The Hasketeers

Carrie Underwood with Vince Gill How Great thou Art

2011-12-31T09:49:00.000-06:00

My Year 2011 in Review

2011-12-31T09:27:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's hard to believe that we are on the last day of 2011. Where has the time gone?And what did I do or accomplish? Did I do anything for others or just for myself? I decided that this blog entry will be a bit of a reflection of what has happened to me in 2011. Unfortunately, it's mostly health related.

The beginning of 2011 was the start for me of some serious health issues. September 2010 I developed a horrible rash, blisters form with fluid or blood then burst open. It could strike anywhere, anytime. The worst part was the terrible pain. It's an awful burning feeling under the skin and an itch that you can't scratch enough to provide you with relief. I was at the point of thinking we had bugs. But, no one else was affected. So January 2011 was the beginning of my back and forth trek to the doctors office and drug store.

March 2011 after allot of suffering I was referred by my doctor to see a dermatologist. She did a biopsy on one of my blisters. It confirmed that I have Bullious Pemphigoid. And Auto Immune Disorder of the skin. Pretty scary sounding name, huh? At least I had a diagnosis. I wasn't crazy after all, is what I was thinking. She immediately got me started on 10 days of Prednisone. And Tetracycline antibiotics. (Which I ended up being on for about 8 months). I was finally starting to get some relief.

June 1st, 2011 I started working outside the home again. After 18 years of staying home it felt quite strange. But, I really enjoy doing something different, and the people I work with are great!

At the end of June my baby graduated from high school. What a day, we couldn't have been more proud!

July was very busy at work, I was hired for about 2-3 days a week or as needed. Sometimes I was needed 4-5 days. One thing I was starting to notice was my body was doing strange things once again. The odd blister here and there, but now a new symptom. Swelling painful feet. They looked hideous. It had nothing to do with salt intake or blood pressure. It seemed like it was coming from the bone.

September, my work was coming down and so was my ability. I developed a terrible sinus infection, went off the Tetracycline to go on different antibiotics that were stronger and more suited to help get rid of that infection. Only to this day I still have not totally gotten over it. A sinus rinse truly is an amazing thing though!

October and November for me were very dismal months. I was barely functioning. Night time for me hardly consisted of hardly any sleep at all. Four hours tops, and if I was lucky in a row. The pain was so bad, and if you don't sleep, you don't heal. I was and am so thankful for Kayla and all the help she has given me. She looks after everything house related that I used to do. She planned on taking a year off and work before continuing her education. I'm sure she never thought she would have to look after her Mom. I totally believe that God knew, I don't know what I would have done without her. I Love you Kiddo!

December 14th I was back in the doctors office. I had more blood work done, on top of all the blood work I had done in the passed year. It confirmed that I have an Auto Immune Disorder. And now not just the skin, but my whole body. One doctor said my immune system was shot. My family doctor insisted I take a flu shot. He said my resistance was so low, that if I was going to catch the flu all of a sudden, he didn't know if I would be able to fight it. So I took the shot, and I felt great, didn't get sick, like lots of people seem be talking about. Plus, he got me started back on my dear old friend...Prednisone. I'm currently still on it. It's a 30 day stretch. My body was in such rough shape that the first 5 days of taking a full dose, 50 mg, I was still sleepy. That they say is very unusual. I suppose it was because of my total lack of sleep because of the pain I was experiencing. The Prednisone was giving me a break from me, and the pain. It was at the point before taking the meds that my right hand would break out in blisters on my hands and joints. It was to the point that I couldn't make a fist. Holding a pen or even reading a book was torture. Then the pain would go to both hands and they would swell, twice there size. Same thing with my feet, only now a new symptom, my knees. The Prednisone had been a blessing and has given me and my body some relief. I have so much more energy, and quite pain free. I am back once again on the Tetracycline. It does scare me being on antibiotics for so many months of the year. But, I need to trust my doctor and be thankful that he's trying to help me. Now we wait and see if the auto immune disease I have is Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hopefully I can get on with a Rhuematologist soon.

So looking back of the year 2011, I realize that I didn't really get allot accomplished. I had to spend allot of time taking it easy and let others do for me. Something I find so difficult to do. But, the Lord truly had been working with me. I need to accept help and turn it over to my precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. One song that got me through those painful sleepless nights was sung by Carrie Underwood, How Great Thou Art. I would often get up in the night and play it on Kayla's Ipod. It often provided me with such peace. That was able to sleep after that.

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Happy New Year, and God Bless you in 2012!!

My Mom and Dad!

2011-11-06T13:34:00.005-06:00

Hi there, it's been a long time since my last blog post. Sorry about that. Since working three days a week, my priorities have changed a bit. I seem to be to busy and to tired, to take picture's of anything that would be worth sharing. So I thought I would share some photo's taken by my daughter Kayla of my parents.

They wanted a picture for Christmas cards, plus I wanted her take some fun shots too!! With my parents now both in their retirement years (Dad 67 & Mom 65) we will cherish these pics. Great job Kayla! If you like homemade cards, please check out Kayla's website: http://kaydesigned.com/
or if you know of someone else who might be interested, please feel free to share the link. Have a great day!

And then there were two..

2011-08-30T21:07:00.001-05:00

A couple weekends ago, Alvin and Kayla sang at Cowboy Church, in Grunthal, Manitoba.

It still seems a little strange to see the band Borderline Drive down to two people, but I am so amazed at the chemistry these two have together. She definitely didn't get her ability to sing and play from her Mother!! So glad for that!! Ha...Ha..!!

Summer Time Goodness!!

2011-08-20T08:30:00.001-05:00

Being a Mennonite, it's not summer until you have some of this...

Watermelon and Rollkuchen! Yummy!! To someone who hasn't grown up with this, it may seem quite strange. Rollkuchen is a mixture of flour, salt, baking powder, cream and some milk to make a soft dough. You roll them out quite thin or thick, depending on if you like them soft or crispy and deep fry in very hot fat. It's not something you would want to eat before a cholesterol test!! But it is yummy and goes really good for some reason with watermelon. Have a good weekend! :-)

Kitty Update!!

2011-08-18T10:25:00.001-05:00

So awhile ago I blogged about our Monday Surprise, this is an update to show you all of our babies lived. And our just thriving. It will soon be time to give them away. Always the hard part.

Don't you just need one of these babies???

If your interested, they should be ready to go in a few weeks. They are starting to eat a bit of cat food, drinking water. I just want to give them a little bit more nursing time to give them a really good start. So contact me if your interested in a kitty. Price is right, Free!!

I Just Love Clouds!!

2011-07-26T16:27:00.001-05:00

Sunday when I went outside in the afternoon I was greeted by this...

and this...I just couldn't resist trying to capture it on camera.

It reminds me of one of my favorite pics that I took a few years back.

I don't know what it is about the peaceful way you feel on a bright sunny day and you look up and see these beautiful creations in the sky. For me it's love at first sight. And the true wonder of what God has created!

Getting Comfortable!!

2011-07-23T10:42:00.001-05:00

This week has been very hot temperature wise, (although the temps came down considerably yesterday and today!) that even our dog was finding it a little difficult to stay cool and comfortable.

Doesn't he look like he suffering??!! Have a good weekend!!

Kayla's Grad Photo Session!

2011-07-11T10:03:00.003-05:00

So this will be my last Grad post!! I'm sounding like a broken record!! But, I thought these photo's were well worth sharing.

These picture's were taken by Eva Krahn, a very good friend of ours. Thanks so much Eva, we love them!!

A little Surprise for our Monday!!

2011-07-04T20:39:00.001-05:00

So we knew our Mama cat was expecting, that wasn't a surprise. The surprise was, when was she going to pop. She looked crazy, a little head, and her body..well looked like a football!! I wasn't home through this whole ordeal, but was told by my daughter Kayla, that it was quite a show. They had just finished lunch, Alvin went outside, Kayla was going to clean up inside, when her Dad calls her outside. There she finds kittens, all over the sidewalk, grass and our gravel driveway. She then proceeds to call Mama and then suddenly she hears her squeak. And there she finds her, under the truck with one of the kitties. Kayla then gathers up all of the kittens and brings them to Mama. Then finds a suitable box (aka kitchen drawer!!) so that the family would be safe and sound..

and as you can see, they seem to be doing pretty good. We still aren't sure if all the kitties will survive this wild entry to life. One of the kittens, Kayla thought was actually not breathing, then suddenly he moved. I think it had been nip and tuck. It's funny, but whenever our Mama cat is expecting, and it's time, she has a tendency to look for Kayla. She can do anything to those kittens and she totally trusts her. In fact she helped her deliver her first batch, I think Kayla was in grade 7 or 8. Thus is life on a farm. You learn very quickly about life, and sometimes about death. But, the joy of birth is always exciting, whether it is human or animal! What a miracle! Our Monday Miracle!

Graduation 2011!!

2011-07-01T20:47:00.000-05:00

We made it!! Or I should say, Kayla made it!! It feels like an accomplishment for all of us, so proud of you Kayla!!

Kayla receiving her High School Diploma with 30 credits, Honour Roll with Distinction (grade point average of 90-100% in Grade 12), Top Mark Drafting Design Award, Top Mark Interpersonal Communication Skills Award, Top Mark Employability Skills Award.

