A raised wooden porch (that is the thing for me. I love sitting on the steps sipping tea or lemonade while visiting with family and friends. There is nothing like it!) Then there would be a nice red barn, picket fences, and lots of flowers!


7: Is your room clean?
Actually, it really is. Just cleaned it again yesterday and am keeping it clean since we are selling the house.


8: If you could be a movie character for a day, who would you be?
Hmm, Lizzy Bennet from Pride and Predjudice, Jo from Little Women, and I know I had another one, but I can't remember it.. oh well, I guess you are only supposed to have one answer any way.. =D


9: Italy, Greece, France, Spain or England?
England, France, Italy.



10: What denomination are you?
I am a young lady who has been saved from eternal damnation by the LIVING Son of God who died on a cross for me. I have been saved because I have given my life to Him by accepting Him as my only Saviour. The only One who can save me.



11: Do you sleep with a stuffed toy (BE HONEST!!!!)
When I was little....



12: Gum, chocolate, or jelly beans?
Chocolate, then gum afterwards. =D


13: What is your favorite book?
I don't have only one favorite.. so, here goes. Witch from blackbird pond (not what it sounds like.. Puritans were calling a Christian a Witch), The North Wood adventures, A woman named Damaris, Drums of Change, the Love comes sofly series, Before you meet Prince Charming, Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends.
14: Favorite ice cream flavour?
Ooh, I don't know. Mint choc. chip, candy flavors (butterfinger, reeses), Bunny, moose, and otter tracks (real flavors), or else good ol' vanilla with homemade fudge sauce, pecans, and toasted coconut! Samantha, I haven't ever tried it with unsweetened cocoa powder. Sounds good! We always put Nestle's chocolate milk powder on ours... course, that was only every once in a while!


15: If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what would that food be?
Hmm, Fruit Salad, or green Salad


16: What is your favorite Olympic sport?
Figure skating, gymnastics



17: If you woke up and discovered that you had turned into Miley Cyrus for the day, what would you do?
Never wake up that morning. I don't care for her much. I feel sorry, really. When the younger people get glamorized like that at such a young age, they forget their goals. I think she meant well when she first began, but she hasn't succeeded.

18: Describe yourself in three words.
Um... Silly, funny, friendly??


19: What chore do you positively hate?
Loading the dishwasher. I would prefer to wash by hand, thank you!


20: If elmo cam into your room with a gun, what would you do?
I wouldn't be too scared. See, and I hate to break this to ya, Elmo is a little stuffed animal on sticks... so, I don't think he would do much good! And second, if he really did that, I would (have to steal this Samantha!) Tickle him!!


That was fun! Now I will nominate the following young ladies for the award:

Mrs. Poff(if she would like to participate)

Marissa and Caity

Atlanta

Frannie

Shana

Rachel

Courtney

Scribe (if he would like to participate.. I know he is a boy, but his blog is definitely 'lovely', pure, and Godly!)

Amanda and Ashley

And My dear friend Ellie!! She doesn't have a blog, but if she did she would definitely deserve it. So, she can just send me an email with her answers, and I will post them on here, if she would like... or, she can just tuck this away until she possibly gets a blog of her own. :-)

Ok, so I am also going to share a recipe.

Ok, tea at our house is quite a big thing. Momma loves to have her afternoon tea EVERY day. It doesn't matter how hot or cold it is, she has it. I will drink it occasionally, when it isn't too warm outside, or we have been working hard! I love drinking it in the winter, though, all the time too! So, since it is fun to 'dress' up (we kids used to a lot.. the boys would be "Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingly" from Pride and Predjudice and we girls would just be ladies.. sometimes characters, sometimes not), fix fancy things, etc, we will do something "fun" with out tea. Normally the call rings through the house "Water is hot!" and everyone can come and get tea if they so wish. However, on some occasions, Becca and I will make scones, clotted cream, curd, etc, to dress up the little table. We will get out our real tea cups -we normally use mugs- table clothes, cloth napkins, etc. It is lots of fun.
   So, the recipes I will share today are Scones, clotted cream, yummy cream cheese spread, and curd. This is for a recipe thing for easy, yummy, and healthy recipes. Well, the scones are pretty healthy since we use whole wheat, and the cream is good. It is a dairy product! ;-) lol. Now, the other two I can't really say are healthy, but the are yummy and fairly easy to make!

