Afternoon Tea with a Neighbor

A home garden tour followed by herbal tea from said garden made for a refreshing afternoon. Chamomile for me, please!

Hannah's Birthday Celebrations

I love birthdays. Showing the special one how special they really are. Breaking out the beautiful dishes. Cake. Specially selected gifts. A clean and festive house.

Equal in my affection for birthdays is the day after when we take a little extra rest, enjoy the gifts (watercolor supplies for Hannah this year), and have a night off from cooking while we eat a most delicious birthday-meal-round-two complete with cake, ice cream, and of course, quality black tea.

Happy Birthday, dear sister!

Celebrating Thirty-Five Years

Egg and grain free carrot cake

Sisters...

Maren (behind the camera), Hannah (right), me/the 35 year old (left)

Mom's Birthday Gift

We celebrated Mom's birthday over two days this year. On her real birthday we four prairie dwellers celebrated in quiet ways while Dad recovered from a bug. A couple days later the lakes area family joined us for a party made lively by a nearly one year old. This was Mom's first year to hold a grandchild at her birthday party. She waited a long time for that gift, yet he was worth the patient wait.

There are many more promised gifts for which she and we wait, knowing that the One who promised is faithful.

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

- Lamentations 3:25-26 -

June 29: Dad's Birthday

A Visit

State Park Birthday

It is becoming a tradition to celebrate Hannah's birthday at a local state park. The evening was made beautiful with family, loon calls, good food, and mist as we left.

Strawberry Delight

For a special Easter dessert this year, I tried to replicate the idea of our family's Mile High Strawberry Pie Easter tradition. I relied heavily on Low Carb Yum's Keto Strawberry Cream Pie with Pecan Crust for the filling of this dessert (main alterations being added salt and lemon juice and change of sweetener). To fit my dietary needs, the crust is of my own creation, same as what I developed for last year's Thanksgiving pumpkin pie but thinner. Let me intruduce our new favorite...

STRAWBERRY DELIGHT

grain, gluten, dairy, nut, egg, refined sugar + alcohol free, keto

Crust:

1/4 + 1/8 c. coconut flour

1/4 + 1/8 c. tigernut flour

1-1/2 tsp. gelatin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. (2 oz) melted ghee or coconut oil

Mix well + press into bottom of 9"pie plate or springform pan. (The first few slices removed from a pie plate get a little messy, so the springform pan is for the perfectionists out there.) Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Chill.

Filling:

1# frozen strawberries, thawed overnight at room temperature

1/4 tsp. stevia

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tsp. lemon juice

Puree in blender.

1 T. + 1/2 tsp. gelatin

3 T. cold water

3 T. boiling water

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water to bloom. Once gelatin is fully hydrated, whisk in boiling water until gelatin is dissolved. Set aside.

1 can (13.5 fl oz) heavy coconut cream, chilled

25 drops stevia

3/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder (or 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract)

1/8 tsp. salt

Scoop thick part of cream into a medium mixing bowl (use the thinner part for something else). Add other ingredients + beat until slightly softer and fluffier.

Mix gelatin mixture into strawberry puree + fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust + chill until set, about 4 hours.

Visit No. 4

Our final visit of the trip was to Dad's brother's newly widowed wife and one of her daughters. While Hannah and I were unable to visit at a time our aunt was in her southern home, we were able to spend a relaxed afternoon catching up with our cousin. Dad and Mom later spent a Sunday of church and visit with both Gerri and Xandra.

Kind Neighbors

In early February we at last settled in Florida. While Dad and Mom spent much of the first day getting our camper repaired, Hannah and I were being well cared for in camp by our Canadian neighbors . Our "homeless" state on a chilly day caught their attention, and it wasn't long before they hooked up their electric heater for us to keep our feet warm by. It just so happened that they had the same camper, though different model, as we.

Visit No. 2

After two and a half days on the road, we were ready for a break, a (tired) visit with dear friends, and showers. Carmosina has prayed us through some hard times and is our encourager and role model in staying steadfast through chronic illness. We long for healing for Carmosina, yet know it is likely she will be released from pain only when she sees her Savior's face. He has sustained her through decades of unimaginable loss and pain.

Vovo (Brazilian for grandma).

Ester took us women on a walk through the beautiful North Carolina woods.

God providentionally helped us discover a fountain in our camper bathroom during our one night stay near our friends. The timing was right to reserve a spot in the crammed schedule of a repair center near our first campsite in Florida. An unwanted challenge showed us the providing hand of our Father.

Imagination at work in the campground. 

A Fake-Birthday Party

Before going back to Florida photos, let's rewind to January and a pre-birthday party we had for Maren and Jason. We were to be away for both of their special days, so an early, joint celebration was in order. There are no words to say how grateful we are for this dear family.

Of course Joseph at two and a half months got as much attention as the birthday boy and girl.

Tradition

Grandma R. was a woman of many traditions, each of which brought beauty and a sense of care to those she loved and served. One tradition was to bring out her beautiful hand made dish towels every holiday for post-feast clean up. Now we have a few towels from her set and have begun carrying on her holiday tradition in our home.

Christmas Highlights

Many moments of pondering the wonder of God with us, my Savior. 

Semi-nightly advent readings with family.

Cleaning the two main floors of our house together as a family - the first we've been strong enough to do that in years. (Not easy, and definitely with consequences to our health, but so thrilling after years on the couch. Having a house cleaner than it has been in years was also a thrill to my homemaker soul.)

Twenty-four hours as a family of seven under one roof.

Beautiful, songs of praise at our Christmas Eve church service, including a trumpet/piano duet by Dad and Hannah and a solo sung by Jason. (Hannah and I attended the service despite our chemical sensitivities.)

Aunt time.

Knitting while listening to old Adventures in Odyssey Christmas stories. 

Thanksgiving 2019

We rejoiced to be a family of seven once again at our Thanksgiving celebration this year. At the same time we mourned the the coming loss of Dad's brother who was fighting out his last days in a cancer ridden body. One day we will meet him and many others we love for an eternal Thanksgiving. There we will be much,  much more than a family of seven. 

Keto Cranberry Sauce

KETO CRANBERRY SAUCE

12 oz fresh cranberries

3/4 c. water

1-1/4 tsp. liquid stevia (we use SweetLeaf, SteviaClear)

Place all in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or chilled.

Dad's Birthday at the Lake

Home Away from Home

Our Airbnb home while doctoring is a bit of God's goodness to us. 

- cleaned naturally (without chemicals that make us sick)

- surrounded by quaint gardens and flower pots

- room for the whole family when needed

- equipped with everything we need and more (including an espresso machine which we made good use of for the first time this year, as we are able to tolerate more caffeine)

- friendly landlady next door

- a comfortable distance from our doctors 

- at the foot of the beautiful bluffs

May 26, 2019

We celebrated Hannah's birthday at a local state park again. This time Maren and Jason were able to join us, since her birthday fell on Sunday, the day their greenhouse is closed. 

Celebrating Parents

Mother's Day and Father's Day are past, and Independence Day is fast approaching, yet memories remain. This year we will remember as our first year to celebrate Maren and Jason's parenthood with a little miracle baby on the way.

We spent Mother's Day weekend at Maren and Jason's greenhouse helping where we could. On Sunday we enjoyed a day of rest with them before packing up and heading home.

Father's Day went by in a blur of chronic illness, yet we enjoyed each other and the gardens Dad and Mom tend.

I am blessed to have been given parents who lead me in the path of truth.

"Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck."

- Proverbs 1:8-9 -