It is SONday!

Hello sweet ladies,

It is SONday.............are you ready for worship? I woke this morning and my first words were, "Good Morning Jesus"..........another day to worship HIM!  

I have been listening to the radio as I am putting this post up this morning. I have been so encouraged by some of the words. Do you ever feel like life is just so big? A precious sweet lady said she  reads my blog, wrote me early this morning. When she shared a little of "her story", my heart ached for her........some of you out there have some very hard "living out daily stories" that hurt........real bad and they go on day after day after day. I was reminded this morning that as I was going to sleep last night, I prayed.......for you all. Knowing that she was one that I was praying for and will continue to pray for. I am so thankful that I can bring you before the one, the true Father. He truly has the answers for all of our needs. One song Blessed me so much was  called The Way by Jeremy Camp, the key ladies is to keep our minds filled with Truth..........because the world has lies and those lies are told to us daily. We have one that died for us........so that we MIGHT LIVE..............IN HIM! Thank you Jesus!

I know some of you are discouraged........keep praising the Lord. Don't let the doubts stay in your mind.........listen to Christian music.........put on scripture and play it through your HOME. It will help. 

All creation cried out with longing

With groans only You could comprehend

And with wisdom, You always answer

And give the words of life so unfailing

And Your glory shines all around us

Your faithfulness shown for all to see

When we think of all of Your wonders

The beauty of your plan that's been revealed

We walk in Your light, we walk in it

Shine, bright 

Let Your glory fill this land

Lift high, the King of Kings and great I am

Jesus, You are the way

We can see the works of Your loving hands

With a hope and peace not made by man

When You poured out Your grace and Your mercy

And You held out Your arms so we could see

You bled for all mankind and set the captives free

Shine bright
Let Your glory fill this land

Lift high, the King of Kings and great I am

Jesus, You are the way

Na na na na na na, Jesus

This song was written by a young man who knew his little sweetheart to be had cancer........they married anyway. Read their story here. God taught him much during this time, his little wife  told him if she ended up dying from her disease that as long as her death led one person to Christ that it would all be worth it. 

I hope if you are down today.........this will bless you.

May the Lord be your everything today, 

Linda

Yoder Chicken Auction....so much fun!

Good Morning Sweet Ladies, 

First off, thank you all who signed up for our Building our Homes Together..........I so enjoy reading and learning all the wonderful things you have to teach us all each week! If you still want to link up, you are welcome. It was yesterday's post. Also thank you for the orders...........for the fabric and apron patterns. 

Oh my oh my, did we have fun yesterday at the Yoder Auction. Earlier in the morning I called the Amish man named David who has the auction every last Friday of the month. They start at 4 pm. I had to wait, because some of the Amish have little phone booths at the end of their driveway or somewhere away from their home. A lot have businesses like building buggies,  putting on horse shoes or training horses and such.  David called back and gave us permission to set up a table. All we had to do was to give 10% back to him. That sounded wonderful to us!!!!!! We had our water and table all set up along the edge. Ready for all who were thirsty. 

I enjoy everything about going to an auction, 

the people, 

little girls and puppies for $5.00

 

little boys with their fathers. 

This man was really interesting to talk with, his son had a sale barn in another city......he would resell the ones he bought at this auction. 

Roosters, notice the egg on top of the cage?

Love the Momma Hens!!!!!!!

I loved watching this family taking the roosters out of one cage and putting them into another. The roosters did not want to go in! 

Funny looking ducks!

Big beautiful geese

Every kind of cage you can imagine! I really like cages for some reason............not sure why. Like how farmers make cages using everything from their farms. 

 They had a small horse cart.......... think it would be fun to have if you had a horse that it fit. 

They also had a goat, baby pigs, baby guinness, peacocks, an old old huge wooden incubator, the same kind my parents had when we lived in Alaska. Took me back to the time I was growing up. You had to raise livestock when you homesteaded. Having a incubator helped get a lot of chickens, ducks and geese at one time. I so remember the incubator in our home. 

