A Lovely Hopechest
April 29, 2008
Several years ago, my parents had been thinking about getting Bre and I a hopechest each, but they weren’t sure how it would all turn out. About four years ago, we went down to visit our grandparents and to pick up a dining room furniture set. While we were there, Grandpa Phil took Bre into one of the rooms, with the rest of us following behind. He showed her a hopechest, and said, “For your fourteenth birthday, this is going to be yours.” She was overjoyed.
I have to admit that I felt left out, but the next day, Grandpa Phil took me into another room and showed me a smaller, yet more dainty hopechest and said that it would be mine for my fourteenth birthday. I was shocked. Here I’d been feeling sorry for myself, when I was going to receive one too!
About a couple years later, on one of their trips up here, they brought Breezy’s hopechest with them. She had turned fourteen just a few months before, so it was right on time. Her hopechest was Phil’s Cousin’s hopechest and was about fifty years old. It is a very nice size, with lots of room inside. When he presented it to her, he also gave her a photo of his cousin, along with the history of the chest.
Just a few days ago, my long awaited gift (quite a ways after my fourteenth birthday) arrived. It is absolutely lovely! On April 22, 2008 I received my hopechest – wrapped in pink plastic. Breezy’s was also wrapped this way. It looks quite comical like this, but what really matters is underneath.
Below is a photo of the hopechest with the lid open. The hopechest was originally bought in 1926 for Phil’s mother – it was purchased and given to her by his father, three years before they were married.
When I first opened it, a strong scent of cedar filled the air around me. Before it came up here it held Grandpa Phil’s baby shoes, as well as an Indian headdress. He has a picture of himself as a little boy wearing the headdress.
We got it upstairs into my room, right before he left, and set it up. It looks wonderful. I have it sitting at the foot of my bed.
Inside this precious chest, I will keep items for my future. It will contain blankets for wee ones, kitchen tools for cooking, and little things that make the home a happy place to be. I had kept all of the items that will go into my hope chest in a square sewing box.
In a few days I’ll post more pictures of the inside and it’s contents, as well as a list of what I have collected so far, and what I hope to collect in the future.
Over the years, I will continue to add things to it, and one day, I will be able to use them in my own home with my family.
Blessings,
The Drawing Blog
April 28, 2008
It is an honor for me to be able to introduce
a blog run by my older sister, Breezy.
This blog has been in the works for quite a while, and now it’s finally happened.
So, head on over there, leave a comment, add it to your friends, and start drawing!
my homemade bag
April 26, 2008
Several days ago, I posted a close-up photo of the bag I recently made. Since I made up the pattern, there were a few hoops to go through to figure out some little details. It took me three days to make it – and they were quite busy days. The part that took the longest was quilting it together. Here are pictures of the mostly finished project. I still have to complete the quilting around the edges, hopefully I’ll be able to do that soon.
This is of the bag, excluding the handles. I sewed five strips of material together, trying to keep the colors looking vintage. The white with red flower yoyos are made out of the same material as the inside.
Here is a peak of what the underside of the flap looks like, as well as the interior.
Before I quilted the outside and the inside together (with padding in between) I created a little pocket for the inside. I sewed two pieces of the interior material together (with the edges tucked in) and then sewed it down to the inside. The pocket is 8″ x 5.5″.
This is a close up of the edging and side. Both sides and the handle are all one piece, with a width of three inches.
Overall the bag was a joy to make, and I am very happy with the outcome. It’s also nice to know that it’s pleasing to the eye, I’ve had several complements about it. I originally made it for the homeschool convention, and I got it done just in time. If it would have taken a couple hours longer – it wouldn’t have made it to the convention.
I hope you were inspired to work on a project of your own!
IAHE Convention
April 25, 2008
On the 18th & 19th of this month, my family attended the Indiana Association of Home Educators (IAHE) Convention. We arrived around 8:10am (they opened the doors at 8am). That was the earliest we’ve ever been there before (we go every year), and it wasn’t crowded yet so it was quite peaceful.
At the convention, there are two general sessions on each day. One is in the morning and the other in the afternoon or evening. The general session is the time where all (well, most) of the convention attendees come together and listen to one of the main speakers. Below is a list and summary of the sessions I went to.
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Friday, April 18th
- AM GENERAL SESSION
The History of Homeschoolers’ Struggle to be Free
Presented by Mike Smith, President of HSLDA
In this session, Mike Smith told stories of past homeschoolers when it was illegal to homeschool in America. He also explained some of the struggles that many went through to make homeschooling legal.
