Blankets for Orphans

A Guatemala con Amor

A Guatemala con Amor means "To Guatemala with Love"

There are 370,000 children in Guatemala who are orphaned. Many of these children are living in orphanages and have nothing to call their own. Our mission is to give them a handknit doll to hug or a handknit blanket to cuddle when they need comfort.

If you know how to knit you can help.

We are collecting:
· Rainbow babies, here is the link to the pattern to knit these cute cuddly babies http://www.jeangreenhowe.com/Images/Rainbow_Babies.pdf
· Knitted blankets of any size
· Knitted 12 X 12 Squares


Please use washable yarn in bright cheerful colors.
If you are making a blanket please put a heart somewhere on it. The heart can be any size or color and placed anywhere on the blanket. You could either knit it into the pattern or stitch it on.

Because there are children of all sizes we need blankets of many sizes. Older children benefit from a handmade "blankey" as much as newborns.
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I don't knit or crochet (insert gasp and finger pointing head shake here!). My Grandmothers were both great with any craft needle but I just never learned. Fortunately my 19yo is great with a crochet needle and I plan to start my 9yo daughter this fall. In the meantime, this "old dog who has a hard time learning new tricks" is going to put her sewing machine to use. With scraps cut from old clothes that a local Goodwill-type store usually throws out, there are several of us who will make quilts that can be sold to help pay shipping for these "babies" and/or mailed along with them. If you don't knit, crochet or sew, maybe you can have a yard sale to raise money for orphans, make cards and letters to encourage them, send toiletry items that you get on sale, etc. Where there is a will, there's a way....to help orphans!

From my garden to yours...

Those of you who know me know exactly what I've been up to lately. Up to my ears in cucumbers, squash, plums, blackberries...... and loving it! Last week was plum jam, this week is blueberry preserves and sweet pickles, next week will be blackberry preserves, dill pickles and purple-hull peas (my favorite!).

A friend asked me to repeat some of my gardening thoughts that I had on my old blog. One reason I love gardening (vegetable and flower) is that it is such a sweet time with the Lord. Here are some reasons why:
- No matter how much attention I give to certain plants they just seem to resist wanting to bear fruit/flower. Reminds me of my own heart....
- Many weeds look pretty but soon take over and seed out new weeds and so they become a real nuisance. Reminds me of my own sins.....
- I can now recognize some weeds and flowers that I didn't know before. The Master Gardener knows a weed from a flower or fruit even from its seed....
- It takes a lot of sweat and toil to pull weeds. Do I really work at getting rid of old habits and sins?.....
-The vegetables are sweeter when you have toiled over them yourself. ...........

Weddings and Widows

Amidst the daily life of gardening, cleaning house, reading to my children, laughing, and everyday things, there are tucked those special times to stop and celebrate life. Monday night my daughter's former college roommate had a Wedding Shower. Like most, it had lots of good friends, good food, good presents. But it was even more special to me because I got to see several old friends that I hadn't seen in some time, including a wonderful friend who was recently widowed. Her life is such a witness to everyone around her, even during troubles and pain. Her dear husband loved the Lord dearly and had spent his life teaching preachers from his brilliant mind and humble heart, and had touched many, many lives, especially during his long battle with cancer. My friend's smile is amazing and her peace in the Lord is visible to everyone. She has always had a love, knowledge and skill with flowers and as she shared a very special bouquet (tussie-mussie) with the bride-to-be, she shared the meaning of each flower and vine included, each one as a reminder of what true marriage with the Lord as head of the family actually looks like. Some that I remember are ivy - eternal, friendship; dianthis - steady; rose- passion; daisy - innocence; oak - faithfulness, fidelity; rosemary - spice of life; dusty miller - work; and many more that I do not remember. It was a beautiful bouquet and a wonderful reminder of the fact that true marriage is between 2 people and one Awesome and Faithful God who can create and mend anything! This dear woman of God shared all this in a very loving and fun way when it has been only a matter of weeks since she lost the love of her life. What a wonderful testimony to all of us! Thanks, Cindy - what a privilege to know you and love you as a sister in Christ!

Missionary Monday

1 - Praise with Audrey about what is happening in her part of Japan!!
2 - Pray for safety for Jenna who will be traveling home in a few days to see her family and her marine brother who has been stationed overseas.
3 - Envy me because I got a good dose of baby hugs yesterday from the Mestas' "twinettes" (called that to distinguish them from their twin brothers!)
4 - Pray for two families who are moving this week who both have special needs children and will have many challenges as they seek to do God's work in new places.
5 - Pray for 3 Godly men in 3 different companies who are the only Christians and whose coworkers are watching them closely during layoffs and stressful times to see if they 'practice what they preach".
GOD is Good!!

Father's Day

When I was younger these "days" didn't mean much to me. Yes, I made a little card and/or gift for my Dad and as I got older I bought him something but I don't think I ever properly thanked him for being a great Daddy. Not perfect, but he did not only better than his parents but in some ways better than I have been. So on this Father's Day I rejoice that I had a Christian Father. That I had a wonderful Christian Father-in-law as well and that my hubby is a fantastic father who loves and prays for his children with his whole heart. He might not always say it but they would be pretty blind not to see it. And most of all I am thankful for the best Father of all - our Heavenly Father. I am in awe every day that HE would be willing to call this sinful, disobedient, willful child His own. I thank Him for giving me men in my life and my children's lives who love all of us, and who love or have loved their Heavenly Father. Happy Father's Day!!

