It's winter somewhere!!

Even though the thermometer says 80 degrees, sometimes it's nice to cook up one of those delicious wintery meals. The kind where the fire is warm and bright, outside it's cold and windy. The guys come in from doing the chores and smell that savory and spicy flavour of chili and cornbread...Mmmm :)

My Dad and brothers especially love chili and cornbread. So I made some for us this evening. It's been raining and very breezy so I've been a little chilly! I'm glad I brought that hoodie! Somehow the others missed the"it's chilly let's eat chili" memo, so I was the only one who did that, they just ate chili!! ;)

Want to make your cornbread lovin' family love you more? Cook it in an iron skillet! Just mix up the batter up normal, melt a good little pat of grease (bacon grease is a-mazing!) in a skillet and heat. Pour in batter and let cook a couple minutes. Bake in regular oven until done! So easy, so yummy! The edges are so crisp and delicious!

Happy winter night! Cook up something yummy for your family, tell them you love them and count your blessings! :)

Happy Birthday, Silas!

Today was my youngest brother, Silas' tenth birthday! I personally find it hard to believe that he is 10 years old!! But he is and he's such a blessing to my life.

We go way back, Silas and I....I love being his sister...and he's a great little guy!

So we had birthday pancakes for breakfast, all the boys were very happy! Haha...they are so funny! Give them pancakes and you're friends forever!! ;) I love 'em! The treat I made him for lunch was limeade- We have a lime tree in our yard and he goes down there almost every single day to check on them and he has been wanting me to make some lemonade with limes as he calls it! So for a treat on his birthday, of course I did! :)

We always have such fun birthday suppers! I love the way our family can have so much good fun together. I'll always treasure these times! I made Silas a pineapple cake with fresh pineapple cream cheese icing....I'm loving (Silas is too) having these lovely fresh, ripe, juicy pineapples!

Anna and I found some trick candles at a little shop by our house....

<-it started out so lovely! He blew the candles out with one breath....

buuuut.......wait!!---> Something isn't right!!

His face is just precious!! He loved them!

Hurrah for birthdays! I just love them! :)

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What a great way to start the month of December!!

25 November 2010

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving holiday. As I spent that day here in Trinidad with my family I got to really thinking about how much I am blessed. And how far from an accountability of blessings people are becoming. I felt myself feeling ill when I read the phrase "gobble till you wobble". So I looked up the definition and then I explored some of Paul's "Thanksgivings". Read them, let them sink in-

thanks·giv·ing

–noun

1. the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, esp. to god.

2. an expression of thanks, esp. to God.

\ˈthaŋk-fəl\

1: conscious of benefit received.

First, I think my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. Romans 1:8

Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:24-25a

I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus; that in everything ye were enriched in him, in all utterance and all knowledge. I Corinthians 1:4-5

I thank him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to his service. I Timothy 1:12

I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers. Philemon 4

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20&21

Of what are you truly thankful?

“Home is the most popular, and will be the most enduring of all earthly establishments”

Before we moved to Trinidad, I had moved twice before in my life: both times before I was the age five! The first time we moved all I really remember was getting an eye infection from flying sawdust (we built that house). And the second time we moved I was five and I was learning to ride my bike! So...all the nostalgia to say, this move I shall recall with clarity! It has been such a new experience for me to settle into a new (to us) house. It’s really quite neat, finding new homes for things, new decorations, making it look all homey...but it’s also a bit of a challenge- people adjusting, finding their niche...:) So the our place is still a little rough in places but you can still get an idea.

The sign post for our street is kinda bent over. A little typical for here!

Here's the front of our house! The main living area is on the top level and the ground level can be used to park cars, and for storage.

Inside the gate and up the steps....

On the left is the living room-complete with several musical instruments! It just wouldn't be us without them!

The picture on the right is the dining room which also serves as the school room too! :)

Here's the kitchen...it's really nice! Lots of room for us to work together.

Our back porch is as long as the whole house- on one end we have the laundry area and freezer and the other end we are making a little sitting area, with that really lovely looking bench and plants. :)

This is the view out our back porch. That white looking building area is the market...and I know I'll post more about that later!

I like our place. It has lots of potential and I’m looking forward to some sewing projects and more decoration projects. I’ll be sure and post as I go....

Have a beautiful day!

One week!

I've been trying to compose this blog for about a month and it's still not completely there!

But! Here you go!

You know those times in your life when you look down and realize that the world has spun around several times with you hardly knowing it? Well, that's kinda how I feel! My family (and that includes me!) has moved to the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. We arrived here safely and with relative ease, last Tuesday evening. One week ago. These past few days we've been resting up, going through the house, cleaning, going through stuff and unpacking. Our house is really quite nice- very adequate for our needs and with room to spare! So that opens several exciting options!

Things are going very well, all things considering! We have food, we have clothing, we have mosquito netting which at this point is at the top of my thankful list! So what can I say? I'm very blessed to be here with my family. This life is always an adventure, and right now for me, it's in Trinidad. I hope you all have a great week! More to come! And maybe even some pictures, if I can find my camera! :D

I just love autumn!!

Autumn, the fall of the year....there is just something almost magic in the air! It's just so beautiful! I am so thankful I can see it one last time, in all its glory, before we're gone for three years. :)

And now I shall make one of my lists!

If one thing says fall, it's:

-Arkansas Black apples- so crisp and firm and delicious!

-Cinnamon Spice candles

-Leaves that crunch underfoot

-Fresh fires in the fireplace

-Cozy hoodies

-Walks in all the colors of fall, including rosy cheeks and bright eyes!

-The peaceful sounds of raindrops on the fallen leaves in the yard.

Happy November everyone! I hope you can get out and enjoy God's marvelous creation this season! :)

P.S. What are your favorites?!

Perspective

A dandelion looked scornfully down

at a small green blade of grass.

"I'm glad I'm tall and beautiful", said she.

And she lifted her sunny face to the sky and saw a tall pine tree.

(I found this picture online)