Afternoon Tea Scones



3 3/4 C strong flour or bread flour


3/4 C sugar


2 tsp salt


2 T baking powder


1 and 1/4 sticks unsalted butter


3/4 C cream


3/4 C milk


1 and 1/4 C Sultana raisins


About 1/2 C milk for glazing


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


2. In a medium bowl mix together dry ingredients.


3. Cut in butter and mix until the mixture resembles fine bread-crumbs.


4. Gradually add cream and milk and mix until a thick dough is formed.


5. Add the Sultanas and allow dough to rest for 15 minutes, covered loosely with a cotton cloth.


6. Turn out dough onto a floured board and knead lightly.


7. Roll out to 3/4 inch thickness and cut into rounds with a 2" biscuit cutter.


8. Gather the trimmings and lightly knead, roll and cut them as well.


9. On a lightly greased baking tray place the rounds about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with a little milk to glaze.


10. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Transfer to rack to cool. Serve warm with jam and clotted cream. Makes 2 dozen small scones.


From Regis Beauregard, Pastry Chef The Palm Court Restaurant at The Ritz Hotel, London.


*I have changed the sugar from ½ to ¾ as it wasn’t sweet enough for us. 




This Clotted cream is SO easy!!

Clotted Cream


1 C heavy whipping cream


1/3 C sour cream


1 T powdered sugar


Directions:


1. Let both the whipping cream and sour cream sit out until at room temperature.


2. To a bowl add the whipping cream. Beat until soft peaks form.


3. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until the mixture is very thick.


4. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.




Yummy Cream Cheese Spread


8 oz. Softened cream cheese


½ cup butter, softened


¾ cups brown sugar, packed


1 teaspoon of vanilla extract


1 cup of mini chocolate chips (or more)


Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and put in fridge for at least 1 hour or until set. Serve with graham crackers or a LIGHTLY sweetened shortbread cookie.


Optional: Dump mixture onto piece of saran wrap and shape into a ball. Put in fridge for about 1 hour or until set. Take out right before serving and roll in ¾ cup chopped pecans. Serve with graham crackers or LIGHTLY sweetened shortbread cookies.


Ok, this curd recipe is fairly easy. It probably isn't "healthy", but it is yummy! However, I had to share this so that you can have a complete tea. :-) =D
  The best thing about this is that it freezes really well.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients


3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature


1 cup sugar


2 large eggs


2 large egg yolks


2/3 cup fresh lemon juice


1 tsp. grated lemon zest


How to make


In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.






In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 min. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil.






Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.


A variation is to use limes instead of lemons to get lime curd. 
I was only supposed to post 1 recipe, but I had to post more! It is way too fun.... any way, I hope you can have a nice tea some time. Even if you don't have fancy cups, napkins, or tablecloths, a plain ol' mug and wood table works just as well. Besides, it is the memories that you create with family and friends that matter most. So, invite your girl friends (even boys sometimes enjoy it!) over for a nice cup 'o tea. :-)
 
In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Update

Hello Friends! I thought I would just give an update on my Uncle Len.

They took him in an ambulance to the hospital to run some tests. He seemed fine externally (except for a cut near his eye), so they wanted to make sure he was fine internally. They ran some CAT scans, X-rays, etc, and were pleased that there seemed to be no internal bleeding. Praise God! They stitched up the cut over his eye, but other than that, there wasn't much.
  He did roll a couple of times, so he will be really sore for a while. However, it is quite a miracle that he was able to walk away with such few injuries.

Thank you for your prayers! For now he will just be resting. Please pray that he will be able to sleep at night. He didn't get much sleep last night, if any, so this isn't fun for him.

Again, thank you so much for said prayers and continuing prayers!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Prayers

Hello Friends!

I just wanted to ask that you be praying for our Uncle Len right now. We recieved a call from Aunt that he was in an auto accident near our place. We scrambled around to get things ready and mom went off in the car with Josh and Becca to see if they could help. He said he didn't need 911 (he wasn't too seriously injured since he was talking on the phone). Mom called them, however, when she heard that he was having some pains in the head. This scared us, but when Mom got to the scene, he was walking around. So, he seems to be doing fine, but they will take him to the hospital any way just to check up on him. You know how long emergency rooms take, especially if you aren't too seriously injured. So, if they take him there, we could be looking at waiting for hours. Then seeing the doctors and waiting more hours for results. Mom is following them in, so Caleb and I will be holding down the fort here at the house. I will try to keep y'all updated as soon as I hear anything new.

Thanks!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Another Give Away!!

