Happy Birthday!!

About a week ago, we celebrate yet another birthday in our house--our mother's! Dad took the day off and surprised her, and then Grandpa and Grandma came later to join in the festivities.

May God bless you with many more birthdays!

A Day Without Chocolate...

...Is a Day Without
Sunshine.

But this was not just any birthday--this was a gluten-free birthday. And everyone know what kind of challenges this poses to the Proper Celebrations and Festivities of Birthday. It makes a cake nearly impossible, at least one that can be consumed by the masses, because some of us are downright picky. Most notably, Yours Truly.

Most of the time, conversations at our house go something like this:
Miss GF: Oh, you should try this! It almost tastes like real _! (fill in the blank; cake, bread, etc.) Moi: (With a smile that might be a grimace) You're right! Almost!
And, you make a run for some water to wash that fine, gritty layer of rice flour from your mouth.

Therefore, we compromise, with a flourless cake. Please don't ask for the science of it, but it works. Does it EVER work. It is wonderful delightful chocolate-y-ness. It is richness. It is...amazing. And no, you may not have the recipe. You'll have to come visit. :)

And as we all know, if you want 'em to turn out right...

You've got to start them young!

Lijah's 12!

Actually, by now, he's almost 13. But not really, that just seems like it was a VEERRYY LLOOONNNGG time ago. Better late than never though, right?! :) Lijah is entering the "big kid" stage and is a huge help with everything. We pray that as he grows taller, his heart will grow even more tender towards the Lord and he will draw closer to his Savior.

A New Adventure!

And here is one of the very good reasons that we haven't posted--at least, we think it's a very good reason. It is a little cottage business we started this spring, and getting anything like this off the ground is quite a project! We've had a table at the Greeley Farmer's Market every Saturday this summer, and hopefully will have a website up very, very soon. We'll let you know when that happens!

David is 4!

Wow... I hadn't relized how far the pictures are behind. It's a good thing life goes on without this blog because it would be a scary thing if it didn't. :P

David is now 4 and is still as sweet as ever! He is at a very fun age when just about everything he says makes us laugh or smile (even though he is trying to be serious :). Next to some of his brothers he would be the more mellow gentle kind. He is such a treasure and loves to play with or brush his sisters hair... it's heavenly! :) Our prayer is that he will be a man after God's own heart and we're so very thankful to have him as our little buddy!

Bethy always has something to sing

I, the most delinquintest of the resident bloggers...

Hello all--yes, I exist as more than merely an administrator. But I'm not exactly in the analytical mood for book reviews so... I'll begin by explaining the title of this post.

If you haven't read "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," you should. But that isn't where the title for this post came from. It actually came from another book that Maria von Trapp wrote. The name of the book is "Maria" and is an autobiographical look at her life more individually. I'd strongly suggest that book as well. Part of the book tells of her time at the convent before she went to live with the von Trapps. She was extremely clumsy (she said so herself so that isn't an "uncharitable speech"--for those of you who have read the Anne of Green Gables books) and anytime any one of the nuns (or those not-yet-nuns--I forget their exact title) broke something, they had to stand before the entire convent and humbly say, "I, the most unworthy member of this community, have wasted common good." She had to recite this so often that she decided to add some life to the recitation. After breaking a plate, she took it and glued it back together, broke out the center of it and when it came time for her to penitently say her speech, she held the plate up, framing her face, and said"I, the most unworthy member of this community, have wasted common good."

So, that's the story behind the title for this post... but I'm not going to frame my face and make an apologetic speech the next time I see one of you. So sorry.

Anyway, the real reason for this post was to show you something of beauty... my next project. In my next life, that is. I have enough projects for this one.

One of the mothers whose children I teach is a math genius and seamstress extraordinaire (the kind who drafts her own patterns--so, if there are those of you who do that who read this, you are seamstresses extraordinaire too; either that or you belong to the "real" seamstress class sort of like a "real" musician {according to earlier time period standards} could compose, improvise, perform, etc.) who also happens to quilt. The below picture is of her first foray into the world of Bargello quilting.





That, my friends, is something I would like to create. But I'd probably go with something more along these lines as far as the color scheme goes.




So, that's my dreamy sort of project. Christmas break came to mind but I'm not promising myself that it will happen--we're just in the dreamy stage right now...

Until next year (at which time I will post next :P)!