We only bid on one thing the whole day........Tonya needed a nester coop box. It wasn't in the best shape, but we could fix it up easily enough. They had one only one. 

Tonya gave Ian their number, he was right up next to the auctioneer's assistant....ready to bid..... he was not sure what to do, so Poppa was going to help. They started the bidding at $10, that was all she was willing to pay. Went for 27.50, couldn't believe it!!!!!!!!

This little guy was ready to call it a day. 

The reason we were at the auction was to sell iced cold water. We asked the Lord to be with our time..........He was. There is no other word for it. He blessed us in the 3 1/2 hours that we were there. It kind of went slow at first and my sweet man thought with the size of the crowd and not as many auction items there...... we might not do so well. Finally the auction started, we were at the other end of where they were starting the bidding, but when people started walking around and getting hot they started to come by. A few highlights was when a few would donate for no reason other then to help bring Vitaliy Home. Others came and gave us a 20 and would take only one or two bottles. A man came and gave a 20 and took only 3 and said, "keep the change". The next time the same man came by again, he gave a $50 for only 3 more bottles, said he would be back if he needed more water. At the end of the auction he took only 3 more. We were so humbled........I am being changed ladies, so is our family. One precious lady came and told how she and her husband adopted their children. Precious to listen to their story. Tonya was connected to this lady.........loved watching the Lord moving. Last night we ate with Josh and Tonya........as we bowed our heads to eat.......Josh gave thanks for the people that are helping us. It is so huge for us, but we want Vitaliy to have a home and a momma and daddy, his died when he was little. I wish we could have lots of children come and live with who need homes. We are starting with one..........who knows where the Lord will take us. We made $114 when the day was done. It was a good day. We only sold about 20 some bottles..........we have 580 bottles left. Smile. He is such a precious Father to the fatherless. 

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is Holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

See all these feathers........they were everywhere on the ground. The children and I walked all over and picked up as many as we could find. Tressy is making something really cool to sell. We will keep you posted. She is working her little fingers today. Can't wait to show you. Great CHRISTmas gifts......never to early to start shopping if you need one!

Tonya is selling really cute pendents on her blog that have been donated to their family to raise money  Come Rest At His Table, if you are interested. Please please know that many have asked us how they can help us............this is absolutely nnnnnnnooooot be a burden to any who come to my blog! I am journaling our adoption journey on adopting V. Sometimes when you do this on a blog you give others ideas on fundraiser ideas. 

Thank you also......... to all who bought fabric and the apron pattern yesterday. 

WE SO APPRECIATE YOU! 

 If any of you are adopting please send us your way........we want to help. 

Hugs to your day!!!!!!! 

Linda

9th Building Our Homes Together with Jesus

Hello sweet ladies, 

Building our Homes looks different for each family. It is about each individual in each home, making life stories together. Have you ever thought about that. It has been really wonderful coming over to all those who link up every Wednesday, reading about what is going on in your Home and how you are being used in the lives of others. I am sorry that my internet provider was not working this last Wednesday. Some of you put your BOHT, up on your blogs so if you want you can just link up even though it is Friday. Thank you! You kept it right on going! 

Here is a picture of our Vitaily last November when he first came. He has been waiting to be adopted until the first part of January. We have missed him so much and our dream is about to come true in a few months!!!!!! 


 Vitaliy will be coming Home to America.......to live with our son's family! He will be an American!!!!!!!! 

