Another finished project!

I love making things. I have been that way for a very long time, as long as I can remember. Because of my enjoyment in making things, I tend to start a lot of projects. Many of them I complete but some of them....well sometimes they get forgotten and stuffed away and left useless for quite some time.

    One particular project was a coat. I started it when I was 15 or 16 during a time that we enjoyed visiting rendezvous - an event where people would act and dress in period (the ones we went to were set in the 1800s) clothing. I had fun making costumes for the guys in my family and I to wear to them. One book I had showed a fun pattern for a cape which I helped a friend to make and then I wanted to make one too. My Mom advised that having a coat connected to it would be much more practical in our cold MN winters and so I did that.

   Well I got most of it done but then had some troubles and basically just got tired of the project. I wasn't completely liking how it was turning out and I think my interests had drifted a bit. Anyway it got set aside and I worked on other things. I did pull it out to use it a couple of times for victorian strolls (a Christmas time event) in Albia, IA when we lived near there but I used it without buttons and a make shift hem.

   But finally, as of yesterday, it is done! I still might make some improvements on it but it is fully hemmed and has buttons and buttonholes. It feels so nice to finally finish this project!  It is a unique coat (and my family is not sure that they are that fond of it -though I think Megan said it was pretty) and I am not sure that I will wear it a lot but I enjoy unique clothing from time to time and I think I will enjoy having it as an option. The length makes it pretty warm (too warm for our current weather!).

Here is the back view. I made this out of a couple of old army blankets and I tried to dye it but that didn't work to well and you can still see that there are two different shades. Any suggestions?

With the hood up. It is a pretty unique hood and I can't imagine wearing it much.

 Now I am on to work on a hammock that has been sitting around and whatever else I can pull out of my desk and closet! Do you have old projects that need finishing sitting around? Maybe I am the only pack rat that keeps unfinished projects around for 16 or so years!

This is linked to:

A soft place to land

I did the single layout as a sketch challenge then had photos left over so I did the other side. Lov'n the colours of theses papers.

Some Layouts to Share

I have finally managed to get some layouts done. These ones I did for Enchanted Scrapbookings March Cybercrop. Great challenges and some fantastic layouts in the gallery by all the girls.

A Great Weekend With Family

The weekend before last (nothing like prompt blog posts), my mother and father-in-law and my sister-in-law came for a visit. They live about 8 hours away but never seem to mind a trip down to spend time with their grandkids.





My in-laws live near Milroy Maple Syrup farm. They brought us 3 gallons of maple syrup and we only paid $36 a gallon! I'm hoping the 3 gallons lasts us a whole year. They were also nice enough to make a second stop on their way down to bring me maple cream. For those who haven't tried it before, it's spreadable maple syrup. I toast homemade bread, top it with butter, and then a light layer of maple cream. It's heaven. Let's just say I'm hiding the jar of maple cream in the fridge so no one else can find it.

After opening a gallon of syrup, it's best to keep it fresh one of two ways (though I guess there could be more ways but these are the two that I know). The first way is to can it and the second way is to freeze it. I have the freezer space so I freeze the syrup. It keeps really well this way.

I made a big breakfast of local sausage, homemade peach and strawberry applesauce, local eggs, and of course pancakes so we could enjoy the fresh syrup.

My kiddos are lucky enough to be thoroughly spoiled by their grandparents and aunt. I'm not sure how the Easter Bunny can compete with the lovely gifts they brought.

Aunt Sue made this beautiful dress for Charlotte. It even has a matching purse!

Last Saturday's weather was amazing so we took advantage of it by getting some outside chores marked off of our to do list. We got out the shade sail that we usually put up each year around this time. Because we live in a neighborhood without any trees near the houses, the sun gets very intense in the summer. Our living room has a western exposure and gets very hot in the summer without the shade sail up.

It feels cooler already.

Jon tackled our back gate. It's in need of a paint job. He'll get to that in a few more months but for now, he needed to fix a few pickets and the support board.

He did a great job. Grammy soaks in the sun while holding nails for Jon.

I should know by now that when I just mention a project to my father-in-law hoping for a little advice that not only will I get great advice but he also will go ahead in completing the project in a way that exceeds my every expectation.

I was given these vinyl fence panels by a friend's neighbor who was replacing their fence and was going to throw them out. There was enough fencing to go around my back garden but I wasn't sure how to go about putting them up. I was going to settle for some twine and tomato stakes. I should have known better.

What I ended up with was a beautiful fence that will last for years. He was even able to use a hinge from our back gate so that I'll be able to get into my garden easily. I got very lucky when it came to inlaws.

Now I have to grow a garden worthy of the beautiful fence!

I put down a fluffy layer of new pine straw(needles) in the front flowerbeds.

**My picture uploader is making mad so I'll upload the picture of the finished fence in the morning**

The view of the back garden from under the shade sail. Jon got to cut the grass for the first time this spring. Cutting grass is one of the few household chores he enjoys doing.

It was such a nice day that we all ate dinner outside.

It was a great weekend.

We have oh so much to be thankful for!

 "But Godliness actually is a means of great gain,

when accompanied with contentment.

For we have brought nothing into the world,

so we cannot take anything out of it either.

And if we have food and covering,

with these we shall be content."

1 Timothy 6:6-8

On Saturday Mara and I headed off, picking up SuSan on the way, to a food packing event sponsered by a local Bible College. There we met up with some others from our church as well as many others from the community.

When we got there we had to fill out a little form, don some lovely "shower" caps and sanitize our hands. Then we sat down to recieve instruction and watch a little video the showed who the food was going to. We were packing small packets of rice mixed with seasoning, soy protien and dried veggies.

Mara had fun helping with the scooping and I got to help seal them up. It was a fun Saturday noon activity to take a little bit of our time to help just a tiny bit those who have nothing.

I wanted to share with you a couple of the videos we saw while we were there. It made me cry to see how people live in other places. They don't begin to have what they need. It also made me realize yet again how very, very blessed we are!

  

 When I see videos like this, when we recieve newsletters from Sudan African Mission that tell about babies being born out under trees in the dirt because there is no other place available and when we read stories of the true accounts of missionaries like the Morses in "Exodus to a Hidden Valley" (Which we are reading aloud at our house right now) we are all realizing over and over again just how blessed we are, that we need to be thankful and not complain and that we need to do all that we can to share with others.

   I am feeling a profound sense of gratitude today. I am abundantly blessed. Here are just a small sampling of the things that God has given to me and I am thanking Him for:

491. Never ever having to go hungry because there wasn't enough to eat.

492. An abundance of food and clothing.

493. Fresh, clean and good tasting water.

494. Health.

495. The country in which I live.

496. Knowing God's love my whole life.

497. Parents that have provided a wonderful example of how to live as a christian.

498. My Dad's 60th year! I am so glad to have such a wonderful Father who made it easy to love and trust my heavenly Father.

499. Piles of waffles to eat on a relaxing Saturday morning.

500. The fun of reading a book in one sitting on a lazy Saturday afternoon. (I don't think I have done that since Mara was a baby!)

501. Fun times making projects to enter in a wedding DIY contest and having beautiful models for my picture taking! :-)

502. Circus time is here again! Even though it was rather chilly watching. :-)

503. Grandpa's baby goats to enjoy.

504. Fun times in the oh so pretty weather getting our pictures taken by my talented sister Keren.

505. Family

506. Salvation.

What do you have to be thankful for?

"Oh give thanks to the Lord,

call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.

Sing to Him,

sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders."

Psalm 105: 1 & 2