Summertime "school"

A friend asked me about what we do for "school" in the summer. First of all, we stick to a traditional (Aug - May) schedule for the textbooks but since I firmly believe that a lot of learning (maybe most for some children?) is outside the textbooks, I hesitate to put us in that box. Since we have a vegetable garden, small fruit orchard (btw, we got our first blueberries off yesterday morning - yippee!!), and prepping the remaining 15 acres for pecans, we spend lots of time year-round on the farm, but especially in the summer. It is also a time where I purposely read (or re-read) books to try to help me grow spiritually and as a primary teacher to them. Late spring I make out a list (yes, a list!!) of habits that I want to work on with them through the summer. I just started that last year and it worked great. Little things like making sure they are flossing correctly, making their beds and not just throwing on the covers, learning to tie a shoelace, how to properly load/unload the dishwasher, getting better at swimming and diving, learning to do a handstand under the water, etc. That way those with which I work with them consistently are hopefully habits by the time we get back into school mode this fall. Worked well last summer, we will see about this year!

For those who asked earlier, I now have cucumbers, squash and tomatoes coming in from the garden. Fresh basil and parsley are getting clipped from my potted plants and we have eaten plums and blueberries from the orchard. Not enough from ours to can yet, but we picked plums at an Aunt's house last week and made 12 pints of jam so we are definitely into the canning mode already! Ya'll come on down and get some veggies soon!

(copyright notice - painting by Robert Duncan)

Mudcats

Yesterday my hubby took off from work and we raked and picked up rocks in a small area directly behind the house. We used hand rakes and tried to get up all the rocks in the area we will have as our "official backyard" and will just rake up the rocks with the tractor rake on the rest of the 14+ acres left. After doing that all day, we showered, ate a quick southwest chicken salad for supper and went to see the Mudcats play (compliments of a coworker who has season tickets - thank you!!). Great time, great game, with the Mudcats behind until the 4th, then tying the game and finally winning it with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th - fun stuff!!

Cardboard Testimonies

"Deesijons"

In case your 2yo never said this, "deesijons" is their way of saying "decisions". We also like to say "yummy, yummy dippin sauce" (aka ketchup), "schlock-let" (chocolate) and "purkle" (purple). Somehow it helps keep memories of younger days alive by using words like they did at that "mind ahead of tongue" stage. Now that I no longer have one that young anymore (insert great big sigh here) I think on all those funny, new, fresh ways of looking at things and saying things and forget about the temper tantrums, potty training and other not so great things.

Anyway, that's the side issue - the real reason for this post is to ask you what "deesijons" for next fall you might be considering. I am praying about and talking with several Moms about what to participate in and what not to. My friend Beth has a great way to look at things - write out not only "I Do" lists but also "I Don't Do" lists. This helps me to recognize that some things that I used to do may need to be laid aside for a season; some things I want to do may not get done; some things that I've never done may need to be picked up now; and some things just aren't worth going on the list at all (usually things I try to justify for my "personal enjoyment"!) I'm really bad to over commit and this idea has helped me a lot. Before I say "yes" to anything, including things I am already doing, I need to seriously consider what I will not do (at least for now). For now I am praying about and working on my lists (you know how I love lists!!!)
and will share them with you sometime in the future. But until I finish my "deesijons" I'm gonna go take a break and eat some "shock-let"!!

We love having "company"!!

We were blessed last Friday night to have Megan and her family over and we all thoroughly enjoyed it! Gran's friend was here, and Russ and Katy came and stayed a while, too, so we ate up some grilled chicken, slaw, and some of the best potato salad and strawberry salad that Megan brought (I want recipes!!). Saturday evening we had a relative over for a while in the afternoon and enjoyed sitting and chatting on the back porch, swinging in time to the breeze and watching two hummingbirds flitter just a few feet away from us on the other side of the screened porch. Sunday brought a few minutes to share with an old friend at church who was in town for the day and then Matt and his best friends came over for a spaghetti dinner (hope it wasn't too spicy for Baby B, Lindsey!) with my niece, sister-in-law and MIL joining us for part of the time. Lindsey started my girls on some new crafts!! On Monday Russ, Katy and Joy visited after coming this way for a hair appointment and spent the afternoon with us, playing some video games, "Apples to Apples" and the girls making a few more crafts they had started on Sunday night with Lindsey. All in all we had a terrific weekend and now my children are asking who is coming this weekend to play!

Saturday some of us will be going to our home school graduation ceremony and then on to various celebrations with some of the seniors and then Sunday we hope to have a repeat of last weekend with some other friends/family here. In the meantime, I am emailing a couple of friends "up north" talking about when we can get together for a "chicken pickin' " (hint, hint Lea & Shelley!!). Maybe they will be our visitors the following weekend!

I love the extra time we have in the summer to get together with friends and family. I think somehow I need to make that extra time year-round, too! Nothing as good in life as time spent with those you love. Do I hear an "Amen"??

Pecan Orchard Tour

Tonight hubby and I went on a "Twilight Orchard Tour" put on by NC Pecan Growers Association. What a great time we had, starting with the good food and fellowship at Lakeview Pecan Orchard and then lots of wonderful information shared by 3 different Co-Op extension agents and several long-time growers. We learned lots, confirmed lots and enjoyed it a great deal. Mr. Bill Bunn of Lake View Pecans has been such a tremendous help and source of great information for us as we make decisions that we feel we can never repay him for his time and trouble. We are really excited about getting some trees in the ground this winter!!

Missionary Monday

Quote

"I'd like to be the ideal mother,
but I'm too busy raising my kids." -Unknown
(probably too busy to sign her name!)