A New Year

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:

"Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!"

And he replied:

"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.

That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way."

So, I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night

And He led me toward the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So, heart, be still!

What need our little life,

Our human life, to know,

If God hath comprehension?

In all the dizzy strife

Of things both high and low

God hideth His intention.

The Desert 1908

Minnie Louise Haskins 1876 - 1957

Christmas Dinner

Baked acorn squash filled with beans
Turkey
Collards steamed and seasoned with mustard, red pepper, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and pepper
Topped with homemade gravy

Turkey Leftovers

Turkey left over from Christmas served with peas, onions and northern beans.

Christmas Salad

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Ballet

Abby was blessed to attend a Christmas Nativity Ballet with a friend. Here is a picture of Abby in one of the poses from the ballet.

Handsome like Daddy

DIY Frugal Christmas Gift

Four quotes with a small gift to go with each quote...

Merry and Bright

"And so, in God's mercy, a happy Christmas to you all."

-Winston Churchill

Merry Christmas

Meal Diary

Salad:
Iceberg lettuce
Onion
Apple
Avocado
Sunflower seeds
Clementines
Olive oil

Liver and onions garnished with roasted butternut squash

Nat

Advent.... Week 3

Be Kind

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”



― Wendy Mass, The Candymakers

Play Dress

A shirt from Salvation Army and a shirt of mine were put together to make this cute play dress.

Advent....Week 2

Lunch

Liver and onions, black beans, peas,
 garnished with heirloom tomato and purple onion

Sweet Potato Nachos

Sweet Potato Nachos are delicious!

Thinly slice sweet potatoes

Toss with oil, sea salt and cumin

Bake at 400 degrees until tender

Top with

 black beans, cooked

Avocado

Chopped onions and heirloom tomatoes seasoned with oregano, sea salt and pepper

Pictured: baby serving, little man serving, big kiddos serving

Advent.... Week 1

Stirfry

Saute peppers and onions

Add broccoli and cooked chicken

Season with cumin, Cayenne pepper, paprika, sea salt and pepper

Saute until broccoli is tender

Playing to Learn

Taco Soup

Container of healthy chicken broth
Jar of salsa
Black beans, cooked
Pinto beans, cooked
Chicken, cooked and shredded
Taco seasoning to taste

Combine all ingredients and heat. Serve with healthy corn chips and cheese

Meal Diary

Osso bucco with sauteed cabbage and tomatoes 

served with beans

For Lentil

Four years ago, on Columbus Day, our six week old baby in my womb went to be with the Lord.  A baby at six weeks in the womb is the size of a lentil and their heart is the size of a poppy seed.  And so our baby with the Lord is affectionetly named, Lentil.

October

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it?"
- Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

One is 1

Happy birthday Nathaniel!

Traveling to Dream Land

Happy Helping Hands

Baby Blanket

This is the first blanket Abigail crocheted.  She made it for a lady at our church whose baby is due next month.

How Firm a Foundation

1. 1. How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
   Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
   What more can he say than to you he hath said,
   Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
   Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
2. 2. In ev'ry condition--in sickness, in health,
   In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,
   At home or abroad, on the land or the sea--
   As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,
   As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.
3. 3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
   For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
   I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
   Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
   Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
4. 4. When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
   The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow,
   For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
   And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,
   And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
5. 5. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
   My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
   The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
   Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
   Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
6. 6. E'en down to old age, all my people shall prove
   My sov'reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
   And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
   Like lambs shall they still, like lambs shall they still,
   Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.
7. 7. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
   I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
   That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
   I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never,
   I'll never, no never, no never forsake!
8. Text: Attr. to Robert Keen, ca. 1787. Included in the first LDS hymnbook, 1835.
   Music: Attr. to J. Ellis, ca. 1889

Beef Heart

My adventurous kiddos ate the beef heart with enthusiasm and liked it! They also like beef liver and goat liver.  The goat heart and kidneys are in the freezer to try a different day.

Birthday Celebration!

Matthew Curtiss is nine!!!!!!!!!

Sweet Sleep