My Daughter is Amazing!!!

Ashley has become quite the blog designer! She helped me so much with this. With both of us working on it this is what we came up with!! We both really like it! Leave me a comment and let me know how you like it.

In Loving Memory of My Dad

Today it has been one month since my Dad passed away. Ashley and I didn't realize why it had been such a hard day. We have both been having a hard time today. I told her that I have been so sad about Dad and crying today and she said I know I have too. Then after talking to Mom I realized it is one month. It just keeps becoming more real. He's really gone and gone forever. I miss him so much. It hurts so much. I am still thankful to the Lord. He was so gracious to me in all of this and He has been so close to me. I wrote the poem that follows and read it at his funeral with Ashley. He was the best Dad & Grandpa ever! The top picture was taken the day before he passed. It is a precious picture to me. The other picture is one of my favorites that I took of him.

In Loving Memory of My Dad

What could be said

About a man so dear

He loved everyone he knew

Both far and near.

His smile was so warm

And his heart was so big

He could light up a room

And that's what he often did.

My Dad was the greatest

He truly was the best

Because he was in my life

I certainly have been blessed.

Up to his dying day

His grandchildren he did love

He knew that they were gifts

Given from God above.

Now his life

Is forever ended

All his work here

Has been tended.

He will be missed so deeply

And we know it's okay to cry

Because he was loved so much

It hurts to say goodbye.

His dying has left a hole in my heart

Yet his memory will remain

In my heart and yours I pray

He will always stay the same.

Though he is not here with us

He is not truly gone

All the love he had for us

Will continue to live on.

By Jenny Armstrong-Trask

Caden Isaiah Trask

I'm sorry it took so long to post this......Caden Isaiah was born July 14th!!! We have had a very rocky start, sad to say but things are well now. He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and was 21 1/2 in. Guess what? He has brown eyes!!! I am so thankful, I have waited for 15 years for another one with brown eyes. Now Ashley and Caden have brown eyes. So sweet! I think he looks just like his Daddy!
I have so much to say and update on here just haven't had the time. Caden is sleeping now so I need to be off. This is turning into a late night. I tried very hard to upload a picture but our slow dial up will not allow it!
I pray that everyone is seeking the Lord in all things and striving to please Him!

Waiting on the Lord's return!

If you have ever been over due date then you know how I am feeling. It feels like it is going to last forever! Every contraction is a hope of maybe this is it and you look at the clock to see if you will have another one. Then if it doesn't come you drop your shoulders and wait again! Well, as I was talking to a friend today she reminded me of how we should be waiting on the Lord's return in just the same way. What a thought, to hang on every minute just waiting for our Lord and seeing what we can do for Him before He comes. That is what we are supposed to be doing. We just get so carried away with our daily lives. It is a very encouraging thought to me so I wanted to share it!
Matthew 24:42-44 "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

The List by Esther Headings

I made my list of things to do,
So much to be done before the day is through!
I wrote: Kitchen floor has got to be mopped,
And weeds in the garden have got to be chopped!

Sit down and sew for an hour or two,
Write a few letters long overdue!
Finish the laundry from yesterday,
Wash and dry dishes and put them away.

Of course, there is breakfast, then dinner to make.
Bake some cookies or maybe a cake?
But in all the things I had to get done,
There were a few things I didn't count on.

There was Baby to rock in the rocking chair,
Kiss his sweet cheeks, feel his soft hair.
Help little brother clean up his mess,
Speak a kind word, give a caress.

A problem to solve between toddlers at play,
They come up so often every day.
Open the door for the children to go out,
Stand there and watch them run and shout.

At the end of the day I looked over my list,
So many duties that I had missed!
Half of the laundry still hung on the line,
The weeds in the garden are still doing fine!

The sewing machine sat idle all day,
At least the dishes are out of the way.
Even though the day went by so fast,
Some things I've done will always last.

