Above Rubies Ladies Retreat!

I am so excited!!! Nancy Campbell from Above Rubies is coming to Ontario in May for a ladies retreat in the Muskokas and God willing I will be going! I have been so blessed by their website and having been hoping for many years that she would come to Ontario for a ladies retreat and now she is!!! I cannot tell you how happy this makes me!

Details are not finalized yet but the cost is expected to be around $160 dollars and that will include a bed for two nights, 5 meals and the sessions. It is taking place at Camp Crossroads near Torrance Ontario May 8-10. For more information you can visit the Above Rubies website and look under retreats in the sidebar.

There are no tickets available yet but they say that they can accommodate 200 women and young ladies over 13 years of age and expect it to fill up fast so if you would like to ensure a spot you can email those organizing the event at above@exhort-daily.com to reserve a space. I emailed this morning to reserve spaces for myself, my sister, my niece and our friend.

How exciting! I am so looking forward to the sessions and I am also looking forward to the opportunity to fellowship with so many like minded ladies.

Blessings,
Liisa

Pumpkin Activities

Here are the pumpkin ideas we did today to use up our pumpkin cutouts.

For this one I wrote out this song on a sheet of paper and we sang it while gluing pumpkins on.

Mr. Pumpkin (tune: Where is thumbkin)

Mr. Pumpkin,
Mr. Pumpkin,
Round and fat.
Round and fat.
Harvest time is coming.
Harvest time is coming.
Yum, yum, yum.
That is that!


For this one I drew a wall on a piece of paper and the monkeys glued a pumpkin on top of it. Then they colored it while I read the poem to them.


Pumpkin, Pumpkin

Pumpkin, Pumpkin,
Sitting on the wall.
Pumpkin, Pumpkin,
Tip and fall.
Pumpkin, Pumpkin,
Rolling down the street.
Pumpkin, Pumpkin,
Good to eat!!

I found these at Teachers.net They have a whole page of pumpkin and harvest poems and songs, you can find them here.

Blessings,
Liisa

Old Fashioned Cocoa Pudding

I don't remember where I found this recipe so if was on your site please let me know and I will give you credit.

I made this two days ago and my family loved it so much they asked for it for dessert yesterday too so I had to share it here.

Old Fashioned Cocoa Pudding

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp. margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
whipped cream (for top)

In a sauce pan combine the sugar, cocoa,flour and salt.
Gradually whisk in water and egg yolks.
Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly.
Cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in margarine and vanilla until blended.
Pour into individual dishes.
Refrigerate until set.
Garnish with whipped cream.

Yield four servings. Can also be used as a pie filling.

This pudding is very thick and rich so I did not flavour or sweeten the whipped cream. It would work very well in a pie. This made four little dishes of pudding and a little dish was all you needed! Very chocolaty and rich, oh so good!







Enjoy!

Blessings,
Liisa

Home is Best

It hit me again today that there are no other women at home during the day in my neighbourhood or in my circle of friends. Either the women I know are out working or they are out busy doing things elsewhere. Homes are empty.


Here is a poem that struck a chord with me today....


HOME IS BEST


Stay, stay at home, my heart and rest;

Home-keeping hearts are happiest,

For those that wander they know not where

Are full of trouble and full of care;

To stay at home is best.



Weary and homesick and distressed,

They wander east, they wander west,

And are baffled and beaten and blown about

By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;

To stay at home is best.



Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;

The bird is safest in its nest,

Over all that flutter their wings and fly

A hawk is hovering in the sky;

To stay at home is best.



Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



For me home is best.

Blessings,
Liisa

Activities for the Monkeys

We do not celebrate Halloween but I was given a bunch of bat cutouts to use with the children I didn't want to waste them so here is what we have been up to.

Yesterday we glued some on a piece of paper. I wrote out this little song in the corner and we sang it as we glued.

Bats are Sleeping (to the tune of Frere Jacques)

Bats are sleeping, Bats are sleeping
upside down upside down
Sleeping in the morning sun
Waiting for the night to come
Then they'll fly around
Then they'll fly around.

Today we glued them to big Popsicle sticks two for each child and played this game...

Two Little Bats

Two little bats hanging in a cave
One named Dan, one named Dave
Fly away Dan
Fly away Dave
Come back Dan, come back Dave!

I got these ideas from this wonderful bat site for children called Going Batty Lots of fun activities etc. there.

Tomorrow we will use up some of the pumpkin cutouts I was given. More on that tomorrow! ~smile~

Blessings,
Liisa

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins!

Today I have been busy making Autumn Pumpkin Bread. One for a gift and the other for the freezer. I had left over pumpkin that I wasn't sure what to do with though since I didn't want to waste it.

Then I happened to be looking through "Sesame Street Yummy Cookies Baking with Kids" cookbook that one of the mommies brought for me to look at. In there I found a recipe called "Abby's Magical Pumpkin Cookies" They are yummy! In fact there are many wonderful recipes in this book and they even highlight the parts of the recipe that are best for little ones to help with. What a great idea.

So my one little monkey that I have today and I whipped up a triple batch - a ton of cookies! My pumpkin is all used up - no waste and best of all we have treats for today and for the freezer. ~smile~

Here are some pictures.....





Blessings,
Liisa

Saving God

I just watched the movie Saving God and it was just incredible. I would strongly urge everyone to rush out and get this movie. Thanks to my sister Leanne for bringing it over so I could watch it.

Here is the synopsis from the website....

Ex Con Armstrong Cane (Ving Rhames) returns to his neighborhood a changed man looking to take over his father's old church and congregation. The neighborhood though is full of drugs and gangs.

Those who are able, are leaving for more prosperous areas and falling in with a slick preacher (Ricardo Chivara). But even with a dangerous gang leader (Dean McDermott) threatening his flock, Armstrong won't give up.