I have some wonderful news to tell you all. Vitaliy, Lord willing is going to be a part of our family!!!!! We are so excited!!!!!!!!!!! We have been waiting, praying and fundraising since the beginning of 2011.  They told Josh and Tonya a few months back that they were moving the adoption agency they are working with and so they had to really hurry to get there dossier in before July 11th or they would have to wait another 3-5 months to adopt Vitaliy. Everything was being pushed so fast and it was very stressful. One paper was lost,.......Tonya had to travel to Topeka to get papers with official stamps, lots of things had to be finished......they met the deadline. It was truly a miracle, we were so thankful that you were telling us you were praying. Anyway they got everything in and since then the date has been changing again on when they will have to fly out for the court dates.......first they said Oct, Sept, now they say the end of August. Exciting, but lots of money has to still be raised.  I think I have told you that our Tressa is going to travel with Tonya on the second trip over to pick Vitaliy up. We thought we had more time to raise some money, but God knows what is going on. We have some fundraisers going on, so please would you pray with us for the amount we need to be raised.

We are truly BUILDING OUR HOME with Jesus, a new grandchild will be ours. Teaching him the Love of Jesus will be our favorite thing to do. He has had some Christian influence in his life. Missionaries come every summer to do Vacation Bible School at the orphanage. Bless them!!!!!! We are grateful! What an adventure we have been on......the best is yet to come. 

If you click on the pic you can see it better.

Tressa our daughter will be needing airfare and money for expenses  when she goes to help bring Vitaily home the second time. Josh and Tonya stay for 2 weeks, come back and then Tressa and Tonya go over and stay for another 2-3 weeks. It is just the way the adoption agency works things. 

I was able to buy 40 yards of my Americana fabric line. I can get more if I need to. All the fabric that we sell will go towards Tressa's needs to go over to pick up Vitaliy. You can make napkins, aprons, bread clothes, tea towels,  curtains, pillows, or a quilt with it. You may have some other ideas for this fabric. I would love to here. 

It is 100% cotton with gold flecks. click on pic.....you can see it better. 

 If you would like to order some fabric, please put in the subject line of the email put, Americana Fabric, it costs  $8.75 a yard/ plus shipping depending on yards.  If you want to pay using paypal, we will send you an invoice. You can also pay using a check or money order. My email addy is up at the top in the about me. Thank you for helping us.

Click here to buy

Also I still have the Friends Are Like Flowers In My Garden e-pattern, on sale until this Sunday! $5.75 sale price. After July $7.00. 


We will be selling water at the Yoder Chicken Auction on Friday afternoon. We hope we sell a lot! We have 600 bottles to sell. 

Hugs and thank you so much for praying for us!

Linda

Ready to link up for those

 who want to?

Here is how to link up to

use the linky below in four easy steps.

Go to the bottom of my post and it will say

You are next click on

Click here to enter

Up will come this.

1. Enter a link to your blog post (this has to be the post you are wanting to show us)

2. Enter a caption

3. Enter your email

4. Upload a thumbnail (picture)

One more thing if you want to link all the linkys to your blog, there is a place that says GET THE CODE HERE.

Please put our Building Our Homes Together logo on your blog and have it link back to us! Thank you!

Internet Just Came Back On!

Hello Sweet Ladies,

I AM BACK!!!!!! Thank you Prairie Maid, for putting a post up for me yesterday. 

To say I am a little frazzled is an understatement!!!!! Sad that I don't have time to put up Building Our Homes Together today........but Lord willing I will get it up tomorrow and those of you who were ready, you can come over and link up. So sorry. It is weird how things like this happen. If you don't see me tomorrow.............you know what is going on........again. If it is off, we will reschedule for next Wednesday. 

Prairie Maid called to see if we had internet yet just a bit ago.........I said it had just come back on. We talked a bit.  I knew I didn't have time to put up much, but she got me to thinking of a little something.

A few years back I did an interview with Jill Novak with The Girlhood Home Companion. Prairie Maid was asking a few questions this morning on how I got started on designing fabric. I told her about the "faith interview" explaining how it all started (along the sidebar). Thought maybe some of you had never heard it either..........sooooooo if you would like to listen you are welcome! It is right along the sidebar under About Me. If you have anymore questions after you listen........just ask me!