Hello Everyone!! We just got back from the CAPE convention. That was fun, but really busy too! Pictures will be coming, I am sure, from Becca who was snapping that shutter like crazy! :-) Just post a comment that you want her to post pics and I am sure we can convince her! ;-) lol

Ok, so my friend over at Story of a Seamstress is hosting a give away. She is doing some really neat graphic designed banners for blogs, Etsy, etc. Click on the name above to check it out!!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Hurry Rebecca!

 Rebecca just posted our 100th post! I don't know why, but it feels really weird to have that many posts already... wow. After seeing the give away at Rachel's blog, it has inspired me to maybe do a give away.. not for the 100th post, but maybe the 150th or something.. :-) lol

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Flower Picture Contest

Another blogger is doing a Flower Photo contest so I grabbed some photos I had just taken this week.... 
Here is the link to An Old Fashioned Girl's blog who is doing the contest. :)

^My Favorite^

^ok, another favorite:D ^

 

We had been cleaning outside and I noticed a tree we have is starting to blossom- we aren't sure what kind it is.  Later that day I had grabbed the camera to take pictures of people working (yes, there is a post coming!) and took some of the "blossoming tree" as well.  I thought they came out pretty neat! 

Love,
Rebecca

Blog give away!

No, I am not giving our blog away.. But Rachel is having a 100th post giveaway at her blog! you can check it out and enter to hopefully win some neat prizes!

Rachel's give away! Click here!

Go check it out and follow the rules for entering.

God bless!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

A Peek into My Heart

I have some major confessions and thoughts; awes and wonders to share.

First of all, let me warn everyone this might be a long post... so, try not to get bored, if you can.

I think I will start with my "confession". I have been really restless lately and didn't know why.  Suddenly, this afternoon while taking a break from working outside, it hit me. I was not content.  I was not content with my family, mostly. At least, that is the only one that came to mind at the time.  I am sure there will be many others later on down my pathway of life.  However, this is the one that got me to thinking.  Was I content? Oh, surely I was.  I had everything I needed in life.  A home, food, love, family, friends.  What more did I need?  Nothing, but, I was still discontented. I started to ponder what I was discontented with and why.
   I was discontented with my family, as I have mentioned. Why? Well, because I was looking at their bad qualities and not their good qaulities. Instead I was looking around at other people's kids/siblings and envied them. What I didn't remember is that those same children I was admiring had their shortcomings too.
  With this in mind, I would like to go through and mention some of the good qualities in my family.

Rebecca
   She has such a gentle soul and heart. She loves animals, is very caring with them, and knows what to do if they are sick or stuck some where.
  She has been my best friend and confidant through my tough growing up years (then and now still...). She always had wonderful advice for me, even if I didn't take very kindly to it. I can now look back on the many things she has told me and thank her for them. God has granted her with such a gift of teaching.  She learns and isn't afraid to share with others what she learned. I really appreciate that in her. Too often we learn from our mistakes and are too ashamed to tell others of them when they could have helped other strugglers along the Narrow Way. I love you, my wondeful sister!!

Joshua
  Oh, there are so many things! Josh is one of those few people who can make me laugh anytime. He always knows what to say to make my day much brighter and cheerful. He loves giving me compliments and treating me like a lady. He has matured SO much in the last few months. He takes the inititive when needed, and never complains when we ask him to do something. He has done the nightly barn chores for several years now and hasn't ever complained about this daily, tedious task. He has matured in His walk with the Lord in so many ways, too. He starts out his day by reading his Bible and then doing his best to apply what he read to his life.
  He loves being around children, even if they aren't his age. He can always come up with something to do with them. Whether it is playing with them if they are younger, or having wonderful conversations with them if they are older.
  I love you SO much, my wonderful, way-too-tall brother!!

Caleb
  Caleb, my little sunshine! He always has a smile on his face. He is one of the most cheerful ones in the morning the second he "hops" (literally) out of bed. He loves to play games with me and has become a challenging competitor in "Speed" -a card game we both enjoy.
  He takes very good care of our chickens and has taught them a couple of tricks. He loves God's animals and tries to always help if he sees one in need of assitance in something.
  Although he is often the target of my anger, he is good to bear it cheerfully for the most part. If I am ever grumpy or upset, maybe arguing with my siblings (which you all know I never do), he is the first one to say, in a meek and gentle voice, "Please don't talk like that, Sarah." or "Sarah, this isn't helping.." How can a person continue to do what they were doing wrongfully when someone asks in such a gentle, knowing way?
  You are a wonderful little brother, Caleb! I love you SO much!!

