Dear Father, bless the one...

"That needle poking to and fro, Means so much more than you may know. Each snap, each button, each shirt, each dress, contains something you'll never guess. Each garment Mom makes, from the start, contains a small piece of her heart. With every snip she adds her love, and whispers a prayer to God above. Dear Father, bless the one who wears this, protect and guide them with Your kindness. Give them strength from day to day. That from all sin they'll turn away. Then into each and every seam. She presses in her fondest dream. That each one in her family. Will join her in eternity. So next time Mom makes you any clothes, Know that, in it, her love shows. It's more than just a thing to wear, It's a symbol of Mom's loving care."

I came across this little poem earlier and just loved it! It expresses so much of how I feel about making things for friends and family.

I have been asked so many times why I would bother with making things when it would be so much easier to just buy them. There are certainly times where it does make more sense to purchase things (such as boys pants and shirts- they go through them so quickly, and pants get ripped and shirts get stained...it wouldn't be prudent to make them by hand), But with other things, the care and prayers that are put into it while it is being made are more than worth the time and effort involved.

Whenever I am making something for someone, I always take a moment to pray for the person it is for. I always find it amazing that even though the prayers are for someone else, it is my heart that seems to gain so much! What a blessing that is!


In Christ's Love,

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Blessedly Busy Days

Things are busy as always around here...I have been so blessed with having help in cleaning the house, and this has given me so much more time to do things that were always falling down further on my to-do list, and for this I am very thankful!

I am also so excited to have a new laptop, which my husband surprised me with this weekend! I am really enjoying being able to take my computer around the house to work on things, I am having to adjust to it a bit, but I do really like having it. :)

This afternoon I think I might work on organizing my sewing things in the cabinet in our room. Somehow it has become quite a mess. It seems like there are always so many sewing projects going at once, and never quite enough time to keep it all organized properly. This is really something that I need to work on.

Next week I am going over to one of the other ladies houses to work on coverings, and to look through her baby patterns. I have been looking for plain baby patterns to sew for Joseph, and she said she had a box of patterns for me to look through.

We have been liking the switch to "real" milk. Now my Jacob wants nothing but that, and Joshua refuses to drink store bought milk. Even Joseph seems to prefer the real thing. We have been buying our eggs from the same place as our milk. What amazes me is that we can purchase these things fresh for so much less than what they cost at the grocery store! Not to mention that they are fresh...really fresh, as in usually the same day! There is something about buying Saturday's eggs on Saturday,lol.

Well, I must close for now, and get back to work :), but I will post a few pictures of the children, as I know it has been a while.

May God's Blessings Be Upon You!

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An Extended Absence and Many Blessings

Well, my absence has been a little more extended than I had intended, but sometimes life has other plans than what we want,lol. Either way, I am here now :).

I have been busy, blessedly busy in so many ways. Yesterday I spent the greater part of the day sewing, making new dresses and a covering; something I have been needing to do for quite some time. And my husband also ordered me a few new dresses, so now I will be in good shape! My sewing to-do list had been incredibly long, but suddenly it has become considerably shorter. First, the Bishop's wife called to let me know that she had a bag of little boys' shirts and pants for me. Then several days later another lady called to tell me that she had a bag of baby clothes set aside for me. Then yesterday my husband orders me five new dresses! Isn't it amazing how God provides? It is so wonderful because there are so many things I had been really wanting to sew, but the necessary things had to take precedence. Well, now I will have time for a few of the special projects I have been wanting to work on. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

I have also had the wonderful blessing of having one of the girls from church come over once a week to help with cleaning and ironing. The extra help has been so lovely! I am feeling like I have time to work on some of the things that were constantly being pushed aside due to lack of time. Today I was finally able to cut out a few more napkins- something I have been needing to do for quite some time!

I have been going through some difficult times lately, but these blessings, however seemingly small, help me to remember how God is watching over me, and providing when there is a need (even in the littlest of things). If I can trust Him in these small things, can't I trust Him with the big things as well? I have been guilty lately of taking my focus off of the One who is in control and putting my eyes on my circumstances. I am reminded of a quote by J.I. Packer, "Contentment is essentially a matter of accepting from God's hand what He sends, because we know that He is good, and therefore it is good."

Yes, a quiet heart is content with what God gives. I need to write that somewhere that I will see it often.

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Homesteading, Sewing, and Candle Light Dinners

It feels like we are in such a time of growing, and that life is just full of new discoveries right now! We have really started down the path towards simple living, and this path seems so full of hope and the peace that comes with trusting God. We have no false illusions that this is going to be easy, but we do know that by leaning on God and trusting in His providence, that great good will come. To document our journey towards a life of homesteading and simple living my husband and I have created a blog, Happy Hearts Farm. ( http://happyheartsfarm.blogspot.com/) Here we will share the joys, trials and triumphs along the way.

I still have quite a bit of sewing to do. I have started working on a slip (from the other half of the sheet that I made my new apron from), and I have pieces cut for another dress. Yesterday I did a little mending on a few dresses, and I converted two short sleeve dresses into jumpers. I also mended a nightgown. I am also saving all of the scraps from things that I have sewn. The smaller scraps I am using for a quilt, many of the larger scraps I am using to make baby dresses (even though we do not have any little girls as of yet :)). I'd like to use the leftover material from my last dress to make a bonnet.

The children have been greatly enjoying our candle light dinners! It makes something as simple as a pot of chili seem extra special! Jacob said that it is beautiful, and it does add a peaceful atmosphere to the dinner table. I can't help but worry that Joshua (of course) might throw something and knock one over, but he is doing much better about understanding when it is time to be calm.:)

My husband said yesterday that I make the best chocolate chip cookies in the entire world. He asked me what I do that is so different than anyone else, and to be honest, I am not sure! I have made my cookies the same way for many years, and the recipe seems pretty basic to me, and yet these cookies are always so delicious. Even I must admit (humbly, of course :)) that these are by far my favorite cookies. I sent a batch to work with my husband earlier in the week, and now here at home there are only two left (and only briefly might I add, as I am quite sure they will not make it through the afternoon). Perhaps next time I send cookies to work, I will have to make even more!

I decided that I really like my new dress pattern. It is simple, and certainly not overly fancy, but it feels pretty, and it is easy to work in, and I always feel modest. I think I have finally found just the right pattern for my everyday dresses.

Happy Homemaking!

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