He's Seven!

Today's the day.

He turns SEVEN!

"My Little Love"

Photo credit - his Daddy

 Birthday blessings to my sweet, kind, huggable, sensitive, and gentle little man.

I hope YOUR day is as wonderfilled as you are

and that all your wishes will come true.

I am so proud and thankful to be your Nammie.

You always bring joy to my heart.

Love you more than you'll ever know.

God bless you and keep you.

He "ordered" an oreo cookie cake with hotwheels

Can't wait to celebrate YOU today!

An update:

Burgers and Milkshakes for the win!

Our only regret is that your Poppa won't be here to celebrate with you.

He will be spending his 75th birthday in heaven and looking down on this day.

When you were 3 ... and he loved you so much!

We enjoyed a nice Easter weekend with few photos

but no lack of delicious food and meaningful fellowship...

Poolside on Easter Sunday

Onion skin dyed eggs made in the nick of time for Easter

Coffees on the deck is in full swing.

Till next time ... stop and celebrate life's blessings.

April Snow Showers!

 Easter is on our doorstep,

snow showers and all ...

The lenten roses are doing their best to bloom.

Working on a block challenge for our Quilt Club ...

My free motion quilting IS THE challenge here.

I am so very much out of practice.

"Geese on the Roof"

The swan release/parade was a few weeks ago and I am so happy to

have one brought to the pond in my backyard again this year.

Welcome back!

A great way to lift spirits and have a sense of calm is to visit the local greenhouse ...

"green house bathing"

The to do list has been written and the

infamous butter lamb is being readied for our gathering.

How are your Easter preparations coming along?

Till next time ... may your heart be preparing for the holiest of days this weekend!

        Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed Easter.

Spring 2024 is Springing - as it should

February was mild and rather unpredictable.

 

March came and went (like a lamb both ways?)

April has arrived, with some showers

and even some snow!

It's been a busy almost 9 weeks since my last post 

and I can't tell you where the time has gone.

A sparse few pictures on my phone help remind me some of the highlights.

February brought warm sunny days with a few porch lunches,

even tho the porch cushions are yet to be put out.

Also a time for hockey games, kitten cuddles and sleep-overs.

These are a few of my favourite things 🎶🎶

My first ever quilt donation for the upcoming New Hamburg Mennonite

Relief Sale in May, was finished and safely delivered before the deadline.

Here is the quilt that was hand quilted by our church ladies, also for the May sale ...

A true beauty!

Beautifully pieced by Joyce Erb

February and March also caught me in the sewing room to work on

a few projects.

Here is a fun small quilt designed by our quilt club member,

Henny Bremer, who is becoming well known for her fabulous extra small scale quilts.

This was such a fun project.

It measures approx. 17" by 24" - the perfect size for hanging.

This quilt creates an optical illusion of curves!


This sweet little quilt might be hung in my slightly "refreshed" office space.
I purchased a new carpet and a wee display cabinet to make it more 
welcoming and comfortable.
I DO NEED to spend more time in here.
There is much work to be done ... the quilts are such a tempting
distraction and procrastination enabler - eek!

Am now in search of a nice office chair.
Should I go upholstered bucket type or perhaps a comfy wicker??
I hope I will know it when I see it!

Some crocheting projects were also a distraction this Spring.
Momma said the kids could use warm snuggly blankets so off to the wool shop
I went, with my dear friend Anita who is a crocheter extraordinaire!

Made just in time for Easter ...

Easter was very meaningful to me this year with a moving Maundy Thursday

evening service, Good Friday family gathering, Easter morning sunrise service,

and our wee family gathering for Sunday supper.

Complete with an exhilarating game of Bingo!!!

And of course, the annual butter lamb and onion skin dyed eggs!

And so, this is the beginning of Spring 2024.

So many dear ones on my prayer list right now ... humbled and praying!

Thankful for our Risen Lord ...

Till next time - being intentional and living this life one day at a time. 

My snuggle bunnies!!!!

April 2022

 April 2022

Perhaps one of my darkest months on record?

Greys and Browns seemed to be the colours of the day and to the heart.

Suddenly things have become all too real ...

Thankfully there were some sunny spots to hold on to...

Sunny yellow butter lambs created around the table with friends.

Thanks Heather and Mary Lou for such a fun day together.

Favourite Paska baked along with Lovella's online tutorial.

This brought a smile to my face and oh how the aroma filled my kitchen!

I made far too much and later that week decided to make some deliveries.

So glad I did that - there is still one loaf in my freezer.

Icing and sprinkles added later

Awwww - the Lenten Roses bloomed, just as they should and

giving me the promise of Easter and of Spring to come ...

Forever thankful to the former owners of this house for this "gift" they left behind!

Ready to go to the Leis Family Easter Gathering

Sourdough bake for Easter dinner - one of my pleasures and 

perhaps best distractions?

A cute cheesy carrot "cheese ball" made by my SIL Angela

He is Risen!