- WORKSHOP I
Why Students Walk Away from Their Faith
Presented by John Stonestreet, Executive Director of Summit Ministries
When you don’t believe in truth, you can believe in anything. Many students once they hit the college years are walking away from the faith. John Stonestreet gave several reasons why this is happening. Students don’t know who to trust, how to think, who they are, and don’t “get” Christianity. What needs to be done? Parents need to teach their children how to see the world from a Biblical world view.
- PM GENERAL SESSION
Revival in America: Building a Godly Legacy for Generations
Presented by Norm Wakefield, Founder of The Spirit of Elijah Ministries
In this session, Norm Wakefield talked about America and how greatly it needs a revival. We cannot build a godly legacy for generations without a personal revival, so he gave several points on the mindset of personal revival. We must have a humble heart and follow God and His way. Our children need to see God’s strength in us at all times. Have faith in God. God will not disappoint you.
- WORKSHOP II (we decided to shop in the vendor hall – so we didn’t go to any of the workshops)
- WORKSHOP III
Living Happily Ever After . . . A Modern Day Love Story
Presented by Woody & Gina Robertson
This newlywed couple, shared about their courtship and what God did in their lives to prepare for it. Lordship is what they call courtship, because they kept the Lord and His will as the focus of their lives. In their single years they sought God and His will for their lives. A couple of questions that they asked themselves was “Who is God wanting me to serve?” and “What’s my message?”
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Saturday, April 19th
- AM GENERAL SESSION
Anchored in Christ: Building a Firm Foundation for Generations
Presented by Norm Wakefield, Founder of The Spirit of Elijah Ministries
Norm Wakefield spoke about our goals and what our ultimate goals should be. We must live and teach the Gospel with power, and prepare our children for life and eternity. Our problem is that we drift and we need to watch out for our unbelief. When we find that we’ve had unbelieving thoughts and actions, we need to repent of it and go to God and ask forgiveness, give Him the glory, say and believe that it all belongs to Him, and thank Him. Give thanks to God! Display Christ – it will draw others to Him!
- WORKSHOP I
The Brave New World of Biotechnology
Presented by John Stonestreet, Executive Director of Summit Ministries
Biotechnology : : the industrial use of living organisms, or the application of technique of living organisms. Bioethics : : right conduct in the area of biotechnology. You can defend your faith in anything and in any topic. Our moral questioning doesn’t seem to be around when it comes to biotechnology – God’s Word is authority! John Stonestreet spoke on all the different things that are going on in biotechnology (I will leave them unmentioned), and shared about the challenges that we have as Christians. Biotechnology is being done in the context of a false (and dangerous) cultural world view. Only the church has hope and we need to go to our Biblical foundations and send strong Christians to the “mission field” of biotechnology.
- WORKSHOP II
Training Young Ladies to be Bright Lights for the Lord
Presented by Tomorrow’s Forefathers
In this session, four young ladies spoke to parents about how they can train their daughters to be Bright Lights for the Lord. Some of the points were to give training in godliness, lay a solid foundation of Scripture, see the need for continual protection, give a vision for the future, and being committed to prayer. They shared a little about the Bright Lights groups that were started by Sarah Mally. Bright Lights was set up for girls to pursue godliness, to have positive peer-pressure, and to minister to others. Grace, Sarah’s younger sister, was one of the young ladies who spoke during this session.
- WORKSHOP III (we decided to shop in the vendor hall – so we didn’t go to any of the workshops)
- PM GENERAL SESSION
The Greatest Threat Homeschool Movement Freedoms – The Future of Homeschooling
Presented by Mike Smith, President of HSLDA
There are people out there who do not think that parents are qualified or capable of teaching their own children. Statistics show that the parents’ education had no effect on their children’s test scores. Some people think that the government should have full responsibility of educating our children. We can’t take for granted the freedoms that we have to home educate our children. We have to continue to fight for these rights, otherwise they will be taken from us.
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This year the Home School Legal Defense Association is celebrating their 25 years of service to the homeschooling community. In honor of that, they held a little reception, and Mike Smith spoke about what they’ve done over the years, and what they are planning on doing in the future. During this talk, Breezy drew Mr. Smith, so afterwards she went up with daddy to meet him to get his signature by the drawing. Of course, Mom and I followed. We had a nice chat with him, he’s a very sweet, down-to-earth, grandfatherly figure.
This conference is about being encouraged in the Lord and in our homeschooling journey – and it truly was!
sewing
April 17, 2008
On Monday I bought the material. It was then washed and dried. On Tuesday I cut and began sewing it together. On Wednesday I sewed and sewed. Today, I finished it for the most part. Here’s a close up of the bag.
More coming next week!