Kayla in her dress that we picked up for a steal of a deal...$100.00 can you believe it?? Her Dad said if she could find a dress at a reasonable price he was buying. We found it way back in October 2010 on the sale rack, and just loved it! She came home from shopping and immediately said...Thanks Dad!!! He had know idea at that moment what he did to deserve her thanks!! So cute!!

Kayla on the runway at the Grad banquet with her friend Kelsey. So many beautiful girls in there special dresses, and the guys didn't look to shabby either! I can't believe it's over, all the hoop la of getting ready and boom another milestone has passed. Life goes by so quick, makes me really think about living in the moment and appreciating it all! Have a great weekend, and Happy Canada Day!

And the Winner..

2011-06-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

of the handmade cards by KayDesign is...Brenda! Congrats!! Now as soon as this crazy postal strike is done you will be sure to find them in your mailbox!
For those of you who that aren't quite sure what I'm talking about, see my previous blog post. We had a draw for a free card giveaway to launch my daughters' new website and company, KayDesign. Feel free to check it out and if you'd like to purchase a few cards, it's all a one click easy payment through paypal.
Thanks to all of you who put your names in the draw! Have a great day!!

Blog Giveaway!!

2011-06-08T15:30:00.002-05:00

My daughter Kayla, is very pleased to present her own website and company KayDesign.

So to jump start it and get people interested. Kayla has agreed to make a few cards to give away. Who doesn't like something for nothing!! All you have to do is leave a comment either here on my blog or if you are reading it via facebook, leave a comment there. You must be a registered blogger or facebook follower, this is so I have some means of contacting you if you win. Deadline to enter is June 17th. I will then enter all the names that have commented and pull out the winning person's name!! Could it be you?? Good Luck!!

The Sweetest Gift, I've Ever Received!!

2011-05-27T15:17:00.002-05:00

The other day I was looking through some old picture's trying locate a moldy oldie one of Alvin for his 30th high school reunion, when I came across this one...

To anyone looking at my photo album with this picture in it, it would have no meaning, but to me it has a special story....Alvin and I had been dating for awhile and with dating often comes little celebrations along the way. Anniversaries...1 month, 2 months, you get where I'm going with this. Everything is celebrated! One Easter we decided that we were not going to buy each other any chocolate. So in other words we were not exchanging gifts. Well I couldn't leave it at that, I had to buy him something. So I bought him a huge jar of squirrel peanut butter, mostly because he was crazy about peanut butter! So I put a bow on it, (I don't have a picture, sorry to say!)and gave it to him. He thought it was so funny! Then all of a sudden a week later Alvin comes to my door with his hands behind his back and pulls out this container of honey, with a bow on it! I thought it was the sweetest thing on earth. It still makes me misty. That's why when I look at this picture I see so much more than what meets the eye.

Just Can't Wait for Spring, or is that Summer??!!

2011-05-15T15:53:00.001-05:00

We've had a long, cool, wet, Spring in Manitoba, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is ready for some warmer weather, and to see some flowers growing again. Of course there are people in Manitoba who are fighting flood conditions. And many farmers in that area will more than likely not have a crop this year. For some it may turn into no crops for 2-4 years. Please pray for our Manitoba farmers.

A person feels so foolish complaining about the lack of Spring, when there are so many that are worse off than ourselves. But, I suppose that is human nature. I personally just can't wait to smell some nice sweet scents in the air, other than manure!! ☺

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T10:15:00.002-05:00

To my Mom, Anita. This was her engagement picture in 1964. Not sure where Dad was? Maybe this is how they did it then? Beautiful Picture! I love it!

And this is a picture of my Mother-in-law, Mary. It was a picture taken of her in the Blumenfeld History book. Reminds me of Kayla and my nieces. They love cats too!

Wishing a special, Happy Mother's Day to my Mommy friends! Have a good weekend!

Leah's Health Update..

2011-05-05T11:54:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone, just wanted to give you a health update. I've had blood work awhile back that determined that my liver count was up. So I had an ultrasound and it appears totally normal! And I also had another ultrasound, and found out I have a very tiny cyst growing on each ovary. It's not serious and sometimes these things can go away on there own. I was officially diagnosed by my dermatologist that I have a skin condition called Bullous Pemphigoid. Here's a bit of reading to tell you what it's about..
                                                           Bullous Pemphigoid
Bullous pemphigoid (BUL-us PEM-fih-goid) is a rare, persistent skin condition that usually appears as large, fluid-filled blisters (bullae) in your skin. Although anyone can develop bullous pemphigoid, it almost always affects older adults.
Bullous pemphigoid occurs when the immune system mounts an attack against a thin layer of tissue below your outer layer of skin. The reason for this abnormal immune response is unknown.
Drugs that suppress the immune system abnormalities of bullous pemphigoid improve symptoms, but they require careful monitoring for serious side effects. Bullous pemphigoid is rarely life-threatening, except in older individuals already in poor health or in people with otherwise poor immune system function.
The primary feature of bullous pemphigoid is the appearance of blisters. Characteristics of the blisters include the following:
    •    Blisters are large, filled with fluid and don't easily rupture when touched.
    •    Fluid inside the blisters is usually clear but may contain some blood.
    •    Skin around the blisters may appear normal, reddish in people with light skin color or darker than normal in people with dark skin color.
    •    Blisters can appear anywhere on the body, but they are most often on the abdomen, groin, inner thighs and arms. Blisters are often located along creases or folds in the skin, such as the skin on the inner side of a joint.
    •    The site of a ruptured blister may be painful or sensitive.
Others symptoms include:
    •    Hives. Raised, red or dark patches of swollen skin (hives) may appear before the development of blisters. In some cases, hives may be the only skin lesion to develop.
    •    Itching. The affected areas of skin are usually very itchy.
    •    Mouth sores. You may develop blisters or sores in the mouth and, rarely, on other mucous membranes.
When to see a doctor If you develop unexplained blistering, hives, itching or other skin irritation — a condition not caused, for example, by a known skin allergy or contact with poison ivy — see your doctor. Because a number of conditions can cause signs and symptoms affecting your skin, it's important to get a prompt, accurate diagnosis and appropriate care.
The cause of bullous pemphigoid is not well understood. The blisters and other skin irritation occur because of a malfunction in the immune system.
Your body's immune system normally produces antibodies to fight bacteria, viruses or other potentially harmful foreign substances. For reasons that are not clear, the body may develop an antibody to a particular tissue in your body.
In bullous pemphigoid, the immune system produces antibodies to the skin's basement membrane, a thin layer of fibers connecting the outer layer of skin (dermis) and the next layer of skin (epidermis). These antibodies trigger inflammatory activity that produces the blisters, hives and itching of bullous pemphigoid.
Contributing factors Bullous pemphigoid usually appears randomly with no clear factors contributing to the onset of disease. A small percentage of cases may be triggered by certain treatments, including:
    •    Prescription medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis or fluid retention
    •    Ultraviolet light therapy to treat certain skin conditions or inflammatory disorders
    •    Radiation therapy to treat cancer
Bullous pemphigoid is more likely to occur in people who are 60 years of age and older, and it's most common in people in their 80s.
Tests and diagnosis
Your doctor or dermatologist makes a diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid or another skin disorder based on the information you provide about symptoms, a careful examination of the skin abnormality and the results of laboratory tests. These tests include:
    •    Biopsy. Your doctor will remove a tiny piece of skin (biopsy) from one or more sites where your skin is affected. These tissue samples are stained with specially prepared antibodies and examined under a microscope by a laboratory technician. A particular profile of immune system antibodies revealed in the tissue sample can point toward a diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid.
    •    Blood test. A nurse or assistant may also draw a small sample of blood for a lab test. This test can identify concentrations of immune system proteins in the bloodstream that are typically elevated in people with the disorder.
Now coming up, I will be getting a blood test, to test my immune system proteins. It will finally determine whether this condition is related to another disease. Such as Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis.
I personally am just ready to put an end to all of this, and find out once and for all what it causes my skin condition. You do have to be pushy though to get some answers. That part I have found really hard. I always feel bad, like I'm being a bother. But I suppose it is my body, and I do have the right to know what's going on in it. I would like to thank all of those who have been praying for me, it truly has been felt. God Bless!

My Baby Turns...18 years old today!

2011-04-27T09:45:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it, where has the time gone. April 27th at 8:07am, weighing 7lbs 11oz, 20 1/4 inches long. Kayla Shantel was born. In a typical "Klassen" mentality she was 1 day early. Kind of funny, because, I'm the type of person who hates to be late!! I still remember that day so clearly in my mind. Actually, that whole weekend seeing I hadn't slept through the night in three nights by then. Dealing with false labour. But, I'd do the 18 hours of labour (at the hospital) again in a heartbeat. The end result was so worth the pain. She's the true love of our life. Happy Birthday Kayla, we love you so much!!

Hip Builders!!

2011-04-18T13:41:00.000-05:00

I made a pan of these yummy treats this weekend, and believe me the name says it all. They are so good, and yes they probably do add of "bit" of "muscle" to our hips!! But sometimes, you say, so what, and please pass the goodies!!

