Home Canning

Scotty and I picked up 1/2 a bushel of apples at Moelker's Farm a couple weeks back (for only $7.50!! A much better deal than the 1/2 bushel for $35 at the tourist trap Apple Holler in WI that we enjoyed last year.) :-) We couldn't eat through our apples fast enough, so I made up a batch of Apple Butter (that we had also made last year). I then canned for the first time! I was so nervous that I was going to break a jar and there was going to be broken glass and boiling water all over my kitchen...but all 15 jars came out sealed and in tact - woohoo! :-)

Winter Wonderland

What we woke up to this morning was nothing like the first snow I was telling you all about a week ago...

Californian at heart

Micah got this shirt in some hand-me-downs that I got and I think it's absolutely adorable. I especially like it because it resembles the California license plate. Yes, though I really enjoy living in MI, I will always be a Cali girl at heart. :-)

Grand Rapids Children's Museum

Today Micah and I headed to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum with his friend and nanny Miss Liz. Boy was it fun!! It reminded me of my younger years when I used to love going to the La Habra Children's Museum in CA.

Grand Rapids Children's Museum

Clarificatoin: God is good, regardless of my house.

I recently wrote a post on the first week in our house. I later wrote a post about a passage I had read in John during my study at BSF. I wanted to clarify that God is so very, very good, whether or not He gave me a house or healed a lame man in Bible times.

I just wanted to be clear in saying that I do not want to "elevate gifts above Giver" - I thank God for my house, but I am so much more thankful that He has gifted me with eternal life with Him through faith in His Son! Just knowing God is so much better than anything on earth!! And, if some day I lose my home, God is still God and so very good.

Psalm 73: 25-26, 28
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

These thoughts on my previous two posts were stirred up within me as I watched this clip on the "health and wealth" gospel, and I wanted to be sure to let you all know that I don't advocate it, and it is definitely no gospel at all. In other words, belief in God is not some magic potion in which I will now receive a plethora of material blessings on earth - that's not gospel. Though I do thank Him for anything He allows to place in my life (like my new house). :-)



Note: The little girl part appeared to me to be like a morbid random example, but it was actually something that happened, as said in this version:

Wrapping Paper

During my many days of bargain shopping at garage sales earlier this year, I stumbled across two boxes full of half-used spools of wrapping paper, for I think it was $.05-$.25 each. As I shuffled through them all, the lady in charge of the garage sale piped up and said, "You can have all of them for a dollar." I jumped on the opportunity and made the purchase.

Those two boxes of wrapping paper sat in my in-laws garage for months before we moved into our house, and Scott would tease me about them. Yet I still knew this garage sale find would have a moment of greatness. We moved into our house in October, and those two boxes found their way into a corner in our basement, hardly visible to anyone who may find their way down there.

Then on one crisp November afternoon I arrived home from the mall after some Christmas shopping and thought it was time to pay the ole wrapping paper boxes a visit. What I discovered was such a variety of papers (70+!!), that I could successfully wrap gifts for each of my family members with a different kind. The photograph shows the papers I chose for my sisters' packages, fitting each personality perfectly...

I think birthdays and Christmas are going to be fun this year with all the wrapping choices I have!!

"I got it!"

As you can see, our refrigerator is super old school, but it's still kicking. Our fridge, along with 18" dishwasher, range top and built in oven all share a common bond - the beautiful "harvest gold" color of the...70's? Yes, and except for the dishwasher and a burner on the range-top, they are all still in working order.

On occasion these appliances make noise - especially our fridge. Scott has discovered that older things are more mechanical and less electric, and with a simple kick you might just fix the thing. So, whenever the noise of the fridge is infringing upon conversation during mealtime, Scott may be found getting up, going over to the beast and just kicking it...or nudging it...or shaking it.

Anyhoo, tonight Micah and I were in the dining room coloring and the fridge, as usual, started making some loud vibrating noise. I kept coloring, but Micah had another idea. Without a word, he stood up, walked over to the fridge, braced himself against the big gold monster and started kicking it. In a moment the fridge stopped making it's noise, and Micah (thinking it was he who silenced it) said, "I got it!"