Easter Sunday Dinner was postponed due to Covid.

However, we were able to celebrate it along with a special birthday, the following Sunday.

The always delicious Bone-in-Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Asparagus Salad, Corn and Carrots

made it to the belated Easter table.

Bone-In Ham - my favourite recipe:

Marie (my sister) makes this and has it marked as one of her “family favourites”.  She uses a dry mix to rub on the roast (Marie trims the skin but leaves the fat layer on and uses this rub for a 5 lb. roast):

1 Tbsp. Flour, 2 tsp. salt, pepper, ½ tsp. dry mustard, ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, ½ tsp. thyme, Paprika and Garlic Powder.

At this stage you can score the fat into diamond shapes and stud with whole cloves.

Put it in the roast pan, fat side up, add a sliced onion, pineapple rings (optional), apple juice or ginger-ale.   When using the juice she roasts it with a cover on for a really tender result.  Sometimes she roasts it without the juice and without a cover, starting the roast at 400F for about 15 minutes and then reducing heat to 325F for 4 hours.  You need approx. ½ - ¾ lbs. per person for a bone in ham or ¼ - ½ lbs. per person for a boneless roast.  Internal temp. should be 160F when ready for serving.

We were thankful to be able to all be together and to extend the table!

On the very same day ... our sweet and sensitive boy turned 4.

FOUR - I still can't believe it!

This is the same little boy who whispered in my ear this past Sunday,

as I held him during the final hymn at church,

"I wish Popa could come back" ....

The sun did not shine on April 27th, the day Jim celebrated his first birthday in heaven.

Thank you to so many who reached out to me during this gloomy, cold, and dreary long day ...

I miss him so much! I know in my heart and soul that he is safely home with our risen Lord!

 
Some of "his shirts therapy" is still a work in progress.

Only 80 more flying geese units to make for the border ... eek!

Till next time .... stop and smell Spring! Just Breathe ...

Easter Blessings

This touched my heart today ...

youtube - An Easter Hallelujah

if this link doesn't work for you, find it on youtube - "An Easter Hallelujah"

(Skip past the advertising)

Thanks to all who shared this with me on facebook and by email...

Love beyond understanding!

Till next time - Love and Easter Blessings to you dear readers. Love one another as He commanded!

Lenten Roses

 The Lenten Roses (Helleborus) which are blooming

in our front "new to us" flower bed

have a very special meaning to me this year!

Thank you to the planter of these flowers.

These beautiful flowers are the first to bloom and bridge the gap between Winter and Spring.

I've tried to grow them on the farm with little success.

Their essence is known to "sooth sorrow, sadness, and bring calm and acceptance".

How perfect as we prepare our hearts and minds,

as believers, of the incredible sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Oh what a month it's been so far!

In spite of uncertainty and waiting for surgery and test results,

the warm Spring days and sleep overs have brought joy to our hearts.

Thankful for these precious little humans in our life!

Tiny ice-cream cones on Papa's Upper Deck

Fun at "Meemee's" park

Going for walks around the "goose" pond

It's time to do some Easter baking, gathering onion skins for the "bunny eggs",

and creating a butter lamb or two ... welcome distractions this year.

What goodies are you preparing for Easter?

The "kids" have moved to the farm and are getting settled in.

God is Good!

Till next time - stop to smell the lenten roses and enjoy each and every new day!

Spring 2021 - New Beginnings

It's been one month now and we are beginning to feel "at home"

Still waiting for furniture and such

but some "old things" have found a new life and that includes us!

Once we toned down all the bright cool blue light bulbs,

it all started to feel cozy and comfy.

Do you prefer bright cool tone lights or warm lower watt lighting?

Walk out basement awaits furnishings.

The unfinished room downstairs has been renovated and

is a great room for all the extras (including the extra wall units)

and has been dubbed the "games room".

We are so glad we went ahead and did this reno before moving in.

The backyard frozen pond sounds of skaters and children has,

almost overnight, changed to the honking sounds of Canada geese.

The glorious sun and mild winds (not so mild today however) have rapidly melted the piles of snow

and signs of Spring are popping up.

I can't wait to see what else pops up!

Lenten roses - I've been trying to grow these on the farm forever.
Now I have some here in my front garden!

Evening privacy blinds are on order but the daytime views are so lovely.

New routines of daily walks

and old routines of healthy starts to the day

are giving us some much needed normality.

Preparing my table and heart for Easter!

Many boxes remain unpacked but the essentials have

been placed in the spacious cupboards and closets

of this house that is becoming our home.

In the meantime, our soon to be farm kids continue to bring us so much joy.

She lost her first tooth recently and he is growing like a weed!

On this one year anniversary of Covid 19, we are thankful for our health and 

for our front-line workers and health care providers.

This has been a year like no other on so many levels!

Till next time ... praying that you are all doing well and staying the course. There is hope ...