Hip Builders

Filling

1 cup chocolate chips ( I use milk chocolate, but any kind works!)

1 tin sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tsp. vanilla

*Melt the above ingredients together, (I do it in the microwave a few minutes.) until it's a nice creamy chocolate mix.

Base

1 3/4 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup coconut

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup hot water

1 cup oil

* Mix the above ingredients until it's a nice crumbly dough. Then put a little more than 1/2 of the mixture in the bottom of a 9x13" pan. So that you have a nice covering in the bottom. Save the rest of the mixture for the topping. Add the layer of chocolate. Then with your fingers gently crumble the mixture over top of the chocolate. Bake 350*F oven for 25-30 mins. It's a very easy recipe, that can be made anytime you need a little sweet fix! Enjoy!!

Grad Proofs Have Arrived!!

2011-04-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

My scanner looks a little dusty, sorry. But, this just gives you a little look at Kayla's grad pics! I thought they turned out quite well. Then again I love the subject!! Have a great day!

Out on a Limb!

2011-04-09T16:26:00.001-05:00

Cats make climbing a Tree, so Easy!! Don't you think?

I can't imagine, climbing a tree period. I'm not a big heights person. But I'm always amazed how a cat can climb a tree, step on a few tiny branches, turn around, and not fall out of the tree. Wow, is it a balance thing, or just complete trust? Kind of reminds me of faith. We can't physically see Christ, or feel him, but we know he's there, and will catch us if we fall. Because there are times when we find ourselves out on a limb. Thankyou Jesus!!

Here Kitty....Kitty...Kitty...

2011-04-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

Also known as a Caterpillar!! Alvin did some snow cleanup yesterday, only to have us wake up to what, more snow!! Only in Manitoba!!

My Biggest Obsession....

2011-03-25T10:53:00.001-05:00

Books....

Whether it be cookbooks.

Or story books..
I love books!! There's just something magical about the glossy pages, and pictures of a cookbook. The idea that yes, I can do that. I can make that, and it will be good. I wish it worked that way for me, but I like to keep trying. Now, in this day and age/technology, it seems like the old fashioned story book is kind of out of style. Allot of people would rather read on there ipads or other devices. I don't know. Isn't there something awesome about holding a book in your hands? It gives me a feeling of home, peace and tranquility. And even just an escape from where you are what's going on in your life. I think we all need a getaway, even if it's only in our mind. Have yourself an awesome weekend!

Another Creation by...Kay Design

2011-03-23T13:32:00.001-05:00

Kayla made this beautiful card for a friends wedding on Saturday. I just love how it turned out.

Coming up in the future I plan on doing a blog giveaway, and Kay Design has agreed to donate the prize for the giveaway. So stay tuned!!

I Am So Hungry For This.....

2011-03-22T10:03:00.000-05:00

Homemade Chocolate Icecream! We usually make a batch every winter, but so far we haven't done it. I'm thinking, if this big storm materializes for us as they say, we should make some. Seeing we would have all that snow to use to freeze the stuff. Anyone else hungry for some??!

Getting rid of snow....Red neck style!!

2011-03-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

I know this looks crazy, but Alvin does this every year. Well the years that we have allot of know. He blows the snow off our front yard, and back. That way we can speed up the melting process in the frontand back of the house, and therefore prevent it from coming into the house!! It looks funny doesn't it??!! ☺

Chocolate, does it get any better than this??!!

2011-03-14T20:14:00.000-05:00

This weekend I needed a chocolate fix, but didn't feel like working too hard at getting it. So I pulled out a Chocolate fudge cake mix out of the cupboard, jazzed it up by making it with milk, instead of water!! Life on the edge!! Now, that's not the best part...the best part is the icing. Here's the recipe..

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1/4 cup light cream or milk

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

2 1/2 Tbsp. Cocoa

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Put brown sugar, butter and cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add remaining ingredients. Add more icing sugar or cream to obtain desired spreading consistency. Makes about 1 2/3 cup. To make it into a glaze, make only 1/2 of the recipe, omitting butter. Add cream to the consistency you desire.

We just loved the icing! And, to me it brought back memories of a peanut butter icing my Grandma used to put on her chocolate cake. I never did get the recipe from her, and now she's gone and I never will. So glad I found this one!

The other little delights on the picture are my homemade coconut bars. I made a big batch at Christmas time, so I still have quite a stash to take out for a quick pick me up! Here's that recipe..

Coconut Bars

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup graham wafer crumbs

1 1/2 cups fine unsweetened coconut

1 pkg. Chipits milk chocolate chips or milk chocolate melting wafers

1/2 bar Parowax

Boil sugar, margarine, and milk for about 1 minute. Then add vanilla, oatmeal, graham wafer crumbs and coconut. Pat into a small cookie sheet, or double the recipe and put into a large cookie sheet. Freeze until hard, cut into bars and dip.
Dip
In a double boiler, melt Chipits milk chocolate chips or wafers and grated parowax. Melt until smooth. Grating the wax gives the chocolate a nice consistency and easier to melt. Take off the heat, but leave the pot on the water (the chocolate won't harden so fast). Dip them in the chocolate, I place them on rack or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. The pop them in the freezer until they are fully dried and hardened. Then place in a big container. They keep for a long time in the freezer. We love them they aren't too sweet. Hope you enjoy them!!

**I just wanted to thank, Kayla for taking this picture. I just love food pics, but seriously have absolutely no idea how to take a good one. So thanks again, Kayla!!

Life Around Here Hasn't Really Changed Much!!

2011-03-10T10:19:00.000-06:00

It's funny how this is what Kayla loved to do at 23 months old...

And this is what she likes do at 17 1/2....

They often say that we change in life...just not by very much!!

How true!

Puffed Wheat Cake!!

2011-03-04T14:49:00.000-06:00

So I asked Kayla yesterday, "what should I make for you tomorrow?" And, this is what she wanted...

Puffed Wheat Cake

1/2 cup margarine                                                                              1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup brown sugar                                                                             8 cups puffed wheat
2 Tbsp. cocoa                                                                                    1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup corn syrup

Melt margarine in saucepan. Add sugar, cocoa, syrup and marshmallows. When syrup boils, add vanilla. (I take it off the stove to do this). Put puffed wheat into a big bowl, and pour mixture over it. Mix well and press into a 9x13" pan. A quick dessert, that we love!! Have a great weekend!

Missing this...

2011-03-02T10:29:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I've seen these two play and sing together. And I must say, I really miss it. Not that Kayla doesn't sing allot at home. She is forever singing, along with her ipod and guitar in tow! I love how her voice is only getting better with age. She has this rich, low kind of voice. No high stuff for her, just doesn't suit her voice, or I think her personality. I also love the chemistry these two have together. On stage if she can tell Alvin can't remember which song they are doing. She just gives him the first word or two (without him asking) and it works, he remembers. It's like this instinct surfaces. As A Mom, it warms my heart to see how they interact. So different than a Mother daughter connection. Both special, but so different! I can't imagine my life without these two! My only regret in life, was that I could never have more children. I would have loved to give her brothers and sisters. Still makes me sad to think about that. It seems like it's a pain deep down inside that will always be there. Maybe, because as a woman, I somehow feel that I failed. Women are supposed to be able to have babies that's what we do..right? Oh, well that's another chapter in my life. Sometimes I think I should write a book about it!! Our trials only make us stronger, and I'm so thankful that the Lord carries me through them, bruises and all! Have a great Wednesday!

Summer Time..Summer Time!!

2011-02-25T17:31:00.000-06:00

Sending you some warmth, the only way I can!

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to feel the some warmth again. Smell the blossoms in the air. Watching the Sunflowers turn towards the sunshine. So I thought I'd take you back to a nice day when things were green and in bloom! It won't be long and we will feel it for real..Right??!

Winter can seem really long sometimes, and to me this has dragged on.

Have a great weekend, -2*C for Sunday!!

The Rainbow and God's Promise

2011-02-22T10:00:00.001-06:00

I felt the need to find a picture that would give me comfort this morning, and the reassurance that Spring will come again! Then I found this one, I love rainbows, but most important, I love the promise behind it.

The Rainbow and God's Promise

(Genesis 8.20-9.17)

Here's a story that would seem very strange to us today.

The ark was safely on dry ground again. A few minutes before, it was filled with growling, barking, honking, purring animals. Now the door was wide open and the giant boat sat on a mountain top, all empty and quiet.

All the animals had rushed out the door to fill the earth again.

So what was Noah doing?

He was picking up rocks.

He was so thankful to be alive, he was going to build an altar to God. So Noah piled up the rocks to build a fire on them. Then he took the best of some special animals he had kept aside, killed them, and burned them on the altar. This was a sacrifice Noah offered to God to thank him for saving his life.

It might seem like a strange thing to do.

It couldn’t have been an easy thing to do either. But that’s what people did in those long ago days. That way they would know that dealing with God is a very serious thing.

God was pleased with Noah’s sacrifice. But most of all, God was pleased that Noah was truly thankful.

And so God made this promise to Noah,

“Never again will I destroy the world with a flood.

I make this covenant with you and with all creatures.

From this day on,

there will always come a time for planting,

and a time for gathering up what was planted.