Hannah is really hurting right now! Thank you for praying.......she so misses her baby. Can't imagine! 

I need a little prayer. Somehow I have done something to the lower part of my back. OUCH! 

Had to show you this. Does anyone know where you could find a metal shopping cart like this? I want one!

As you know my new thing is Pinterest. It is a really wonderful way to keep me organized. Found this adorableness on 

Casual Cottage Chick. I would really like to have one.......isn't it the cutest?  Tell me if you are using Pinterest yet, if you want to.

Thank you for those who commented yesterday.........you are sweeties.......I really missed having my computer. Those of you who use yours.........know what I mean. I research everything on mine! Evening suppers! 

Please be ready for Building Our Homes Together With Jesus tomorrow...........Lord willing.

Hugs from my very dry farm, not taking our eyes off the Lord

He knows the plans He has for us. My honey reminded us this morning! I am so thankful I have the Lord and my sweet man!

Linda

Yes, It's Wednesday!

......and you are at the right place!

Good morning, Ladies!

 This is Cheryl, the prairie maid.  I talked to Linda this morning and the Kansas wind has their internet service down.  It went down sometime yesterday evening, before she was able to do her

Building Our Homes Together With Jesus

post.

They have talked to their ISP and they are working on the problem, but please pray that the wind will calm.

(Besides interfering with the internet, it takes moisture out of the ground.)

Linda has lots of news to share and prayerfully she will be able to post later today or tomorrow.  Please come back and link up, once she has posted.

Until then keep Linda in your thoughts,

because I know she is thinking of YOU!

Blessings,

Cheryl

Thank you!!!!!!!!

Hello sweet ladies, 

Thank you for all the fun stories you shared with me yesterday on my questions. It was really fun to have pictures in my head on your life story. I think we all got to know each other a little better. I know it took time for you to do it, but we all became better friends I think. 

This morning I received a phone call from my Tonya. Things are moving even faster than what we thought on the adoption for Vitaliy. I will be sharing more on my blog tomorrow on Building Our Homes Together. Sharing about what the Lord is doing personally in our Home.......our steps of faith.....in bringing him HOME.

I also received an email this morning...........I won a giveaway. I can hardly believe it. It blessed my heart big time! Amy over at Homestead Revival Homestead  had her linky up yesterday. I went over and spent a little time to visit some of the blogs that had come to link up. One blog was called "The DIY Gourmet click here. I loved the little photo for her link up.....she was having a giveaway! I thought I would go ahead and signup even though there was only one more day. Thinking I wouldn't probably wouldn't win........do you think that? Well I can't wait to watch this with my girls. I am sure we will learn a lot. She said that the DVD is 120 minutes long and has information on canning (meats, potatoes and tomatoes), making noodles the Amish way), culturing buttermilk and sour cream, AND has a bunch of recipes using their canned goods! It also comes with a recipe book, that has all the recipes on the DVD! I can't wait......to watch it with my girls. We do already know how to can, but you can always learn something from others. 

I will  have Tress help me tonight get The Homesteading for Beginners Volume One, Two and Three on my side Amazon bar. Anytime you order from there, we receive money for Vitaliys adoption. Thank you so much, if you ever do make an order.

The DIY gourmet blog,  has a Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on her July 25 post. You can go check it out.......tell her I  told you about her, if you don't mind. Looks very good! She sounds like a precious Momma......you might make her day if you said hello. I know you make mine.

Well sweet peas......I am off getting some idea's ready for some serious fundraising ideas. If you didn't do the questions yesterday......think about it today. I said you can ask me any question that you would like. You can do that on this post, if you want. Kim from Marmee's Pantry just left a comment and asked why I left Alaska.......well you know when you have love in your heart.........you will go anywhere. I loved my sweet man.........he had gone to Alaska to hunt.........."moose".......we say he bagged a deer.......I am not a moose! Heehee! Love takes you places........I am so glad he found me in Alaska. He is my sweet love of my life. I still would love to be back in Alaska........but moving the farm would be a little hard! My honey didn't know Jesus.........I did. Not the way I would say for anyone to get involved in marriage, with one that is a believer and one not. Not scriptural......but God was so merciful to us both, it doesn't always turn out that way! 