Blessings,
5′ and 4′3″
April 12, 2008
Yesterday, Mom was sorting through some old boxes. She left out a box for Bre and I to go through, it included several pieces of artwork, pictures, hand written stories, spellings words, etc.
When I came across this picture I just started laughing. I thought I would share it with y’all. Please keep in mind that Bre and I are 22 months apart. Below is the picture of Bre and I standing side by side. Bre was almost 11 and I was 9 (it was taken around Christmas time 2001), she was 5′ and I was 4′3″. It looks so funny! She’s not quite as much taller than me now.
The Most Delicious Waffles!
April 5, 2008
This recipe is a special one indeed! There really isn’t a story behind it, nor are there special memories about it. I guess it should just be called a down-right fine recipe. These waffles are the best I’ve ever had, and they’re definitely worth the time and effort it takes to make them. I believe this recipe is the first one I used for waffles.
In 2004 (I was twelve) I asked for and received a waffle maker for Christmas from my parents. I used this recipe, and it took quite a while to make, and was a bit stressful putting it all together and getting it just right. But when the smell filled our home, it was breath-taking. Since then I’ve made them several times, they’re just delicious.
This last time I made them, I was in the kitchen alone, and could take my time, so it was a very relaxed atmosphere. The sink was full of hot soapy water so that I could wash the dishes as I got them dirty – that helped a lot. And when I put the batter in the waffle maker, the smell came soaring up at me – oh, so delightful! It had been far too long since I had made them.
With these waffles, I don’t put anything on them, no butter, syrup, powdered sugar, fruit – nothing. They are just right the way they are. So, I’m going to share the recipe with you so you too can enjoy these scrumptiously wonderful waffles!
True Belgian Waffles
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup butter (no substitutes), melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. In another bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Add milk, butter and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown.
Above is a photo of the last batch I made. Sadly, my waffle iron is dying, and not cooking evenly. Thankfully they cooked fine, but they burned extra in the middle, and were still light on the edges. Oh, and we don’t have a Belgian waffle maker, but I hope to get one sometime, they just seem to taste better – maybe just because they’re cuter.
I encourage you to try this recipe out, and don’t forget to let me know what you think.
Blessings!
Tid-Bits and Prayer Request
April 1, 2008
Last night it rained quite a bit, and we woke this morning to green grass. Oh, it’s just down-right refreshing! I never realized how much I enjoy grass – especially when it’s green. Today has been rather cloudy. But one day it will be warm and the sun will shine! I love being around people, and the past couple weeks have been quite busy with “people gatherings.”
Mom and I have created a blog all about homeschooling in Indiana. Mom sends out an email for the hoemschoolers in our area, and sometimes the links and such can be quite overwhelming. So in setting up this site, we have lots of links on the sidebars. We decided to name it “Right Here In Indiana” after much thought and many suggestions. We didn’t get too creative with the title, but it’s kinda cute. We will post different articles about homeschooling, and now and then have a guest writer. We’ve been working on it for a couple weeks now, and we’ve finally got it all set up. The template has been quite a bit of fun designing. We are keeping the graphics at a minimum, so that viewers with dial-up won’t have any trouble in loading the page. We’d like to know what you think, and maybe even a few suggestions on different post topics or links that should be on the sidebar. You can visit the new blog here.
What do you think of my new signature? I had quite a bit of fun designing it. First I wrote my name on a piece of paper, scanned the paper, and then put that image in Adobe Illustrator, and drew it. Then I changed the color, drug it over to Adobe Photoshop, and saved it as a png, deleting the white background. They’re quite fun to design.
My uncle Chris is in need of your prayers. On Easter he noticed that his leg was beginning to swell around his knee. He went to the doctor last Tuesday and the doctor wanted him to go to the hospital, but Chris convinced him to just prescribe him some medication. The swelling went down just a tad, he went to his second appointment, and the doctor told him that he needed to be admitted into the hospital. Since Thursday Chris has been in the hospital. The swelling in his leg grew to about 2 times larger than normal, and spread into his upper thigh. They did surgery on his leg on Saturday to see if there was a foreign object causing the problem, but all that was found was a lot of infection. They want to perform another surgery on his leg tomorrow. Please pray that God would give the doctors wisdom, and that He would heal Chris’s leg. Maggie will probably continue to update you all on about Chris. Thank you so much for the prayers!
Blessings!
While living the life my Lord has blessed me with, I am at home with my family enjoying being a daughter, homemaker and artist. My highest goal is to give glory to God and enjoy Him forever. It is He that has saved me with His amazing grace and is continually molding me; to Him I owe everything. Read more . . .