Dear Mama
  I can't even begin to say how much my wonderful mother has done for me! First of all, she sacrificed so much for me when I was a helpless little baby. I know that I wore her patience severly when I was younger (and even now, sometimes), but that hasn't stopped her from training me up in the Lord. She has done a wonderful job of mentoring me so that I can someday take care of my own home.
  She has been my best friend for several years now. I often times, in the middle of our wonderful discussions, suddenly remember that she IS my Mama. That doesn't mean that I stop in the middle of my sentence and think, "Oh, I can't talk to her about this.." No, I instead think, "Wow, I have such a wonderful relationship with her."
  Mama is the glue that holds our family together, in a sense. When she is gone, our lives seem to go hay-wire. She has so many words of wisdom to share with Rebecca and me as we cook, clean, or are just sitting and sipping tea together.
  I love you SO much, Mama! You are a bright star in my life.

Daddy
  Ah, my handsome Daddy who I wanted to marry when I was younger. My Daddy who loves me as his precious daughter. My Daddy who provides for our family and works so hard to do so. My Daddy who has taught me how to dance. My Daddy who has helped me along in my school and has always been able to help me find answers in the Bible to my life questions. He is my strong Daddy who loves me SO much. I love getting his big 'bear' hugs in the morning when he leaves for work, or in the evening when he comes home. I love listening to his voice as he reads out loud to our family from a Lamplighter book, or other good book, while the boys lie on the floor listening, and we girls knit, crochet, sew.
   He has taught me SO much through life, and, just like a normal Home school parent, helps me figure out my question/problem instead of telling me the answer.
  He has so much intregrity at work, home, and any where else. He is truly an inspiration to me.
I love you, Daddy!! Thank you for being there for your little girl.

I have listed a few things about each person in my family. I am posting this because, first of all, I want to be held accountable by my fellow Christians. Second, because I think it is nice to tell some good things about people.
  I am asking you, my fellow Believers in Christ, to please pray for me in this area. I will not be suddenly content over night. It will take time of just appreciating the things in life that I do have instead of coveting the things I can't have.


My awe and wonder is next. A couple weeks ago, I felt really down about what in the world I was supposed to be doing in my life, other than finishing up school.  So what, I finish up school, but where does that get me?
   I also felt that I wasn't spending enough time with God like I should. I forgot to read my Bible in the morning, sometimes went a day or two without praying, except at meals, or applying Biblical truths to my life. I was often grumpy towards my siblings, and was letting my fleshly desires get ahold of me. I was making an excuse that I didn't have enough time to work on all those things. I had way too many things to do, what with school and my knitting business to keep on top of.
   If anyone has seen "Faith like Potatoes" you know what a great movie it is. If you haven't, GO WATCH IT! We had watched that movie a couple months ago and then, like we do sometimes, watched the special features. One of them was an interview with the real Angus Buckin. I have to point out really quick that I actually didn't see this interview. I was gone or something when they watched it. However, they were telling me about it later on and the one thing I remember is that he was talking about how he used to get up at 4:00 in the morning so he could spend 2 hours with God before having to go through a hard days work on the farm. This just really inspired me.
  As I was praying that night, I suddenly felt the urge to say, "Lord, wake me up early tomorrow morning so that I can prove to you that I can serve you." Ok, for those of you who don't know me too well, I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. I like to sleep in, instead of getting up early and getting my work done. Now, I am trying to work on that by getting to bed a little earlier and waking up earlier. Little bit by little bit, I have learned to wake up a little earlier.. still working on it, though. Any way, I asked God to wake me up. First I said 6:30, then changed it to 5:30 (trust me, right after I was saying these times, I started regretting it..) Then I suddenly said 4:30. I really regretted it, but I thought to myself, "Why not?" So, I told God, "If you want me to get up at 4:30, I will get up."
   I went to bed feeling pretty good about my committment. When I woke up to roll over later on, I saw it was 4:35. Well, I quickly made a little excuse, "Oh, I am just too tired, God. I worked hard yesterday" and promptly went back to sleep.
  When I woke up a few hours later, it hit me. I had not kept my committment to God! I felt awful for a while, but was determined to not let Satan get me down.
  That night, I asked God again to wake me up at 4:30. I went to sleep, woke up to roll over and saw it was 4:30 on the dot. In sleepy awe, I rolled out of bed and went into the living room. I was able to have a wonderful time with God that morning praying, reading His word, and softly humming praise songs to Him (didn't think the rest of my family would appreciate my singing loudly and waking them up that early =D).
   I had been reading through the Bible, but that morning, I just flipped open to a chapter. I don't even remember what it was now. It was talking about Moses going up to talk with God on the mountain. God told Moses "I will greet you early in the morning...." At this point, I was getting goose bumps. God was telling me that I had done what He wanted me to do.
   I have heard lots of people say that we all have a purpose in life. I, however, wasn't feeling that purpose. I didn't know where I needed to go, what I needed to do, or anything. Some of my friends had already had it figured out. They knew what they were doing, and they were heading for it. I felt like they were racing past me as I stood on the sidelines watching them.
   To have God show me His love for me like this just told me in my heart that He does have a plan for me, but I need to wait. I have such a peace in my heart now as I work on school. I am waiting until God starts revealing His plan bit by bit to me as I walk along.

