Chinese New Year

Today Natalie made some felt fortune cookies, inside we printed of Proverbs to put inside. We talked about what Chinese New Year is and then the girls used the cookies to play house with their dollies.

i'll praise you in this storm

Last night we got a couple inches of snow so after breakfast the kids got all their winter gear on and headed outside. Chris tied a sled onto the quad and pull the kids around the property for a couple hours. I watched from the window while I nursed the baby.

I love Saturdays like this when there is no plan but the day unfolds.

I taught Natalie how to X stitch, she started a table runner. I love when you sit down and take the time to teach little ones how to do a hand craft how quickly they picked it up.

While today was particularly a nice quiet day, our family has had much heart ache around us. This past week we have spent a good part of our days stopping an praying together. Praying when hearts hurt, praying when someone feels unsure, praying when a tear falls.

It's an interesting thing, for those that read my blog you may remember I said for 2012 I was going to dive head first into my prayer life.

We have been praying as a family for the salvation of a few family members.

-my youngest brother (21) had cancer this year. He had is thyroid removed and did radiation over the holiday season.

-my aunt was diagnosed after Christmas with a brain tumor and lung cancer she was given 1 - 5 months to live. This Monday she will be having brain surgery to "buy her a little more time" yet the surgery is 50/50.

-then another blow this Friday, my other brother Frankie (23) was took to the ER with a suspected stroke. After a CT scan and then an MRI he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and M.S. :(

Our hearts are breaking - we are praying and interceding for their salvation.

I share this so you too would remember them and pray that they would turn to the Lord. All three of them are unsaved, I realize that we are not in a battle with flesh and blood, but against demonic powers, wicked spirits in the heavenly sphere, who are trying to influence and control them. Ephesians 6:12. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “I give you authority and power over all the power of the enemy” and so nothing shall in any way harm us.

Please also if you think of it lift me in prayer too. I find when

things get hard and I retreat to my prayer closet the devil throws fiery darts my way. I struggle to rebuke them

and not believe the lies of the enemy. But I will keep my eyes fixed on my Savior during this storm.

Great is THY faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have
needed (peace) Thy hand has provided. Great is they faithfulness, Lord
unto me.Pardon for sin( hurt and unforgivness)and peace that
endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide. Strength for today and
bright hope for tomorrow ( healing and salvation). Blessings all
mine, with 10,000 beside!

10 things

1. steamed milk
2. devotions by the fire
3. hot baths
4. heavy blankets
5. warm little bodys cuddled up to me
6. candle light
7. children knitting
8. missionary stories
9. nursing an older baby
10. painting with preschoolers

Something for Nothing

This is a very sweet book, a very dear friend gave it to my children as "big brother big sister gift" after I had my last baby. . This sweet story adapted from an old Jewish folksong about a grandfather who makes his grandson a blanket, and as the years go on, and the blanket gets worn, he makes other items out of it. And as those other items get tattered and torn, the inventive grandfather makes another item out of the remaining cloth , and so on and so forth. At the bottom of the page, there is a little mouse family that you see growing along with the boy, and how they use the scraps of this blanket in their little mouse lives. So beyond the reading of the storys words, you also are looking on each page to see what’s new, the mother has a baby, then you watch how he gets older on the upcoming pages, the mouse house changes, there is more time spent looking at the illustrations then there is actually reading the words, which makes it a great book for all ages. The story is told in a repetitive and rhythmic manner with excellent timing – “There’s just enough material here to make…” requires a turn of the page to find out the answer, the kids anticipate what's coming next even though we have read the book a thousand times.This really is a must have for children.

i want to linger here

Last night I couldn't sleep, I woke up what seemed to be every 40 mins or so. The snow was falling outside, there are no street lights here which makes it very hard to see the snow. At 11 o'clock I went to find a little flash light so I could hold it up against the window and watch the snow fall.

It's beautiful.

This morning we got up and ready for church when as we were heading out the door my 6 year old say he has a sore throat. I cup my hand on his forehead and sure enough he is feverish.

Everyone gets changed out of their Sunday clothes and the healthy ones dress for sledding.

Somethings I'm loving

napping babies

ruffle bum tights

simplicity in our days

Chai lattes with a friend

the way my oldest adores my youngest. and vice versa

baby dimples on rollie pollie legs

reading Seven Silly Eaters many times a day

brothers reading to brothers

lego displays

pop corn

crackling fires

simmering soup

hot chocolate stained faces

midnight cuddles from wee boy

the whistle on my kettle

deep talks about the Lord

Rachael praying in the morning

He is Good

As you know this fall I was diagnosed with thyroid disease, fear completely took a grip on me.

For the past two months we have prayed and prayed AND PRAYED. Did I mention we prayed. LOL

I asked the Lord to peel my heart like an onion, show me what I was not willing to give over to Him or what I had not dealt with.
I love the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, I love that He is molding me into a vessel of Honor. He gently walked me down a road of healing in my heart and he knew as a wife a mother of seven this would get my attention.
Thyroid disease is an autoimmune disease that is "incurable". But we serve a God that is bigger than an incurable disease and I decided I was going to pound the doors of heaven and be healed
for HIS Glory.
I have been going for blood tests because I had refused to go on medication I needed to know I was healed and med's would have masked real healing.
This past weekend I said to Chris " I know I'm healed I just know it." This week I went for my routine blood work and guess what?! My thyroid is 100% functioning.

Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits?
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
Psalms 103-2-3

Back to the Books

This past Monday I got to see my Gramma for the first time in over 10 years. She had only ever met 2 of my children so this was very nice for her to meet my seven. My sister is in the green she is also a mama to a large family with six.

"Oh Hannie your getting TOO big"

After a relaxing Christmas break we hit the school books again on Tuesday. Everyone was excited to start up again. The days are full and busy teaching four different grades but we all are learning alot as we go.
We are almost finished reading School Days with The Millars, funny thing is I swear these little stories speak more to me. :) This week is short for us, on Friday the oldest 4 maybe 5 will be skiing all day.

Keeping Warm

"We must prepare our sons to go out into the world, face obstacles, work hard, and provide for a household with integrity. Mothers can unwittingly undermine this preparation by mollycoddling their sons.

If mothers are protecting and pampering their sons, they will grow up to be milksops (also known as sissies), and obviously, this is not honoring to God.


Our aim for our sons is maturity.


We want them to be able to stand with their father against his enemies in the city gate (Psalm 127). We want them to be tough, not fragile. Mothers cannot fight their son's battles and they should not shelter them from consequences of their actions....."
Nancy Wilson,