Tough as nails on the outside and inside, Armstrong shouts God's word to whoever will listen

- especially Norris -

a youth on the edge of falling into a lifetime of bad choices. They form a close bond and strive to change, but will the sins of the past come back to haunt them?


For those who read my blog in our area...you can rent it at the convenience store!

Blessings,
Liisa

I am not kidding - go get this movie! Go, go go! ~smile~

Happy Hubby

I have been very busy lately running around, doing errands, getting back into the swing with the little monkeys after a week holidays and getting projects done around the home.

This has not been a bad thing. I sewed two new skirts for myself which saves money, did quite a bit of painting the entryway and the area under the sink. That used to be such a gloomy place even though I washed it thoroughly. How nice it is to open the cupboard door and see it all fresh and white in there. I organized and cleared out our closets, pantry, cupboards, drawers and rooms. So much has gotten done lately. Do you know what hasn't been getting done though?

Paying attention to my hubby. I have been so busy with all that has been going on that I haven't been paying attention to him and meeting his needs. My hubby has had to ask me repeatedly to stop and come and sit with him for a bit. Do you know what my response has been? "Just a minute I really want to get this done" Now does that seem right to you? It doesn't to me. That says to my hubby that he is not as important as some job I am doing, that I would rather clean a drawer or paint than snuggle up with him. Wow! Who would rather do that than snuggle up with someone they love?

I have also neglected to have desserts made for after dinner, baking for his lunch and good things to eat on hand. In fact his lunches have been thrown together affairs with the same thing everyday. EEWWWW! Who wants to have the same boring lunch everyday? Not me, so why haven't I been putting more thought and effort into his lunches. Too busy. Too busy doing every other thing besides taking care of my hubby.

My priorities have gotten all mixed up again. They should be God, husband, son, home, outside interests. Somehow hubby slipped to the bottom of the heap. ~sigh~

Well, I am back on track today! This morning I made my hubby a blueberry pie for dessert tonight, I am planning a much more exciting lunch for him to take to work tomorrow and I am going to be sure that all my housework etc. is done before he gets home from work so that I can just sit with him and let him know that he is important and he is loved. Busyness is no excuse to let that slide. I have 5 little ones here today and still managed to bake a pie, clean up and look after everyone. I see no reason then why I haven't been able to find time to get it all done when I don't have 5 little ones here!

Why not make your hubby his favorite dessert tonight and let him know that he is a priority for you! ~smile~

Blessings,
Liisa

Gifts For The Little Girls

As you may know I care for little ones in my home, three of them are little girls that love to dance and perform for everyone. For Christmas this year I made tutus for each of them with a butterfly ribbon stick to dance with. I got the idea for the tutus from Chasing Cheerios. What a fun project! I simply followed her directions which say to cut craft netting into 20" (mine were 18") by 3" strips and tie them on to an elastic headband with a slip knot. Easy and so cute! The total cost for each tutu and butterfly stick to match was about $3.50.

Here are some pictures.....






Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (New King James Version) Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.


This passage was in my morning study and it really struck me today. I had to ask myself does my life truly reflect love? Am I patient and kind? Do I envy or parade myself? Am I puffed up and rude? Do I seek my own? Am I easily provoked? Do I think evil and rejoice in iniquity or do I rejoice in truth? Do I bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things?

It has been good to closely examine my life in light of this scripture and see where I fall short and where I need to improve things. How grateful I am for God's Word and the ability to read it, take it in and have it change my life.

God is good!

Happy Thursday!

Blessings,
Liisa

Just Popping In....

Just popping in for a moment to let you know that all is well. I have been very busy these last couple of weeks.

I have gotten alot of things caught up here at home and many projects under way. I also had a wonderful time at pumpkinfest with my friend Nancy. It is a huge event and so much fun. They have the biggest car show I have ever seen, giant pumpkins and huge produce of many kinds. While we were watching the weigh ins they weighed a pumpkin that was 1041 pounds and at that point it was only third place! The winner weighed 1395.50 lbs! WOW! Interestingly the biggest cabbage weighed 52.50 lbs Can you imagine all the cabbage rolls that would make? ~smile~ The craft show fills the gym auditorium and hall of the high school....what fun!

I have been busy preparing for Thanksgiving this weekend. My sister, her children and my mother in law will be coming for dinner. I am not sure if our friend Mike will be coming or not. It has been kind of a tradition that he comes up for Thanksgiving but we usually don't get any notice he just appears! It is really nice though since it is the only time we see him.

We always have the dinner on the Sunday so we can just relax on Monday before hubby heads back to work on Tuesday. We will be having turkey, my hubby's wonderful sausage stuffing, green beans, pepper squash, butternut squash, mashed potatoes, crescent rolls, pickle tray, apple pie and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

I will have to get alot done on Saturday since our service at our new church is a bit later and we don't get home until 12:30 or so. Saturday I am going to the last Mennonite market for the year with my friend Nancy and we will stop at a couple of the farms as well. I am really looking forward to it! I can't believe that it is already Friday! So much to do!

I am on holidays next week but that will be really busy too! I have plans to go to a near by city with my friend. I am taking my mother in law to another city to pick up all the Christmas goodies from Germany that she gets every year. My Nanny will be visiting on Thursday and I will be driving her home on Saturday as well and taking along my mother in law and sister for a fun day in Barrie. All my hubby's family in Canada is in Barrie so my Mother in law will visit with them while my sister and I shop and have lunch at our all time favorite lunch spot - Reggie's Sandwich Factory. Then we will head back home.

It will be a really busy week but alot of fun. I hope to be able to get alot done at home as well. When my week of holidays is over I will need a week of holidays to recover!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in Canada!

Blessings,
Liisa