 He hasn't woken me up that early since.

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Feelin' Feminine Review

After doing a week of wearing skirts for the Feelin' Feminine challenge, we get to do a review. So, here are the questions and my answers.

How was the experience for you?

Lots of fun. I wear skirts all the time, usually. Unfortunately, I haven't quite learned how to work cattle in a skirt.. riding a horse is fairly easy (if you have a full skirt), but I haven't figured out how to hop over cattle chute, fences, etc while still being modest in a skirt! However, I really enjoyed the challenge.


Any particular stories?

Well, we didn't see any one during this challenge, but I have had a couple people ask me why I wear modest clothing/skirts, which gives me an opportunity to witness to them and tell them why it is important to help our Brothers in Christ to keep their hearts pure. Did wearing skirts rather than pants affect the way you felt?

Yes, absolutely. I felt very lady-like and feminine. Just the way I should feel!


The way you felt about yourself?

I respected myself more by feeling like a lady and worth something. I felt more gentle spirited and feminine in my daily role as a young woman.


The way you acted?

I am not the most graceful person around, but I hopefully acted more feminine and not so boy-ish or "Miss Muscle" that can do anything. :-)


The way you carried yourself?

I tried to carry myself with grace and pride in who I was. I am a Princess of God! I should act like one.


Were you able to go about everyday activity as freely as pants?

Absolutely, except for working the cows. Thankfully, we aren't in cattle working season yet! In fact, I don't even notice a whole lot of difference in moving about my daily activities whether I am in pants or a skirts. In freedom, I mean. I feel just as "free" in a skirt as in a pair of pants -more so, actually!


How did people respond?

My brothers are more apt to open the door, carry things for me, help me into the car, etc, when I am in a skirt.


Were you more respected?

Yes, I think so. Once I went to a store in a pair of pants. The bagger at the checkout didn't even offer to carry out the groceries. Then, a couple days later, I was at the same store this time wearing a skirt. The bagger not only offered to take out my bags, but also called me "ma'am".


Did you feel more like a lady?

Oh yes!!!


After the challenge do you desire to keep wearing skirts more regularly, or were you desperate to wear pants again?"

Oh, I will keep on wearing my skirts! I had before and will continue after! I love embracing this God given femininity. Pants don't help me to do that, so skirts are the answer. I love them.

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

I have been tagged..

This simply means that I get to answer a lot of questions. ;-) lol!

Atlanta tagged me!

First, if you have been tagged, you must write your answers in your own LJ and replace any question that you dislike with a new question.

Second, tag eight people. Don't refuse to do this. Do not tagged the person who tagged you. I don't know if I can do this.. hopefully I can!

What song are you currently listening to a lot?

I have been listening to the Triple L Band. They are an awesome country bluegrass group that does Christian songs. Two of their relatives do a lot of bull sales with us.

What books are you currently reading?

I am currently reading "Cat of Bubastees" (sp?) for History, "Civil war spies - the corrospondence of Emma Edmond and Mollie Turner" and then I need to pick a personal growth book.. any suggestions??

What did you do today that was really fun?

Shoveled a LOT of dirt, cleaned out the shop.. laughed!!! Josh is one of the best clowns I have ever known. He can make me laugh any time.

Do you sing a lot?

I love singing. Rebecca and I sing a lot when we are working in the kitchen. I try to do harmony.. but, I am still working on that!

Sweet or Salty?

Both!! It depends on my mood. The both of them together is really tasty. Ritz crackers with leftover frosting is the best, though.. Just don't eat too many!

What is your current fandom/addiction/obsession?

Finding out God's plan for my life. Prayers are requested on this subject.. I am trying to figure out what God is needing me to do with my life at this moment.

What books have you read at least 3 times?

Um... The Northwood series, Drums of Change, A woman named Damaris

What sites do you always visit when you go online?

