Boys Wanted

Boys of spirit, boys of will,
Boys of muscle, brain and power,
Fit to cope with anything,
These are wanted every hour.

Not the weak and whining drones,
Who all troubles magnify;
Not the watchword of "I can't,"
But the nobler one, "I'll try."

Do whate'er you have to do
With a true and earnest zeal;
Bend your sinews to the task,
"Put your shoulders to the wheel."

Though your duty may be hard,
Look not on it as an ill;
If it be an honest task,
Do it with an honest will.

In the workshop, on the farm,
At the desk, where'er you be,
From your future efforts, boys,
Comes a nation's destiny.

 

Chia Pudding

I just discovered this recipe the other day on a food blog that Mama and I have been looking at.  I knew that we had chia seeds and coconut milk, and it sounded interesting, so I tried it out today.  Oh. My. Goodness. (!!!)  This is incredible stuff! We didn't have vanilla beans, so I left them out.   I didn't really care for the plain version, so I added maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cocoa to make a delightful chocolate pudding.  We haven't eaten it yet, but I've been "snacking" out of the bowl and can barely wait for the rest of my family to taste it!  If you end up making it, please let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut or almond milk or yogurt
1-2 tablespoons chia seed
Vanilla bean and a pinch of salt (optional)

Directions:
Shake 1 cup coconut milk with chia seed in a jar with a tight lid.  Make sure you leave room in the jar for the seeds to swell.  Allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes for the chia to swell completely.  Add toppings of your choice!

ENJOY!

Buckwheat Gingersnap Cookies

Brooke Noble posted this amazingly delicious recipe on her blog earlier this year. Since then, it has become a family favorite.  I made another batch of these cookies today and wanted to share the recipe with y'all.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together the first 6 ingredients. Combine the remaining ingredients and beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating well (the dough will be pretty wet).

Form into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 9 to 10 minutes, until nice and “cracked” on the top. :)

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

(Brookie, I think of you every time I make these cookies! :)

A Busy (and fun!) Week

We recently had some friends of ours stay with us for a few days while their parents are in Paris on a business trip.  We had a lot of fun with them!  They came Monday and we went down to a nearby park.  We enjoyed games of baseball and Ultimate Frisbee and then made our way back home.  Tuesday was a big day for Jacob and Jonas especially!  We went out to the Richter's farm and the younger kids rode horses.  Jacob said that the horse was "like a car, but with no motor".  :) Here are some pictures that I took on Monday and Tuesday.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any during the rest of their stay.

Baseball!  

 Maybe this is Tessa's "don't take pictures of me" face!?!

 

 Jonas just loved the horses!

Cleaning Sparkles' hooves before riding. 

 I thought that Ashlyn's ballerina skirt and cowgirl boots were really cute when combined in the same outfit.

 He had a smile on his face almost the entire time!

 

 Jonas on Sparkles.  :)

 

 I wonder what this face means... :)

 Sisters.  :)

 Misty

 

Snow and God's World Photography

I can barely believe this, but....................it's snowing here!  Yesterday was gorgeous with temperatures in the 70s.  Then, last night, we had a lovely thunderstorm :) and now, it's looking like winter in the middle of spring!  :)  The snow disappears almost as soon as it touched the ground, but it is snow!  I went out in a sweatshirt, capris, and flip-flops and found out that it's not exactly the smartest choice when snow is falling.  :)  I got a few pictures to "prove" to you that we do indeed have snow... :) 

Wow!  That's a lot of smiley faces.  I guess I'm just happy today!  :)  :)  :)  I hope you are, too!  :)

Sorry about quality on this one.  It was very dark and I had to lighten it up. 

Just because it's pretty...!  :) 

And now for a special announcement:  (!!!)  :)
Some fellow photographers and very dear friends of ours have recently launched a photography blog called God's World Photography. Elijah and I have become contributors and you would be more than welcome to do the same. Please visit the site and let us know what you think of it! Also, it would be wonderful if you would let any of your photographer friends and family know of the site! Thanks so much and have a blessed day, overflowing with joy because of Jesus!