Hugs to your day and know I love you all bunches!

Linda

I Need Some Fun Today, So Please Join Me!

Good morning sweet ladies, 

We got a little rain last night. The girls and I went and let it fall on our faces. It smelled so good!!!!!!!! Not enough to do anything but get the leaves wet......that is okay........we are learning to trust. We also heard  thunder..........beauty to our ears. We love storms......not bad ones though. 

I am needing a break today......going to treat myself and take some time to enjoy my day. Going to do a little sewing, baking.......... and get a little recharged. It has been a rough last few weeks with life! Please continue to pray for Hannah and  Mark after the loss of their little girl......everyone has gone home......now they will learn how to live without her presence here on earth. Can't imagine the heartache. Thank you! Just heard from Hannah, Bella the little three year old is missing Ellianna. 

Started a little patty pan seed...........love how you can put a seed in the ground, water it and He does what He does best.......a MIRACLE. Our garden is going through some stress.........how is yours? It has been a tough year for so many. So thankful I can trust the Lord for His provisions. My tomatoes got such a late start, but we keep watering them and they are at least holding on. Mr. Honey said I have a few little tomatoes.........will go and check it out with camera when I am finished here! 

My girls said the other day the thing they have missed most this summer are the flowers we usually have. There are hardly any for our table. We have always enjoyed putting them all over our home........but not this year. 

Today I just need some sweet fun.......so I hope you will join in with me!!!!! 

Pretend I have invited you to my little Potter's Shed for something sweet......... I set a table for you. As we are eating  I ask you a few questions, so we can get to know each other a little bit better. I have some questions that I would ask. Please copy the questions.......take off my answer and add yours. You can say as much as you would like on each question. Oh my if this was true that I could ask you to our farm..........what a treat! Right now it is so hot outside.........but we will ignore that!

1. Where were you born what was it like? Juneau, Alaska. My family homesteaded when I was 8. Our Daddy was a cat skinner.....heavy equipment operator. 48 acres right at the base of a mountain and close to a creek. We had to raise animals on your homestead. We had chickens, ducks, geese, a palomino horse named Sundown and a jersey cow named Suzy. We didn't have electricity for some time. My momma had a red handled hand pump in the kitchen. I would love to have that now.  

We used Coleman Kerosene Lanterns in the evenings......I can remember the sound. We had an outhouse......Momma would take us out.......always had to be careful of bears. They were always around. I loved this time of my life. I remember my Daddy making a huge swing with a log from tree to tree to attach the swing on. I remember being able to fly so high on that swing. I had a sister and brother  that I share our growing up with. Another sweet memory I have was when it snowed.  You would wake up and the ground was covered. In the moon light the little forest mice must have had a party on the top of the snow.......you would see a line (the tail) and little feet marks on each side of the tail.......all over the top of the snow, no kidding there were so many little mouse trails.  

We had lots of blueberry bushes by our home, guess that is why I love blueberries so much. I could eat them in the summer thyme.........all I wanted. My girlfriend and I would build fires and cook blueberry syrup in a coffee can. Adding sugar to make the syrup.  Probably ate a lot of worms from the blueberries in my day! Smile! 

2. Do you have any favorite memories when you were young? When my family moved to Juneau my grandparents lived in a little log cabin..... not far from the 

Can you see the icebergs and the Mendenhall Glacier in the back?

Mendenhall Glacier. It was tucked in the woods and I loved it. On the back porch there was a old freezer that was not electric. In part of it Grandma kept the ice to keep things frozen. Our whole family would go together up to the glacier and get ice. Little icebergs we called them. I can just smell the woodsy smell and cold crisp water. We would always had to get some of the ice for ourselves to suck on.  