Day will always follow night,

the warm days of summer

will always follow

the cold and snow of winter,

as long as the earth shall be."

God knew that there is something inside each of us that tries to keep us from doing what is right. That is what causes all the trouble in the world.

God also knew that one day he would send his Son to save us from that. God saved Noah and his family to show us that he has the power to save us all, and one day bring us to a new life with him in heaven.

So God blessed Noah and his family. He told them to have many children and fill the earth with people again. He gave them the plants and the animals for food. And he made people the boss of everything on earth (Think of it this way. You might have a pet dog or a cat. There aren’t any dogs who have pet people!).

And then God said to Noah, "Look up in the sky."

Noah looked up. The storm clouds were drifting away, the bright sun was shining against Noah's back. And against the dark grey sky, God made a brilliant rainbow appear. God said to Noah,

“You see, I have set my rainbow in the sky. This will be the sign of the covenant I have made with you and all creatures, never again to destroy the earth by a flood. It will always remind us of the promise between you and me.”

So, the next time you see a rainbow, think of Noah and the flood. Remember that God loves you, and that no matter how bad the storm, there will always come a bright new day.

That is God's promise, and God always keeps his promises.

Amen, and have a good Tuesday!

Marshmallow Brownies

2011-02-15T14:54:00.001-06:00

So yesterday I couldn't seem to find my mojo to treat my family for Valentine's day so I decided to do it today. So I baked a pan of these brownies. We love them! The recipe was passed down to me by my sister-in-law who is an excellent cook/baker.

Marshmallow Brownies

Ingredients:
1 cup butterscotch chips ( I use 1/2 c. butterscotch & 1/2 Reeses peanut butter chips)
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I don’t add them)

Directions:
In a microwave, melt butterscotch, peanut butter chip mixture, and butter; stir until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla until blended. Beat in butterscotch mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to batter and beat until mix well. Stir in the marshmallows, chocolate chips and nuts.
Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 3 dozen.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 151 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 19 mg cholesterol, 92 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.Marshmallow Brownies published in Taste of Home June/July 1997.
Substitute for Nuts:
If your family loves the crunch of nuts in brownies and chocolate chip cookies, but someone is allergic to them, add granola or crisp rice cereal in the same amounts as the nuts called for in your recipes. But, always check the granola or cereal packages for nut allergy alerts to be certain.

It's such an easy recipe, but tastes just awesome! So spread the love, make a pan today!

Happy Valentines' Day!!

2011-02-14T09:56:00.000-06:00

Here's a Valentine especially for you...

Because you are loved!
1 Corinthians 13: 1-13
The Gift of Love
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have
love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have
prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if
I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am
nothing. 3If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body
so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant
5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for
tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9For
we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10but when the
complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I
spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I
became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a
mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part;
then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13And now faith,
hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Looking Back...

2011-02-11T09:46:00.000-06:00

Today I was glancing through my big project of scanning negatives, when I came across these beauties!
Kayla at two weeks old! Doesn't she look so small? Makes me wish I could just jump into the photo and hold my precious little one. Time goes so fast.

And I love this one! Kayla and her Daddy. Kayla was three weeks old and her Dad was 30. Can't believe how dark Alvin's hair is here, and how big his glasses are?? This was the 90's!

I hope enjoyed my walk down memory lane. Have a good weekend, everyone!

A Tribute to a fellow Hasketeer

2011-02-09T11:04:00.000-06:00

Candice Hoeppner Honours Canada's Oldest Woman Elizabeth Buhler's Passing Away.

Elizabeth Buhler
Elizabeth P Buhler (nee Unger)
1899 – 2011

Elizabeth Buhler, Canada’s oldest citizen at the age of 111 years, had her long awaited wish fulfilled when God called her home on Sunday January 23, 2011 at 9:35 p.m. She was born on February 8, 1899.

She leaves to mourn her passing her three daughters, Lena Pranke of Winnipeg, Mary and John Dyck of Killarney, Justina and Peter Suderman of Winnipeg and daughter-in-law, Sara Buhler as well as son-in-law, Herb and Elaine Penner; 23 grandchildren and 55 great grandchildren, 39 great great grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband, Isaac W. Buhler in 1970, 2 sons, Isaac in 2009 and Willie at birth, 2 daughters, Lorina Wieler in 2000 and Tena Penner in 1963.

Memorial service was held at the Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church on Saturday January 29, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. with interment prior to the service at the Winkler Cemetery.

The family would like to extend a special thank-you to the staff at the Salem Home for their wonderful love and care they showed our Mom during her final years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Elizabeth’s memory to either Back to the Bible or Salem Foundation Inc.

Wiebe Funeral Home, Winkler
In care of arrangements,

Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women [Trailer] - Available ...

2011-02-08T09:44:00.001-06:00

I came across this today, I thought this was so worth sharing.

No wonder we women have such a hard time accepting ourselves for the way that we are.

A Woman's Beauty

The beauty of a woman

Is not in the clothes she wears,

The figure that she carries,

Or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,

Because that is the doorway to her heart,

The place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole

But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives,

The passion that she shows,

And the beauty of a woman

With passing years only grows!

Busy Weekend!

2011-02-07T11:27:00.000-06:00

This weekend I was determined to get something done. I haven't been feeling that well for awhile, so it's taken some of my mojo away. I had to break this, so on Friday. I started off by backing our computer files onto an external hard drive. Didn't want to take a chance and lose our precious pictures and music, if all of a sudden our computer would crash. It was surprisingly easy to do.

Then I found a couple pie shells in the freezer that Kayla made awhile back, and I made my own homemade chocolate pudding to put in them.

And of course no pie is complete without real whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings!

Then I made a couple batches of buns, 5 dozen, Wholewheat.... I used 2 cups white flour and 14 cups wholewheat.

Four dozen, White buns....

And the last dozen white was reserved for this sauce you pour over them and bake.

Sauce for Buns

(for a 9x13" pan)

1 cup brown sugar

4 tsp. flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

mix the above ingredients...

and add it to 1 cup of cream.

Spread of buns, just before baking.

Bake 350*F for 30 mins.

We love this as a treat, I don't make it to often!

Then Saturday was our cleaning day. After making all this mess in the kitchen the day before the floor was a mess, believe me! One luck my big girl steps right up to the plate and before we know it the cleaning is done. Nice!!

Sunday was a relaxing day, watched some sports on t.v. , took a nice afternoon nap, read a book, and then in the evening we had company over. A real nice way to end the weekend! Plus a bonus they came, to bring us a wedding invitation, for there daughter's wedding. Wow, can't believe we have friends old enough to have kids getting married. Where does the time go.

Now today, Monday is laundry day, and clean up from the weekend, and hopefully a good workout on my treadmill. I think I can...I think I can..!!

Well that's a day in the life of a weekend at the Elias home! I wonder what this week will bring??!!

What's going on this week for you?

Have a Marvelous Monday!

Memories....Winter 1995

2011-02-01T10:51:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I started a project of scanning my old 35 mm negatives. And this is some of them...

Daddy and Kayla. She was 2 years old.

Going for a visit!!

Smiling sweetly for Mama!

Playing in the snow...I loved that snowsuit and especially that hat!

Always a happy kid!

Holding a baby for the first time! Little Mother!

Opening presents Christmas 1995, old enough now, to appreciate it. I love the bare feet!


All decked out and ready for the Church Christmas Concert! I hope you enjoyed my walk through memory lane!

A Little Bit of Snow in Leeds, South Dakota!

2011-01-28T17:17:00.000-06:00

I got this forward the other day and thought it was worth sharing..

I thought we had snow!! :-)

New Addition to Our Family!!

2011-01-22T09:39:00.002-06:00

And her name is, Colleen (Collings), Guitar!

Kayla has wanted to buy her own guitar for awhile, not just any guitar but a Collings. So with the her chief negotiator (her Dad), sealing the deal. He purchased this for her, on her behalf, and then she pays us, out of her hard earned money.

She loves to play music. If she doesn't listen and play along with her cd's at least 5 times a week, (if not more!), she goes into withdrawal. It's just as part of her, as her arms and legs are. And what a great past time. I love to hear the guitar play!

I guess I can say that, because she can actually play now, not compared to the learning process. It does take patience, on the part of the person learning, and the people who have to listen to it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God;
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise;
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 100

The Sharing of Marriage!

2011-01-20T09:43:00.000-06:00

This is a story, that will sure to give your Thursday, a little laugh, it did me!!

The sharing of marriage...

The old man placed an order for one hamburger, French fries and a drink.

He unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half, placing one half in front of his wife.

He then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.

He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them . As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them were looking over and whispering.

Obviously they were thinking, 'That poor old couple - all they can afford is one meal for the two of them.'

As the man began to eat his fries a young man came to the table and politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said, they were just fine - they were used to sharing everything.

People closer to the table noticed the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.

Again, the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said 'No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything.'

Finally, as the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked 'What is it you are waiting for?'

She answered

(Continue below - This is great)

'THE TEETH.'

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning...