To God be the Glory,
Hannah

Package "Directions" Gone Wrong!

This picture is from a l--o--n--g time ago!  (2008)

Hello everyone! 

I just thought you might enjoy a good laugh over these goofy advertisements/package directions sent from us by our Uncle Tom and Aunt Barbara (pictured above):

Illiterate?  Write today for free help.

Auto repair service.  Free pick up and delivery.  Try us once.  You'll never go anywhere again. 

Stock up and save.  Limit: one.

3-year-old teacher needed for pre-school.  Experience preferred.

"Keep away from children." On a bottle of baby lotion.

"Do not use while sleeping." On a hairdryer.

"Do not take if allergic to aspirin."  On a bottle of aspirin.

"Do not light in face.  Do not expose to flame."  On a lighter.

"Some assembly required."  On a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle.

"May be harmful if swallowed."  On a shipment of hammers.

"Instructions: Put on food." On a bottle of ketchup.

"Do not attempt to stop the blade with your hand."  In the manual for a chainsaw.

"These earplugs are non-toxic but may interfere with breathing if caught in windpipe."  On a package of earplugs.

"Warning: may contain nuts."  On a package of peanuts.

"Warning: may cause drowsiness."  On a bottle of sleeping pills.

"This product may cause harm if eaten."  On an aluminum chair.

"Do not turn upside down."  On the bottom of a dessert package.

"Do not iron clothes on body."  On packaging for an iron.

"Contents may catch fire."  On a book of matches.

Have a blessed and joy-filled day!
To God be the Glory,
Hannah

Our Great High Priest

Hebrews 4:14-16

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Time with Grandpa

We were recently in Iowa and got to spend some memorable time with our Grandpa. We did an awful lot together and had tons of fun. There was work to be done as well. Grandpa is currently restoring a 1954 Corvette, so we got to help with that and gain valuable knowledge in the process. I took bunches and bunches of pictures while we were there. I hope that you enjoy them!

The tulips are blooming!

We stopped at Dairy Queen and Grandpa treated us to chocolate malts.  I thought that this sign was funny!  :)

I love reflections!

Elijah got a ride in Grandpa's model A.

Papa buffed the model A and the result was incredible.  The reflection was so deep and clear!

Jeremiah in the Corvette.

I walked around the car and this is what I saw! :)

Elijah shined up the whitewalls on the Corvette.  It was amazing when he was done!

Grandpa taught Elijah how to operate the 0 radius turn mower.

Jeremiah had a "blast" on the Gator!  :)

Papa also buffed the Corvette with the same results as the model A.  It looked like a whole new car!

I found this tree in Grandpa's back yard.  I'd never seen anything like it before!

I love this shot!

I couldn't get enough of this tree.  Isn't it gorgeous!?!

We thought that this barn was so neat!

Grandpa also took us to a private air museum.  It was incredible what the man, his wife, and daughter had accumulated over the years!  There was so much there and so much to learn.  We spent quite a while there, but, in the end, I still felt like I could have stayed another couple of hours!

We did some cleaning in Grandpa's shop one day and he used this stuff to clean some paint off of the floor.  It smelled really nasty!  I picked it up to put it away after we were done with it and noted that "this stuff is sickening."  Then I saw the brand name!  I burst out laughing and, if you know me, you probably guessed that I ran for the camera right away.  :)

We made chili for lunch one day and had a really sweet time doing it together with Grandpa, laughing, joking, and making memories.

The violets are out and are just a joy to see blooming along the roadside, and adding a splash of color to the landscape.

I saw this picture and thought that the daffodil looked like it was singing.  :)

We visited one of Grandpa's friends and this was a lovely spiral staircase that she has in her home. 

The boys cut wood one day.  It was fun to see them running the chainsaw!

Rainbow eyes.  :) 

He's got sawdust in his hair.  :)

After an hour or two of work, here's what they had done.  Not bad!  :)

Grandpa taught Elijah how to run the skid loader.

Buddies.  :)