Nagoonberries  were one of my favorite berries that you would find at their place. You would ] find them on the ground in the moss in the woods. They were a real treat. I can taste the jam now. Grandma always had sourdough starter on her kitchen counter used for our sour dough pancakes. Can also remember Grandma Reid's Pendleton Woolen blankets on the beds.  Wish I had a day with my family like that again.

3. Would you take coffee or tea? I have been drinking a lot of sun tea these days.........with sugar........have to have sugar!

4. If you could have ANY wish.......what would it be? Mine would be that my sister and I could sit and talk with our Momma. Last night I went to see Momma at the nursing home. She can't talk, I don't think she is recognizing me anymore. I miss her........a lot! If you have your Momma with.......enjoy her. 

5. Favorite Pastime? Sewing, quilting, crafting! Oh and baking with my girls. Oh and driving around with my honey somewhere......checking fields and such! 

6. If you could ask me a question........what would it be? 

Okay lets pretend we are all introducing our selves out in the Potter's Shed. Wish it wasn't pretend!!!!!!!!! 

Today I am hooking up with Amy over at

Homestead Barn Hop #21

Wow have we done that many? 

Love it! Wonderful place to visit!

Blessings from my farm sweet ladies.........hope you enjoy your day! I will be checking in and seeing if anyone has come to the Potter's Shed. Hope you enjoy each other's comments. If you can't comment just email me........I will put you up on the my blog comments for you!!!!!

Linda

Today Is SONday!

Good Morning sweet ladies,

If I could have this building on my farm, I would sit in the chair and invite each of you to come sit with (oh how fun if every one of you could come). I would ask what was the Lord teaching you.........I would listen........I would change, because of your life story.........that is what we do for each other every day as we read one another's blogs. I call it my blog family........do you ever fell it ladies? I do all the time. You have become such an intricate part of my life. I am so rich to call you my own. I truly mean what I am saying. Now after our little Ellianna's death I realize even more what you all mean to me. The prayers that you have been sending up for all of us have been so precious. We have been sustained with a strength that we know is from Him. 

I have another little story. I have not talked about this,  but last fall there was an older lady that left a comment on my post. I must have talked about something about getting things right with your family members or friends........calling them if you had unresolved issues. Something like that, I can't really remember. Anyway Pat wrote me in my comments and said that she called her sister that she had not talked to for years and got things right. If you would like to read the post it is HERE. The story is sooooooo precious. The following CHRISTmas  I adopted them. I fixed up a present. It wasn't a lot of money, but I went and bought two dollar cups, some little coffee and tea packets and homemade biscotti, decorated the items and sent them off.  Pat and her sister would have something for CHRISTmas. A month later Pat wrote me an email. It scared me. She asked for prayer. It was late at night. She told me she was not feeling well. She also said that she had had so many major sickness and 23 surgeries. That she had only one kidney and was feeling something was going on and it hurt in her side and she it was hard to breathe. She had just had a heart bypass and it worried her. In the subject line it said, Here I am Lord. All I could do was pray. I didn't have her phone number, so I couldn't call. I felt so helpless. At the end of her letter she said, "I think of you and your family all the time. You are always in my prayers". Ladies I have not heard from my Pat since. I have written her many times at her email address. I think she has passed away. I have peace. One day I will see my Pat. What a precious day that will be. There is one more thing. At the very end of the email she wrote that she wanted me to watch this video, listen here, the music is a not the best quality, but read the words.  I think she knew that she had one last time to tell me something. One thing I know, we didn't know each other long, but the time we did........we poured into it all we had. It is reminding me again this morning. Who do I need to love and keep telling them I love them.........no matter what! Because we don't know what tomorrow will bring. Do you have someone you need to call? Pat taught me a huge lesson. 

I love you sweet ladies, 

Linda