Friend's blogs, The Sewing Academy (though not a whole lot recently), our blog to see if any one has commented.. Maybe do some researching.

What was the last thing you bought?

Groceries for Mine and Caleb's valentine dinner.. used up the money I had been saving, but it was fun and I don't regret it. :-)

Which fictional character do you think you are most like?

Probably Lizzy Bennet, though I am not half as witty as she is..  I don't know.. it is easy to say one's self is like a certain character of a book, but one's self doesn't always have the right answers.. So, what do y'all think?

Favorite earliest memory?

Washing dishes with Mama. Now, I love washing dishes because it brings back those memories. I can remember standing on a chair or stool and talking as we washed (I don't know how much help I was!). I always thought that "when I was in my own home, I could wash my own dishes". So, I have always wanted to get married and wash my own dishes! ;-) lol

What do you do to change your mood?

Sing, play guitar, fiddle, or violin; take a walk, pray, visit with God, talk with my lovable siblings who can make me laugh.

What was the last meal you ate?

Supper. Yummy chicken rice dealy, peas, cottage cheese, and sliced cheese. Good meal after a hard days work!

Do you want to learn another langauge?

Yes! Greek, French, Spanish, Gaelic (maybe).

Five things you cannot live without:

My Lord and Savior

My family

My heart.. ok, ok, I won't get into the physical details...

Friends

Love

Find the closest book currently sitting near you, and flip to page 54. What is the 1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph?

"The ancient Greeks had to turn geometry from the practical study of measuring land to the science of abstract form before they could produce mathematical proofs." From 'The Big Book of Brain Games' They were making a point on geometry before doing some mind boggling something..

What is something you would like to say to someone right now?

Most people don't know the work that goes behind registration for the CAPE convention.. amazing! It is fun though! Right now Mama, Becca, and I are all entering registrations for the convention into the database. I can't believe the convention is only a few weeks away! yikes...
  Also that I am so glad they are my friend!!!!!

What are you looking forward to?

The convention, seeing my friends, meeting the person who could be possibly buying some of our property in a few weeks, sewing, and living life to it's fullest!

Ok, I tag Samantha, Marissa, Bethany, Mrs. Poff (if she would like to do this), Kelsey, Frannie (if she is still reading this blog), Chelsea (if she is still reading this blog), Rachelle (if/when she gets her blog up and running..

Have fun and hope y'all are having a blessed week! We got a little bit of rain today. Praise the LORD!!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Feelin' Feminine Challenge- day 7!

Well, it is the LAST DAY of the Feelin' Feminine challenge. I hope you enjoyed it. I certainly did! It is ending just way too soon. So, I will probably post a couple of outfits every once in a while, just for the fun of it. :-)

Today I am going pretty simple. I am going to a girl's fellowship thing tonight where we will be making Ukrainian eggs. This is rather messy sometimes as you are using dyes. So, I am wearing:

Straight brown skirt- L.L. Bean (hand me down-Thanks, Mrs. S!)
Orange stripe T shirt- walmart?
Tennis shoes!
Hair- worn down with a head band.

I hope all of you other ladies who participated in the Feelin' Feminine challenge will continue to embrace your femininity! It is so neat to wear skirts and really feel like a lady. It is amazing how differently you are treated, too! Besides, who can't resist swishing and twirling around in a skirt? ;-)

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Day 6 of the Feelin' Feminine Challenge

I can't believe that it is day 6 already! This week has gone by so quickly. I have been having lots of fun with it, though!

Ok, today we went into town for some errands, so my outfit was slightly more dressy. :-)

What I'm wearing:

White tank
Pink short sleeve jacket-home made by me!
Blue moleskin skirt- same as day 1
Sketcher shoes. Ha-ha, yes I HAD to wear shoes since I was going into town! ;-) lol!
Hair was braided last night after shower, then left down this morning.

Tomorrow will be a little hectic, so I don't know if I will be participating in the last day.. however, I am hoping to. We will just have to see what happens. :-)

Here is the hair tutorial I promised. :-)

Put your hair in a pony tail in the center of your head. This works best if hair is slightly wet.

Divide the pony in half.

Take each half and twist. Now, this is the step that you can do two ways. You can twist it tightly, fold it in half (ends going upwards) and then secure the ends in the pony band like this: -note that this twist works best with longer hair. if you have shorter hair, you will want to do the following instructions.

