FAREWELL BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND FAMILY TIMES

This year Jt's birthday party, his 24th, was bittersweet. Everyone came over Friday night for our favorite family cake--4 layer chocolate with what we call "Amish" frosting. Would anyone like the recipe? I'll post it if I get requests.





Emma and Sophie are pictured suspiciously near the cake with my son, Jeremiah. I am prejudiced, but I think he's handsome. Sophie's fingers and toes ended up in the frosting before we got the picture done.





I remember the day JT was born 24 years ago like it was yesterday. He was a beautiful little baby. Went in for a checkup in the morning and he was born at 2:10 pm. Easy delivery. No mistaking him for a girl--he looked like a boy right from day one. He was a good eater and a big baby. He's been a blessing from God. Now tomorrow, he's moving to Colorado Springs to attend Bible school at Charis Bible college. Since I'm a big fan of Andrew Wommack's teachings, I'm kind of jealous! We did a similar thing to our parents when we were about his age--actually a little older. We moved our two kids to Ohio to attend Bible school in preparation for ministry. It's really hard to see them go. We've been so close for so long. It will be a change for him. He grew up in our church here at New Covenant and he's never attended anywhere else except for the few Sundays we were in Ohio and he was only 5. (We came home 3 out of 7 Sundays that year so Clint could preach at our home church in pastoral transition at the time).

So because they are leaving so soon, I'm including this family post with pictures of Emma Rose and Sophia Truth. Sophie is getting big so fast. See her posing as a princess?I suppose she'll change the most by the time we see her again. Emma is talking alot and amazes us with her two year old intelligence. In the one picture we are reading her "shapes" book. She can name all the shapes and colors without hesitation. I can't begin to describe how their departure will affect our family and church. JT has been a key part of the worship team for years and years. He plays four instruments and can replace almost any member of the team. He will be sorely missed especially since there is currently no one to replace him. Kori is talented in a number of areas and is a capable and dependable church member.
Pray for us when we come to mind. I am uncertain how this family separation will feel. I'm not liking the thought of missing those babies, but I know they are in God's will with this move. Early on when we found out they were considering a move I felt the Lord speak to me something like this: 'Don't whine about them moving. Many parents would give anything to just have their children show any interest at all in the Gospel let alone going off for Bible school training.' That has given me great comfort in these months of preparation.



The more we have learned about our family--even just in the last few weeks with our genealogical research has added to the bittersweetness of this separation. My ancestors have lived here since before the Civil War. Clint's family was here not long after that, but we've all lived in the midwest forever. To say goodbye is difficult. Yet, the stories are the same in all our research--it appears that our ancestors kept moving-- came here from Europe for a better life and then from New England westward to Ohio and Michigan with a pioneering spirit. Can we deny any less to our children? God bless them--the next generation of pioneers! Blessings, LORI

FRUGAL SEWING TIPS IN THE TRADITION OF PROVERBS 31

I was pretty excited about today's accomplishment! I got the piecing done on a patchwork chair cushion I had had in the works for years--yes, years! I started making a patchwork cushion cover to replace a very, very old one that still adorns my great grandma's chair. She was born around the 1873. The wicker rocker sits in my sewing room and I'm sure my grandma replaced the cushion sometime in the 1960's or 70's. But it's time for a new one....so that finally got done. Now I just have to finish assembling it.

Then I started a much needed repair on this black jacket. It's a lightweight blouse I found at a Goodwill a few years ago. I literally weaR this jacket over almost everything I own. It's my all purpose-matches everything-hides midriff fat jacket! I don't know what I'd do without this versatile wardrobe accessory. I wear it with jeans, crop pants, and fancy dresses. It is the completing touch for my WW1 style outfits I concoct. I couple it with black skirts, tapestry skirts, and use it over camisoles to be more modest. Because of the constant wear, it was getting kind of "ratty," and very seedy-looking. I had a special event to attend tonight at the church I grew up in--one of their special services for their 150th celebration. I needed to couple this jacket with a dress Clint bought me a few years ago that is now so tight it can't be used alone and still look good. (Oops! Get on a diet!) I slung this jacket over the dress--a black sequin-embroidered flapper style with handkerchief hem and then put a velvet print skirt of mostly black underneath the dress. What a beautiful combination! The muted colors of the skirt showed out from under the uneven hem of the dress.

These pictures are of a few of the construction details I used to "fix" the jacket and bring it up to new quality again. I meshed two strips of narrow lace together (because I didn't have the right width) and replaced all the lace that looks grey in the picture. It was faded from being washed so much. Then I replaced the wide lace at the hemline with a new strip of wide lace. When done, I carefully cut away the old lace underneath with very pointed, tiny sharp scissors. This saved me from tearing out hems and seams to fit the lace in.

When I arrived at the event this evening, an older lady told me my outfit reminded her of some antique necklaces she had at home and if I'd come over, maybe I'd like to have them! This was a very wonderful compliment for me--since I'm the queen of antique and vintage looking jewelry!!!!! Which brings up another subject....today Rhiannon and I think we found amongst my grandma's antique buttons a button from my great, great grandpa's Civil War Uniform. She spotted this miltary button and then checked online. It appears to be the original button. We wrote the manufacturer for imformation to confirm this. Will picture the button in question sometime in the future if it turns out to be authentic! Blessings, LORI