2011-01-18T10:08:00.002-06:00

Oh, what a Beautiful day! Do you remember that song? I can't recall where I actually learned the song. Here's the chorus:
Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day,
I've got a wonderful feeling,
Everything's going my way.
I couldn't help but think of it as I was looking at this awesome sight this morning.

I've been struggling health wise for awhile. Actually, ever since the middle of October. I've been to a few doctors already, have had a some blood work, with more to come next week. My biggest issue is this on going rash, actually hives. The doctors are stumped, they have no idea what it is. The next thing is to send me to a dermatologist. He specializes in skin conditions. I've always had skin irritation. But, never this bad. I've also been trying a series of herbs. I'm at the point if the doctors don't seem to want to help me, I guess I have to help myself. I really believe it is an allergy to something in my house. But, what. No one else has any issues. I would really appreciate your prayer support. I know it seems kind of vain, but your skin is something everyone sees. You find yourself, hiding and embarrassed about it. And, it really starts to play a role on your mind. Which of course doesn't help the healing process. As I read, you can't get hives from stress, but...you can't get rid of them either, if there is stress in your life. I know I need to just turn it all over to the Lord. But, this crazy human, seems to always want to take it back. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5.

New Look!

2011-01-16T20:15:00.000-06:00

So I've been feeling quite low lately, particularly with the lack of sunshine. So I decided, why not bring the sunshine to me and my fellow bloggers!! That's why the change!! I can't take credit for the header picture, I borrowed it off of the web! Feel free to put on your shades if you find the site a bit bright!! :-)

Special Gift!

2011-01-10T10:55:00.000-06:00

This Christmas, I received a special gift from my kiddo! She made me this awesome book. I've been saving every wallet size school pic of Kayla ever since she started school, in hopes of making some kind of project with them. This is what she came up with:

I just love it! I've been wanting to share it for awhile, but taking picture's of the pages in the book didn't seem to work. Finally I resorted to scanning them. They aren't perfect, as you can see my scanner needs to be cleaned!! But, it gives you an idea of what it looks like. I was totally blown away by what she did. Priceless Memories! "Sob...Sob"

Kay Design/Cards

2011-01-08T10:36:00.000-06:00

My daughter Kayla just loves...loves to make cards! Here's is just a sampling a few cards she has made over the last couple years...

What amazes me is, how people like receiving a homemade card. They are very touched by it. I guess, because she has put a part of herself in it. And the thing is she has so much fun making it for someone, thinking what are there likes and dislikes. Trying to fit the card with the person. My sweet girl, she's such an inspiration of the gift of love!

Winter...

2011-01-06T12:00:00.000-06:00

is certainly upon us. Here's a few picture's of what it looked like at 8:00am. It was -25*C with a windchill of -33*C, and to top it off we had fog. This picture didn't turn out very good, just couldn't get the settings right. Kept going blurry. But, I still I like the idea of it.

And a couple pics of what our road looked like this morning...West..

and East...

Here's a few pics that I took a couple hours later. I was trying to experiment of bit. I find snow picture's very hard to take. They tend to get so blue or very dark.

And here's a couple pics of our backyard. Notice no kiddies playing in our backyard. We might need to borrow some!!

This is our smoke house...

Which we actually used a few weeks ago..

to smoke these babies!! Smoked farmer sausage, doesn't get any better than that! Yum!! Have an awesome day and keep warm!!

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-04T10:56:00.000-06:00

Hi, it's been awhile since my last post. I guess I've been busy just spending time with my family. Giving the computer a bit of a rest. Feels good sometimes! Just before Christmas I bought myself this machine...

I really love it! I bought it on the 23rd of December, and have used it almost everyday since. Wow, it's amazing how good a person can feel, simply by taking 30 mins. out of your day to exercise. I'm trying to keep it up, and hopefully lose some of me in the process. Not a "Diet", but a lifestyle change. I'm not a big fan of the word "Diet". Tomorrow, it's off to see my doctor for a full medical checkup. Not my favorite thing to do. But, I figure it's a good way to start the new year. Fresh and determined to start a new. Wishing you all the best in 2011!!

From Our House to Yours..

2010-12-24T09:34:00.000-06:00

And a Blessed New Year!!

Here's A Sweet Story So Worth Sharing...

2010-12-21T13:44:00.000-06:00

This is what Christmas is all about...

"Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who weregenuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.

It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the
world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason.I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible.

After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what..

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.

After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" "You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what?

Yeah," I said, "Why?"

"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. Shoes, they're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?" Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of
flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children -
sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully.
She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her
eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she
wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.

"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak.

My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.

I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed
when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes. Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.

At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to
invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.

Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have tosay, May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand."

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children.

For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life."

The Candy Cane

2010-12-20T11:15:00.003-06:00

The true meaning of the Candy Cane.....

Look at the Candy Cane
What do you see?
Stripes that are red
Like the blood shed for me
White is for my Savior.
Who's sinless and pure
"J" is for Jesus My Lord, that's for sure!
Turn it around
And a staff you will see
Jesus my shepherd
Was born for Me!

The Legend of the Candy Cane...A Candy Maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would help us remember who Christmas is really about. So he made a Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus. Hard candy to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.
The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the name of Jesus. It also represented the staff of the "Good Shepherd".
The candy maker then included red stripes. He used three small stripes and a large red stripe to represent the suffering Christ endured at the end of his life.
The candy became known as a Candy Cane - a decoration seen at Christmas time. The meaning has faded, but still gives joy to children young and old, whom Jesus loves and treasures.

I never get tired of hearing this story...hope you enjoy it too!

Sick..

2010-12-17T10:01:00.001-06:00

This week has been nasty. I started the week off, on Monday coming down with the stomach flu. Wow, this has been a hard one. I'm actually still not over it, and it's been 5 days now. But, we'll get through it, one step at a time. Of course, I guess it didn't help that my hubby and daughter both got sick on Wednesday. K's been out of school for three days now. It totally flattens you out. So the flu bug is just raging at our house. Makes me just want to open all the windows and bring in that -13*C weather and let it come in and destroy this evil flu bug. Sounds almost like a crime fighter!! On a bright side, it is one week to Christmas, we could have gotten sick then, so it's fortunate that we did it now. I've decided to just accept what I get done and move on. I am usually a big cookie & chocolate maker at Christmas. This year I've been just kind of out of it. Might be God's way of teaching this hard headed woman something!!

Have a great weekend and stay healthy!

Christmas 1976!!

2010-12-09T16:07:00.000-06:00

Here's a picture of me at Christmas when I was 10 1/2 years old...

My Mom sewed my dress, and made my sister a matching dress. We were often mistaken for twins. Not sure why, some Mom's think it's so cute to have there girls dressed alike. We used to just hate it. And when I look at this picture, it makes me kind of laugh, and why is that? I hate long dresses!! Always have...just ask my family they'll tell you what I think of them. And namely because I'm the world's greatest clutz. If someone is going to step on her dress, or rip it, it'll be me!! It happened to my bridesmaid dress at my sister's wedding. One luck it was at the end of the day. Only I could do that!

Seeing it's Thursday already, I probably won't blog for awhile, so I will wish you a great weekend!!

Defining Me...

2010-12-03T10:54:00.001-06:00

You know the last while, I've been wondering...who am I?

Me at 45.

Me at my gradation in 1983 at 18.

Me in 1967 at 2 1/2.


I'm a daughter, here's a pic of me and Mom.

I'm a daughter, here's a pic my Dad, me and my lil sister Laurie.

I'm a talker and apparently very annoying,
see the look on my Mom's face!!!

I'm a Big Sister.

I'm a Wife! Best Day of my Life!!

I love and know this Man better today then I did 21 years ago.

I'm a Mommy! The best thing that I've ever done in my life.
I only wish I could have given her some brothers and sisters.

I'm so proud to be this sweet girl's Mama!


And I'm a friend. I know there is a big age difference between us. But, we've gotten to know each other through music. And I consider her a great friend!

And as I think about it this just kind of touches the surface. I could think a few more things. Like animal lover, baker, cook, cleaner, but most of all. The most important thing is a Child of God. I am so thankful that my Lord Jesus felt that I was worth dying for. Wow, isn't that unbelievable. No matter what we've done, he forgives and takes away our sins, all we have to do is ask in his name.

A Look Outside My Window this Morning!

2010-11-29T10:13:00.000-06:00

A windy cool snowy Monday...Sometimes I like those days, get's me inspired to get some work done around here. Hopefully!! Have a great Monday!

Snow....

2010-11-23T10:57:00.000-06:00

Can make even rotten things look....

beautiful!! My daughter Kayla took this picture on Sunday, I thought it was worth sharing!! Have a great Tuesday, and enjoy the sunshine!

Rich Peanut Butter Cookies!

2010-11-17T09:46:00.000-06:00

Here's another recipe, I think is worth sharing! I received it from my sister-in-law, who is an excellent cook and baker. Actually both of my sil's are. Give it a try it's awesome!!

Rich Peanut Butter Cookies

Mix:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened, margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
And beat until creamy.

Add:
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix well.

Stir in:
1 cup peanut butter chips.

Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls and dip the tops in some granulated sugar. Do not flatten. Place on a ungreased cookie sheet, bake 350*F for 9-10 mins.

Red Sugar Cookies!