Or you can do a rope braid. For those of you who don't know how to do a rope braid, I will do my best to explain..
      Take your divided section and divide it again so that you have two sections on each side. Take one section and twist it to the left part way down the section. Take the other part (on the same side!) and twist it to the RIGHT part way down. I say part way down, because as you continue to work, they will get twisted even more. Now take your two sections and start twisting them together (remember, this is all on ONE side.) As you start twisting the two sections together, you will need to keep twirling your finger around them in oposite directions. By twirling your fingers, you will continue the twist all the way down the rest of your hair. So, I end up doing it like this. Twist my fingers outward, then when you have made one twist around, you will have to twist your fingers inward to continue the twist. Sorry, don't know why this went sideways..

  Once you have twisted all the way down, you can secure the ends with a small band (don't worry, the twist will stay if you have done it correctly.. if I have explained it well enough!)
  Repeat on the other side so you have two twists total. It will look like this.

Now you will start putting it into a bun. You don't want to twist your hair like you normally would when doing a bun. Just wrap it. You want to do it one on top of the other. Like this:

Continue wrapping until you come to the ends. Tuck those under and secure them with a few bobby pins, or clips. If regular bobby pins don't work on your hair -either because it is too thick, or just because- I highly recommend some pins like these:

Or, you can just use clips like this:

Tada! Here is the finished hair style:

Well, the twist was a little loose... ;-) =D

This style works with hair up to shoulder length, maybe slightly shorter. All you need to do is use 3 twists instead of 2. This will make your bun a little nicer. Here are some pictures of my cousin. She has about shoulder length hair. I did 3 twists, and then used a few clips to secure.

Hope this tutorial was helpful! I am sorry if I didn't explain things very well.  If this was helpful/understandable, please comment and let me know!!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

April challenge- day 5

Hello young ladies!

Here is day five of the Feelin' Feminine challenge. I can't believe it is already day 5!!!

Today I am just wearing my work clothes.

A shorter black skirt (but below the knees!)- this is why it is my work skirt. I don't care for it that much, and since no one but family is around when we are working, I usually wear this skirt. I LOVE long skirts, but when you are walking around in piles of dust with spiders and bugs all over, it isn't a grand idea to have long flowy skirts. Spiders can crawl up into them quite easily, the lower it is to the ground.. trust me, I have had it happen before!

Orange T shirt

Blue work hoodie (today was a bit chilly!)

New Tennis shoes - ha, I am wearing shoes!! ;-) lol!

Hair- simple braided bun

I will post a hair tutorial later on today after some cleaning and I have taken a shower (pray I don't have spiders in my hair like last time... uh!)

See ya again soon!!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Day 4 of the April Challenge

Hello Everyone!

It is day four of the April challenge. Today is absolutely beautiful! The wind is hardly blowing, the sun is shining, and the earth is nice and warm. So, today I took my pictures outside. Hurray!

What I'm wearing:
Long sleeved, purple striped shirt from Walmart- I was thinking it would be another cold day, so I opted for the warm clothing. However, God suprised me with a pretty day instead. :-)

Long, blue, double knit skirt- handmade by me

No shoes- in case you haven't guessed, I prefer no shoes if I can help it. It is on rare occasions that you will find me at home with shoes on!

Hair- simple twist bun. This looks complicated, but it is very easy to do. :-) Takes only a few minutes.

Daddy and Joshua will be going to Midland, MT, to watch a bull sale. They will leave this evening. Please keep them in your prayers for a safe journey, and that they will learn some things at their destination.
  So, the rest of us (Mama, Rebecca, Caleb, and I) are staying home and will enjoy some time together. Movie watching, shopping spree, and semi late nights are on our list. However, even with the fun stuff planned, we are also working. :-)

We are "Preparing our Fields", for those of you who have seen Facing the Giants. As some of you know, we are trying to sell part of our ranch. The part we are selling is the headquarter area and a few acres around it. We wil then move to another part of the ranch, build a new house, and go on from there.

For those of you who haven't seen the movie, Facing the Giants, I will share the story.

Two men were getting ready to plant their crops for the season. Both needed rain very much, and both prayed for rain. However, only one went out and prepared his fields for the rain to come. Which one do you think had faith in God?

So, as we have kept asking God to bring a buyer for the land, we realized that we weren't preparing our fields. We had several things to do to get ready, but we weren't doing them; or at least not with motivation. So, we have decided to change that and are working as much as we can outside, when the weather allows, and inside, when the weather is nasty outside. :-)

We would appreciate your prayers on this, and we thank those who are already praying.

In Christ Alone,

Sarah

April Challenge- day 3

Ok, here is my second/third day outfit (I missed day two, sorry!).