The Bible story I took time to tell,
The prayer that we shared when a little one fell.
The gentle smile and the kind work I spoke
When my favorite dish was dropped and broke.

Sometimes it takes far more than the rod
To point little precious souls to God.
My list will be crumpled and thrown away.
I've had little children to love today!

So, now this morning I make a new list,
Toys to play with, cheeks to be kissed.
Make this day for the children fun,
And anything extra I manage to get done.

This has been so encouraging to me. I get so caught up with everything that HAS to be done I forget about what NEEDS to be done. If my floor isn't mopped but I have had a joyful day with my children then that is a successful day!

I have to go finish dinner, that is a need! :0)

Square Foot Gardening is great, so far!

Okay, so far this is too easy to be true! I have spent a total of $2.20 on my garden. That was on clearanced plants at Lowes. They were 10 or 20 cents each! The wood was laying around and Troy made me 3 4x8 boxes. I started seeds this year which was fun but I did end up losing a large part of what I started. I planted 16 of my own tomato plants. They sat in my window until June 3rd or so. We were going to buy the Mel's Mix of soil that is recommended in his book, The All New Square Foot Gardening. But being as broke as we've been lately there was NO way that was going to happen. Well, some friends from church mentioned where they were getting their soil and that they would be happy to bring us some. It is composted manure and hay, very nice to work with, seriously, No smell, nice and pliable, easy to plant and weed. Not much for weeds either cause it's real easy to keep up with. It is a blessing because as huge as I am I need easy to keep up with right now! So we have 22 tomato plants, 3 peppers, 3 beans, 3 cucumbers, 2 squash, sage, chives, peppermint, oregano, 4 squares of radishes with 16 in each, plus we have already harvested 32 radishes and replanted in those boxes. In seed we have 2 more cucumbers, 1 more squash, 12 more beans, and a few more open squares. I have one more 4x8 box that is completely open for a fall planting. We'll see what I do with that. The whole garden is so nice and tidy and takes up so little room. I think I'm sold but I'll really have to wait and see the fruit that comes! Always examine the fruit! I am really amazed at my tomato plants, when I planted them they were yellow and very puny. I thought I would lose them for sure. I prayed about it and it looks as though the Lord saved them! I will try to keep you updated as the season goes along, however this baby may take priority over that! I hope everyone is having fun with their own garden!

God Bless you!

Learning can be so HARD!

I would love to think of myself as one who has learned some things in my 7+ years of being a Christian. Why is it then that something stupid happens and I find myself at square one?
The Lord has recently convicted me of my fretting and worrying so. Even getting downright upset with people. How wrong! Everything ultimately is in the Lord's hands. When we get upset about things we are not actually trusting the Lord. And this little sin is one that has grown for me to the point that I have been a bad witness to people. I'm so thankful and feeling refreshed to have given it back to the Lord. That's where I want my life and all the dealings in my life. If something doesn't go the way I would want it to I can still trust the Lord because He knows why He is doing what He is doing!
On a positive note, we are getting so excited for this baby boy to get here! I am so blessed to have my babies at home. One of the things I have always had was a whirlpool tub to labor in. Well, due to circumstances I thought this was not going to work for this labor and was greatly discouraged. Whirlpool tubs can be very expensive. We had some extra money coming to us but it ended up not coming. Well, the Lord provided a tub for us for free. It is such a blessing! Our friends were given a tub that they didn't want. The Lord really does care and He can be trusted. Even if He hadn't provided a tub I can trust that my labor would have been in His hands. I can now say though that my labor will be much more comfortable! I always enjoy the time with the Lord as I labor. What a miraculous event!
So learning is hard for me. I am not out of the woods yet! I always get so impatient with my children around this time. Thankfully the Lord is not leaving me and He is teaching me.
I hope everyone else is learning from the Lord! It's when it's easy that we need to be careful. This walk should not be easy. It's contrary to everything the world teaches so there is much to be learned. Be thankful when you are tried and tested, the Lord is teaching you!