2010-11-16T14:32:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe. I found it in a Co-op sales flyer many years ago. And it has stayed a family favorite ever since!

Red Sugar Cookies
2/3 cup white sugar
1 cup softened margarine
1 egg
1 tsp. cream of tartar of I use 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
red sugar

In a large bowl cream margarine and sugar until light. Add egg and mix well. Add flour, soda and baking powder. Mix well. Roll in small balls, dip in red sugar/green sugar or just plain granulated sugar works great too. The recipe says to flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass, I skip this step. I find the cookies flatten too make for me that way, I like a bit of a puffier cookie. So I just put them on sheets in balls and they flatten while baking. Bake 350*F oven for 8-9 mins until edges start to brown.

We Have to Stop Cutting Down Trees....

2010-11-15T10:26:00.000-06:00

This is getting serious!!

Received this email the other day from a friend and it made me laugh. Thought I'd see if I could spread the laughter. If your offended I do apologize. I'm known to have a bit of a sick sense of humour!! Have a Marvelous Monday!

Love....

2010-11-09T16:19:00.001-06:00

Our cats just love our dog, they sit on him all the time. The trick is to get a picture, everytime they hear movement in the house they think it's feeding time!! Guess who feeds our daughter's pets?? Actually we stopped calling them her's, seeing we all the know it's the parents who really look after family pets. Am I right??!! That's ok, who couldn't love these guys?! Have a terrific Tuesday!!

Kayla's Craft Inspiration!

2010-11-05T11:23:00.000-05:00

So I've been having a hard time finding things to post about. Not a whole lot of exciting stuff happening around here!! Then the other day I went through our pictures in iphoto and came across this one...

Kayla made this as a grad gift for her cousin Natasha, awhile back. And here was her source of inspiration..

Kayla received this as a Christmas gift in 2007 from a good friend!! I like the look of both of them! What do you think? Have a good weekend and enjoy this beautiful weather!!

They Have Arrived!!

2010-11-02T06:46:00.000-05:00

Grade 12 Pics!!

I can't get over how different K looks from last year to this year. Changes are happening fast. I'm a proud Mama, last week, in 6 weeks time, she completed her grade 11 drafting course with a 98% and is now working on grade 12. She is supposed to take that next semester. So she's getting a big head start. (She just discovered drafting last year in grade 11, so she took, gr. 9 & 10 last year, 1st & 2nd semester and now in grade 12, it was gr. 11 and 12, 1st and 2nd semester.)Plus yesterday she came home, and said she got a 99& on her Math test. Wow, what's happening. All of your perseverance is paying off. We are your biggest fans!!

Halloween: Oppression or Opportunity?

2010-10-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting article that I found courtesy of one of my facebook friends. Wow, I never knew this, but it makes so much sense. We Christians can use any situation as an outreach. After all, are we as Christians not in the mission field?

Halloween: Oppression or Opportunity?

Hank Hanegraaff

Bible Answer Man

A myriad of questions have been raised about Halloween. Should Christians participate in Halloween? What should our attitude be towards Halloween? Should we simply ignore it? Should we vigorously attack it? Or should we, as Christians, find ways in which to accommodate it?

Before offering some suggestions on how we as Christians might best relate to Halloween, I think it would be appropriate to first consider the pagan origin of Halloween.

The celebration of Halloween, also known as the witches' new year, is rooted in the ancient pagan calendar which divided the year into Summer and Winter by two fire festivals. Before the birth of Christ, the day we know as Halloween was part of the Celtic Feast of Samhain (sah-ween). This feast was a celebration of Druid priests from Britain and France and commemorated the beginning of Winter.

It was a night on which the veil between the present world and the world beyond was pierced. The festivals were marked by animal sacrifices, offerings to the dead, and bonfires in recognition of departed souls. It was believed that on this night demons, witches, hobgoblins, and elves were released en masse to harass and to oppress the living. For self-preservation many Druids would dress up as witches, devils, and ghouls, and would even involve themselves in demonic activities and thus make themselves immune from attack.

In direct response to this pagan tradition, the early Christian church moved a festive celebration called All Saints' Day from May to November 1 and renamed it All Hallows' Eve, from which we get the word Halloween. This was an overt attempt on the part of believers to infiltrate pagan tradition with the truth of the gospel.

It was a bold evangelistic move designed to demonstrate that only the power of the resurrected Christ could protect men and women from the destructive ploys of Satan and his minions. This was a time in which they boldly proclaimed the marvelous fact of the resurrection and the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Believers in post-Christian America today should do no less. Halloween can be for us, like the early Christian church, an open door for evangelism. The deception of Halloween, with its witches, demons, skeletons, and allusions to death, can become a powerful springboard to demonstrate the dramatic power of Christ to redeem us from death, to fill us with His Spirit, and to give our lives meaning, purpose, and direction.

There are three specific things which I would suggest that you and your family plan for next Halloween: First of all, I would use Halloween as an opportunity to communicate to your children, your family members, and your friends that although death and the grave are very real, we are more than conquerors over the powers of darkness through Jesus Christ.

Second, this is an appropriate time to consider the saints who have gone on before us - those loved ones who make the thought of heaven sweet. Even now my mind goes back to precious moments of days spent with Walter Martin. When I think of heaven, I think not only of what it will be like to meet Jesus Christ, but I think of what it will be like to be reunited with this marvelous saint who has had such a significant impact not only on my life but the lives of countless others as well.

This is also a great opportunity to share with my children the life of a saintly grandmother who prayed earnestly for me night after night while I was engulfed in a life of sin. Although she is no longer with us, the answers to her prayers live on.

Christians, this is not a time to look the other way as we do so often when passing by a graveyard. Halloween is not a time for avoidance; this is an opportunity, so seize the moment! Death, demons, pain, and suffering are real in a cursed creation. All of us have to struggle with it, and so will our children.

This is not a time for glib and superficial answers - this is a time to build intimate and lasting relationships with those whom God has entrusted to our care. This is the time to reach them and to nurture them in the rich traditions of the Christian faith. Let your children know that Satan is not a character dressed in a red union suit with horns and a pitchfork; instead, he is a very real and powerful adversary whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy.

Finally, let me suggest that this would be a time to share some of the great classics of the Christian faith with your children. Perhaps you could curl up on the floor with them before a roaring fire and read to them from Pilgrim's Progress, or from C. S. Lewis's masterful work The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Yes, this is not a time to curse the darkness, but a time to light a candle. If we are indeed serious about making an impact on a lost and dying world, Halloween represents not just satanic oppression but a strategic opportunity.

Reprinted with permission of Christian Research Institute. For more information about CRI, and further resources on Halloween, visit www.equip.org

Christian Research Institute, P.O. Box 7000, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

Happy Anniversary!

2010-10-25T15:51:00.000-05:00

Today is my Mom & Dad's 46th wedding anniversary!!

And it's also my parents-in-law's wedding anniversary today too. They have been married for 57 years!! I wish I had a picture of them at there wedding, I know my sister-in-law has one. So I can't post a pic of them, but maybe one day I'll get my hands on one!! The legacy of marriage!

Home...

2010-10-19T10:55:00.000-05:00

Today, I decided to do a post on what I saw on my way to the mailbox this morning... This is looking west at the end of my driveway...Notice all leaves have fallen, and yet it still to me looks so beautiful!

Here's a picture of all the bales are neighbors have produced for the winter.

Here's a old barn, on our neighbors land right across from our driveway. I never get tired of looking at this old building. It has been the back drop for many a picture!

And here is a picture of our house and yard as you walk on the driveway. Notice the bush and there is allot of it surrounding our yard. Which means in fall lots of leaves to clean up. And I mean lots!!

Well that's my little stroll in "Haskettland"!! Hope you enjoyed it!

Fall Cleaning!

2010-10-14T15:39:00.001-05:00

Been doing lots of fall cleaning outside. Mainly mulching lots of leaves and cutting allot of grass. I am, so thankful for the great weather so that I was able to get it done. I think this might be the first year that I got so much accomplished.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-10-09T17:19:00.003-05:00

(This picture is courtesy of our good neighbors, Alan and Helen Warkentin.)
God bless and have a wonderful weekend!

The Waiting Game!!

2010-10-07T15:12:00.002-05:00

Our Dog Spike loves to hunt!! In fact just this afternoon Alvin was out hunting a bit, once he was done with that it was time to go into the shop and get some work done....

and this guy waits at the shop door, just in case he should decide to do some more hunting!! "If that fellers going to leave the shop, I'm on his trail"!!! I love it, it's so funny!!

Homemade Buns 101

2010-10-04T14:39:00.002-05:00

I've had a few people ask me for my bun recipe, and seeing today I baked some, I thought I'd share it.

Homemade Buns

2 cups water
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. yeast (I use traditional, I don't care for fast rise, don't like the taste of it)

Mix water and sugar then stir together, now sprinkle in the yeast, do not stir, just leave it. Put it in nice warm place. I put it in my oven with oven light on for 10 mins.

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup canola oil

Mix the three ingredients together and I then heat it up in the microwave until it's nice and warm.