It is a typical spring day: wind blowing a 100 miles per hour (ok, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit.. not a lot, just a little) :-) Any way, it is very cold outside, so the wood stove is burning and crackling merrily.

My outfit for today:
Tiered skirt- wonderful Christmas gift from dear Mama several years ago (yes, tiered skirts are the best for windy days, by the way.... ;-) lol) I also had to mend it this morning so it didn't have a big gaping hole in the front... Poor skirt! It has seen better days.
Light blue T shirt
Once again, no shoes
Hair- simple half up in clip from Wal-mart.

First pic I am also wearing my Edwardian Apron. I made it from a dress that I had sewn a couple years ago. It was lots of fun and "interesting" because I didn't have a pattern. I was just looking at pictures. My wonderful Grandma helped me with it, though, so I can't take all the credit! I love the apron because it covers you from the neck down to your ankles.. something I need while baking! I am afraid I am not the cleanest person when in the kitchen. :-) So, that is me making breakfast this morning.

Also thought I would post a pic of what I did to myself a couple days ago. I burnt my arm on a baking sheet! Ouch! It still hurts and it has been... 4 days, I think. It has finally scabbed over. Hopefully it will heal soon. I went to bed with a bag of ice strapped on my arm, it was hurting still. It is a much darker red and is located on the middle of my arm between my wrist and elbow. Fun... ;-) lol

Also, for my dear friends who will be totally shocked... I GOT BANGS!!!! Yes, I can invision some of you trying to pick your jaws up off of the floor. I know, Sarah who would NEVER cut her hair. Sarah who went and got it layered, has now gotten bangs. Ok, ok, stop gaping. ;-) lol I am sitting here wondering who will be the most surprised of my friends...

So, our dear friend, Caity Spencer, had gone to a hair cutting shop type deal where she learned all the proper ways of styling and cutting, etc. We had her over and got our hair done. I had a simple trim, and then had her add some wispy bangs. I am very pleased with the effect and so far haven't regretted it! :-) Don't think I will, either. Mama had a perm done, and Rebecca just had a trim.

So, here is a closer view of newly added addition. :-)

So, there you have it. I will be doing my best to get pics up every day. :-)

I would also like to ask for prayers for some friends of ours. They are out of town right now for a few reasons. I don't want to say names, so right now I am just calling them the "Faith Family". They are being so faithful right now. So, please keep them in your prayers. Thank you!
God bless!

In Christ Alone!

Sarah

April Challenge

Hello friends!

I found a challenge on another blog and thought I would join in. The challenge is "Self Control". This young lady does monthly challenges and asks readers to join in on the "fun". ;-) I decided to join this month and see how it goes. For this first week, it is a modesty challenge. Wear modest skirts and shirts/blouses. So, here is my first day outfit. As I already wear skirts all the time, it won't be too difficult. However, I am thinking that her other weeks might be a bit challenging. So, prayers are appreciated as I do this challenge. If you would like to join in on the fun, you can check it out HERE.

I am afraid the pictures aren't that great.. Self photos don't go so well with me... ;-) lol!

What I am wearing:
Pink short sleeve blouse -Walmart
Blue moleskin skirt- handmade by dear Mama
No shoes... ;-) =D
Hair- simple twist bun. Fun and stylish, but VERY easy to do

So, on an "Easter" note, I thought I would share some of our conversation that Mom, Becca, and I had on the way home (the boys were in another vehicle).

We had been visiting about the church service for a while when, after a slight lull in the conversation, Mom spoke up.

"Have you ever thought about the words to the song, 'Were you there?'?"

If you have never heard the song, one of the verses goes like this:

"Where you there when they Crucified my Lord? Were you there when they Crucified my Lord? 'Cause sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they Crucified my Lord?"

Although I have sung and heard if several times, I have never really thought about the words. It was an interesting thought. What was the song writers's point that he/she was trying to get across? When Becca and I didn't answer, Mom filled us in.

"We were there. When He was dying on the cross, we were there. He was dying for us, for our sins. We were on His mind as He selflessly gave up His life for us."

I have to say, that is a most intriquing thought. I had never thought of it like that, but I am so glad she did. Now, any time I sing that song, I will know what it means -or, at least what it means to me.

I hope we can all continue to praise the Lord everyday for His death and ressurection instead of just on Easter.

God bless!

In Christ alone!

Sarah

Back home!

Our dear little buddy is home! He came home on Wednesday. He seems to be doing really well, but still has to take a few medications to get rid of anything left in his sinuses. Thank you so much for all your prayers! They were very much appreciated.

God bless!

Sarah