2 eggs (beaten)
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar

Now beat together the eggs, salt and sugar. Put it in your kneading bowl, then I add the warmed milk, water and oil mixture. Now I add the yeast mixture, just give it a bit of a stir after it's been proofed, then add to bowl.

12 cups flour (approximate)

Now you add the flour to the dough. I do this all by hand, because I find it's good therapy in keeping your hands strong and limber. It says to add 12 cups, but I find some days that's all you need but other days you can add another 2-4 cups more. It depends on the humidity in the air. Strange I know! Now let it rise for 2 hours, I put it in my oven with the light on. I also put on a few tea towels over the dough so it doesn't dry out. Once it has risen for 2 hours, you can cut off a small piece of dough (bigger than a golf ball put smaller than a baseball) roll it onto the table until it makes a nice smooth ball, and put on your cookie sheet, again cover with a tea towel. Once your done that, let it rise for another hour on the pan. Bake in a 400*F oven for about 20 mins or so. This recipe usually makes about 5 dozen. If you wanted to make it into wholewheat buns you can do that too. You could do 6 cups white flour and the rest wholewheat. That would work nicely. Have a great Monday!!

I'm not Much of a Dreamer, But....

2010-09-30T19:39:00.001-05:00

this kitchen from Ikea could get me into it!! I just love the white, and all the storage. Particularly the fact that these cupboards are just plain and simple. My brown oak cabinets with all the fancy groves are so hard to keep clean. Not nice. Plain and simple, sounds good to me! I know I will never get a kitchen like this, but it's cheap to dream!! :-)

The Sun Shining Through the Fog!

2010-09-28T09:47:00.001-05:00

This morning we had allot of thick fog, and it was so cool to see the sun shining brightly through the fog. Sort of like God saying, although your life my be uncertain sometimes, I can lead you through your trials. Whether that be personal pain, loss of a loved one or simply that your feeling a little down. Just take his hand and say you'll follow him. Have a great Sunny Tuesday!

Rainy Days, Soup and Cookies!!!

2010-09-23T14:44:00.001-05:00

Today, this being a rainy day....

I decided to spend some time in the kitchen. Made this big pot of hamburger soup..

And made a batch of oatmeal cookies!

Why does food often bring us such comfort when it's cool and rainy? Or is it just me? Have a super day!

Our Eternal Journey, no Money Necessary

2010-09-17T08:55:00.007-05:00

This morning, after reading my daily devotion, I was reminded of something that really meant allot to me, a few years back. We were cleaning my Grandparents apartment after they passed away in 2004. Here's a picture of my Grandpa Jake N. Klassen, he passed away January 21, 2004, at the age of 93.

And my Grandma Katherina (Tien) Doerksen Klassen passed away November 2,2004, at the age of 89.

Both in the same year, so the apartment was still filled with items from the both of them. To think of one, was to think of the other. For me it couldn't be separated. What was so meaning full to me, was what was left behind. The money, purses, wallets. On the table the same as always, was Grandpa's wallet and Grandma's purse. Where they were going they no longer needed them. It's funny how hard we work on earth for what we put in our wallets, when in the end, it's no longer needed. The only admission we pay is by accepting Christ in our hearts, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him with not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16. Which means that we can all get to heaven, whether we are poor, or middle class, or wealthy on earth. On our eternal journey, it isn't going to make one bit of difference. Isn't it awesome to know that God loves us, no matter what. Thankyou Jesus! Have a great weekend!

Sketches

2010-09-16T10:15:00.005-05:00

I found this really neat website yesterday, where you can download a picture and have it sketched. So I tried it out on a couple old pics...

Give's it such a different look, doesn't it? Of course for more money, you can purchase a membership that would take you to the better quality stage. I wasn't interested, just fooling around a bit. The reason I was looking for a website that would sketch pictures, was because I had a brainwave of making an album with scrapbook and card layout ideas. Kayla has done allot of cards, so I thought maybe I could run them through this site and make a sketch. Worked quite neat, some pictures being better than others. The cards made with lighter colored papers didn't turn out as well. I haven't found a binder for my project yet, once I do I'll post it. Have a great Thursday!

One Mess of Beasts!!

2010-09-14T10:26:00.009-05:00

I feel that our life, the last while has been taken over by animals!! We actually, had an offer to take this guy off our hands yesterday, but I am not ready to let him go. He's not perfect, but I love the little guy. He's actually not even a year yet. Hard to believe. I think he was born in October some time, I've forgotten the exact date. I'm thinking once he makes it to the one year mark, we'll do something about his eyes, and then have them operated on. The vet thought they might clear up on there own, but no such luck. Right now, I haven't taken allot of pictures of him, because everyone is so shocked by his eyes. We should have named him "Charlie Daniels" after the whiskey, seeing he looks a little like he's had one to many!!

And of course is our mess of cats.....and I means cats.....

Cats.....

We have our white Perisan one named Jack, who we've had a long, long time. We love him to bits, he's a no fuss kind of guy. Then we have our Mama cat Kitty, who doesn't come around as much as she used to. She's a very good hunter, but that's not all she does she came back expecting another litter. Yikes, we haven't even gotten rid of the last batch!! Of that batch it's down to, three males..Socks (dark gray with white feet that look like socks), Fuzzy (who we nickname Fuz for obvious reasons! Very fuzzy!) And then we have a calico one, who sorry to say we haven't even name him. We had two identical calico's for awhile, now one has disappeared. Must have been killed. So we could never tell him apart to be able to name them. Seeing one was a girl, and one was a boy. So I guess we'll have to think of something..And then we have another male cat that adopted us, don't know where he originally came from, but to him we are family, we named him Charlie Brown!! So if you have been counting that is.....One dog and 6 cats....with more buns in the oven so to speak. It is very noisy at feeding time!! I guess we will see how winter goes, we often find the cold we'll tell what kind of cat you have. Some handle it no problem at all, and some simply pass away, because of the extreme temps. I really wouldn't mind a few less cats!! I'm starting to feel like an old lady with her cats!!

The Last, of the First Days, of High School!

2010-09-09T09:57:00.009-05:00

Where has the time gone..sob..sob. Can't believe that today is the last, first day of high school picture that I will take of Kayla. I have been doing it, ever since Kayla started school. It's fun seeing the progression from one grade to the next. Here's her journey through high school..
Grade 9

Grade 10

Grade 11

Grade 12

Wishing God's richest blessings on you Kayla, as you complete Grade 12, and seek the Lord's guidance for your future. Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Matthew 6:34. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct thy path. Proverbs 3:6. With Jesus in the lead, all things are possible. Happy first day, have a fun and fulfilling last year!!

Happy Labour Day!!

2010-09-06T09:31:00.003-05:00

When we think about labour around here, this is what we think of...

This awesome man who provides for us by the sweat of his brow and the hard work of his hands. My daughter Kayla took this awesome picture a few years ago. I'm not saying it's awesome just to brag, but if anyone has every tried to take a picture of someone welding knows how hard it can be. She did a great job, simply capturing the man that we love, labouring!
Happy Labour Day, everyone!

In the Mood, to Scrap!

2010-09-04T10:15:00.004-05:00

It's been a long time since I've done some scrapbooking. But, the last while, I've been feeling more and more, that I need to get into it again. Take some time for myself, and do something just for me. Over time I've come to the conclusion, that we all see things differently, therefore, how I scrap a page, may not be what others would think is nice or how they would do it. And I'm totally ok with that. It's all about being creative, being yourself and having fun!! I've never really been that creative, but I'm trying to let the Lord lead me, and see what he has in store for my life!

This first page was picture that Kayla and I took last summer while just bumming around home, spending time "together" sitting on the front porch. Therefore I tied in the house's to symbolize home!

This next two, is a two page layout... It's when Kayla was 7 years old, and she got her first dog, Daisy....

Unfortunately, it was also the beginning when she learnt allot about life and death. Our dog Daisy died one month after we brought her home, in a freak accident, on our yard. And she has faced death, far more than any child should. But, at the same time, we didn't want to shelter her from it. It's a part of life's journey. I hope you enjoyed looking at my layouts, now that I've gotten back into it, I feel the need to do it more!! Have a great long weekend, God Bless!!

Muskrat Monday!!

2010-08-30T19:23:00.006-05:00

This morning we had a little visitor....

A Muskrat!!

We were alerted by this event by our Hound Dog, Spike. (And yes, we are aware that his eyes do not look very nice, he has cherry eye, and no it will not get better on it's own, we will have to take him to the vet for surgery. We've been asked this question a few times before!! ) Anyway on with my story, he just kept howling and howling, in that typical hound dog kind of sound! So I went to check it out, camera in tow, just in case.

He tried everything to get that little guy to come out. Notice the weeds around the tire are totally flattened. But, the rat would not budge.

Next one of our cats, Charlie wanted to see what all the fuss was about, but Spike let him know with a growl that this was no place for him!!

So he sat there, and sat there all morning. Even through the rain. But, unfortunately while he was doing something else the muskrat got away. Our other dog would have gotten it in a flash, he had Jack Russel Terrier in him and we personal saw him kill a muskrat in a very short time. Very gross, but interesting how different breeds of dogs rely on what's in there genes. So this was our major event for today! I wonder what will happen tomorrow??!!

A Beautiful Photo From a Friend!

2010-08-27T09:51:00.003-05:00

I had this sweet email from a friend today with this picture..

Made my day! Have a great weekend!!

I Love Old Buildings!

2010-08-25T09:43:00.004-05:00

I have always had a love and facination for old buildings. When we go for a ride and we see these abandoned buildings, I think about things such as...What kind of memories did they have there? Why did they leave? Often the windows are broken out and the doors are open wide. Maybe an old rusty tricycle is in the yard. People lived here once, where did they go? I feel, kind of a sadness, of days gone by. It's funny, because I have only shared this interest with a few people, looking through my Dad's slides these were pictures that I found....

He has had some of the same thoughts as me. We've never talked about it, now on film I see that we are linked without words. Life is precious and is done in the twinkle of an eye. Savor it, and enjoy how good we all have it! I know I'm going to!

Last Night,

2010-08-21T09:41:00.005-05:00

around 8:30pm, we had these interesting cloud formations...

It didn't bring us any rain, but apparently allot of people around the Winnipeg area had rain and hail. They showed on the news some hail pieces as big as golf balls and loonies. Hopefully our farmers have been spared. Hail on a crop that needs to be harvested is not a good thing. God Bless, and have a great weekend! (Note: these photo's were taken by Kayla)

Some Deere's Spotted on Our Land, what a Beautiful Sight!

2010-08-19T09:30:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday our renter's finished combining this field of oats. Oh, how I love the sight of those pretty Deere's on the land, not to mention the gentle hum of a combine. Makes me think of High Valley's new song, On the Combine. Can't wait until there CD comes out. Have a great Thursday!

Welcome to Our Neighborhood!

2010-08-13T10:18:00.009-05:00

Everything looks so beautiful around here! I love the look and God's promise about the harvest. Here's a few pics Kayla took the other day...
Oats...

Corn....

Sunflower...

Sunflowers.....

Alfalfa...

Isn't it amazing how a canola field can go from this.....

To this...

Doesn't even look like the same crop does it?

I am not a natural farmer, even after living in the country for 14 years now. I can appreciate everything, and I truly love it out here. But, to my husband's frustration, I will never be a natural country person. I don't particularly like to spend allot of time outside, nor have I ever, even as a child. It may have been that my allergies were problem when I was young as well, only then there was no label for it. Don't get me wrong I like to mow the grass and plant my garden and soak up the sun.(unfortunately it doesn't always like me!) But, I'm not a natural at making a yard look like a thing of beauty. I wish, I was. I know that God made me who that I am, but sometimes a person feels insecure. Living in the house that was my in-laws hasn't been easy and honestly doesn't get any easier. It still feels like there house. The yard still feels like there's. We move a tree, bush or raspberries. And everyone in the family seems to be disappointed that it isn't the way it used to be. The thing is, we have to make it our own. But, feel that it's impossible to do, without hurting people's feelings. I understand where they are coming from though, they grew up here. They want the images in there minds, to be the same now as they were yesterday. Who doesn't want that. Anyway, I guess I got a little side tracked today, I'm feeling a little down and insecure, but I know my Lord will strengthen me! Have a great weekend, everyone! God Bless!!

Enjoying your Summer?!

2010-08-11T10:34:00.002-05:00

Well it's been especially hot around here the last while. I've needed to do some baking, mainly cookies, the last while. But, can't bring myself to heat up our nice air conditioned enviroment!! I came across this picture and remember how my sister and I used to keep cool without spending allot of money. And boy did we have fun, I still remember it!!

So whether you like to spend allot of money or are into cheap thrills like me, enjoy your summer, Christmas is only a touch over 4 months away!! Happy Wednesday!!

2010 harvest for children guinness world record

2010-08-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

Harvest time

2010-08-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

Mark 4:29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Morning Surprise!!

2010-08-03T10:44:00.004-05:00

I had a little surprise this morning when I filled our pets water pail..

Charlie wanted a drink of water, but, wasn't so sure he wanted to share with this creature!!

I just couldn't bring myself to actually touch him and take him out of the water.

But, one luck frogs can jump. He popped out of the water, as if all in a days work! Well I'll be hopping along!!! Have a great Tuesday!!

Heaven Came down and Glory Fills my Soul!

2010-08-01T17:51:00.002-05:00

That's what I think of when I look up at the sky and see rays of light like this...

It's like Christ is opening up the gates of heaven just a little bit to give us a little look! Oh, the wonder of it all.

Received an email today with this caption,

2010-07-28T09:54:00.002-05:00

Model shows up at annual auction ????

Bill Klassen took it yesterday as Kayla was working tagging items for the upcoming auction. Too Funny!!

Our Good Friends,

2010-07-24T09:35:00.006-05:00

are grandparents...His name is Anthony Victor James Thiessen and he was born June 13th, 2010 at 12:47 am. I love how proud they look!

And one of Glad, Michael, Brandy and Anthony.

And this sweet generation picture..That's Glad's Mom.

Email is so nice, you can get in the loop of things and share in there joy! Why is it babies all make us turn to mush?! Love them!! Have a great weekend!

Sneak Peek!

2010-07-17T10:15:00.004-05:00

Here's a sneak peek of a grad shoot, Kayla had with her cousin Natasha last week.

Picture's are all courtesy of and property of Kay Designs, (Kayla Elias).

Life..This and That

2010-07-13T09:46:00.005-05:00

The other day there was this huge rainbow in the sky..So big, I couldn't even get the whole thing in my view finder. Isn't God amazing!!

And of course our life wouldn't be complete without some kitty picture...

They love to play in these concrete bricks. I love the innocence of there play, no worries, just fun, and living in the moment. I think we could learn allot from animals. Just live in the moment and trust our Heavenly Father that he will indeed look after all. Thankyou Jesus!!

My Book is Complete!

2010-07-07T09:10:00.008-05:00

And here is just a sample of a few pages.
Family Memories, Klassen Style.

My Mom and Dad.

Me..

Some family pics!

The back closing page.

Me "the author", it was kind of neat seeing it on the back of the book!

It's so easy to make one these books with our mac computer and the i-photo program. It did cost me a bit, but I thought it was my reward, after all my hard work, with scanning the slides, making a slide show and putting them to disc. I just made the one for myself, Alvin thought I'd put enough into making the discs for my family. So this is something special just for me!!

Ready for the Summer Break!

2010-07-03T10:11:00.004-05:00

After all the hard work grade 11 takes, Kayla is ready for a much needed summer break!!

We are so proud of her, she had an amazing report card, with her grade average putting her on the honor roll list! Which means all of her subjects this year average out being in the 80-90% range.

Next year for the final year, she's shooting for the honor roll of distinction! Yikes, I was happy if I just passed!! Can't believe next year is grade 12, and all that goes with it. Sometimes it feels overwhelming how fast life goes by. Especially when being a parent to Kayla is the best thing that has ever happened to us!

On Friday, June 25th,

2010-06-28T09:12:00.001-05:00

My Niece, Natasha graduated from Garden Valley Collegiate!

So proud of your accomplishment, kiddo!!

Project Complete!!

2010-06-23T19:25:00.001-05:00

Today, I finished the slide project!!!

It ended up being a total of 1071 pictures in total, and approximately 35 hours of work time. Which includes, scanning, editing, labeling and then exporting them out to another file. Some pictures couldn't be saved, so I used by own discretion, which to keep, and which to delete. So the number scanned, was actually greater than the 1071. The actual money value of the cd wallet and dvd's only amounted to about $10.00 each. I made a special slideshow dvd for the beginning of the project, and then added 17 dvd's of various different categories. These dvd's can be played in a dvd player, computer, or taken to any store and have the picture's developed. I made a wallet for my parents, sister and ourselves. I'm going to be giving this to my parents for there up coming birthday on July 2nd and 6th. I hope they are going to like it!

My Girl!

2010-06-21T10:04:00.003-05:00

As I'm writing this, Kayla is writing her last exam, Math. It's funny, how we are so connected that I feel her nerves in my stomach, too. Makes me wonder what I'm going to feel like, as Kayla goes through different things in her life. Graduation, heartbreak, engagement, marriage, babies, the list could go on, and on. But, one thing that truly gives me peace, is the fact that I can pray to the Lord and he will take care of "all". Whatever the "all", will be!

Lil' Scrap Project..

2010-06-17T07:00:00.007-05:00

Many years ago my sister gave me this book.

Unfortunately, it has seen it's better days, as you can see.

So I had a brain wave, how about I make something. Nothing fancy, or even expensive. I started off with a cute little notebook, for a buck at Dollarama.

Then I recycled some old pink ribbon, to make tabs for the months in the year.

This is the inside of the book.

And the months. It's nothing fancy, but it gives me a place to write important dates down. Birthday's and Anniversaries, or whatever. Thought I would just show you my lil project for the week!

Klassen Family Memories, Slideshow!

2010-06-14T15:12:00.003-05:00

Here's a slideshow, kind of a mix mash, of some of our, old picture's, taken from my Dad's slides. It was allot of fun putting this together. (Note: the quality won't be that great, I had to really compress it, to be able to show it here. The original is awesome though!) Hope you enjoy it!

Have a great Monday!