My Western Life Coming Out :-)

Okay, I meant to do this a while ago. Yet with Uncle Scott's visit, and Blogger not working at the time, I could not post pictures of the rodeo we went to July 17th. Since I have spent the majority of my live in the South (though it's getting to not be that way anymore) I am more like a Southern belle. I probably am much more at home reading a book and sipping iced tea than I would be roping cattle. Now, I applaud those who do such things, and I can enjoy watching "The Western Lifestyle" that is pretty big this side of the Mighty Mississippi. So, for the second year, my family has attended the Snake River Stampede! It truly is a lot of fun. My favorite event, which we didn't get pictures of, was the Snake River Stampeders. Girls and horses decked out in lights doing figure eights and things. It's neat. However, there also was:

bronco bustin'

And more bronco bustin'

And the steer roping, which I do not like. How would you like to be clothes-lined and then thrown to the ground...only to get you feet tied!




Yeah!! He got away!!




There were chuckwagon races. (Probably it is only done here in Idaho)




And then, the big event: the bull riding. (Okay, this picture is fuzzy. Let's try another one.)




Okay, this one was better. So, that is the gist of the rodeo. It was fun, and we will go again next year! God bless ya'll! :-)

Redeeming the Times

It is hard being a young woman today. Let's use a simple deduction process: You are a Christian homeschooler (the group probably gets cut in half,) one who isn't dating (slightly smaller) and tries to dress modestly and femininely (gets even smaller) and for the defining moment...staying home in her father's house until marriage as opposed to college. If you try to figure it out, probably only a tenth of girls, if that, go into this "circle." I find that so sad! What used to be the vast majority is now a small minority.

Mom likes to say," What is considered normal today wasn't considered as such until around fifty years ago!" She's right. However, while I don't know the exact date of the change, I do know where to place the blame. It is we women who are responsible for what we have now. Yes, the lack of gentlemen, the drastic changes in dress, feminism....it is all thanks to us.

Genesis 3:16 reads,"...And though your desire will be for your husband, he will be your master." My translation can also read, "And though you may desire to control your husband." Well, women didn't like that! So, over a period of decades and centuries, women began to change things. Slowly, women began working outside the home, began desiring to be viewed like a man and so began dressing as one. Now, we have a full fledged feminist movement.

I don't want to appear as one who holds its gender in low esteem. It is SO EASY to listen to the voice of Evil and follow its sugar-coated lies. That is just what my previous generations did. Yet as with Adam and Eve, one's sins and mistakes can affect all of mankind. God, in His death, made available the ability to confess our sins, turn from them, and try to change out lifestyles.

God has placed a desire in my heart to redeem my time and bring back Biblical Womanhood. Would you join me? We will be considered weird, for the voice of feminism is loud and its ideals far reaching. Yet "God bless you who are hated and excluded and mocked and cursed because you are identified with me, the Son of Man. When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in Heaven." (Luke 6:22-23) I want to redeem the times for my future generations.

It might appear that I will be making baby steps in changing the world. However, God can use anything, big or small, for His glory. I choose to leave, with God's help, godly "footsteps in the sand," marks to guide my children and their children in the way of femininity and grace, However, may they be footsteps that always point to the Savior!

Intro, Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3

My Weekend Thus Far

"Then God said,' Let the land burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant. And let there be trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. The seeds will then produce the kind of plants and trees from which they came.' And so it was....And God saw that it was good."

We have had a wonderful time with Uncle Scott so far; the visit has gone way better than I anticipated. He came in on Wednesday night, actually ahead of schedule. Isn't that rare? However, we didn't get home until 11:00 or thereabouts....and we left to go to McCall around 9 the next morning.

God is so good; He does far more than we anticipate. As we have been having so many fire in Idaho, I thought we would have a lot of smoke. Yet up until yesterday, smoke was a non issue. We had spectacular views!

(The photo isn't smoke; Garrett tweaked the color, I think it is cool.)

(Garrett's camera also has good zoom. These rich houses were on the other side of the lake. I will admit, they have a beautiful view!)

As usual, they guys did a ton of fishing. Unfortunately, for Uncle Scott (and Dad and Garrett) only two fish were caught....and Uncle didn't get them. So, for the time in McCall, they didn't have much to show for it. Mom and I, on the other hand, read a lot of books. (I finished Wives and Daughters and Mozart's Sister.)

Though we don't have any pictures of it, we took a drive up to Brundage Mountain, the ski resort in McCall. It was really nice up there. It was then that we could see plumes of smoke, evidence that there were fires around.

I have done something during Uncle Scott's visit that I have never done before. I went to a bike race in downtown Boise. Personally, I don't care if I go ever again; it's a lot like Nascar. However, it is what my uncle is into, and I wanted to spend time with him and the guys....since they were going camping the next day.

So, that's the current status of everyone. All of the guys are at Bruneau Dunes State Park, trying their hand at catching the bass. (Normally, there is a lot of success, but McCall is usually that way too. I guess we'll find out when they get home.) As for Mom and me, well, it's Girl's Night/Day. We went to church this morning and ate at P.F. Chang's for lunch (their lettuce wraps are sooo good.) For the rest of our time together, we are watching girly movies, Sense and Sensibility among them, and going to the tea room tomorrow. Oh, I love spending time with my Mom!!!


I hope you liked knowing about my weekend. I did think about ya'll a lot; you can ask Mom!! God bless!!

Not The Post I Wanted To Do!

I am really disappointed: I was trying to post pictures of the rodeo my family went to last night. However, you know Blogspot...there is always an error. Under normal circumstances, I would sit around on the computer forever if need be, but I don't have the time for that today. My uncle is coming for a visit; his plane is arriving late this evening. I am looking forward to seeing him, since it has been three years. I have still so much to do...I have made cookies and dusted some of the rooms, but there are still bathrooms, more rooms, packing...busy!!We are heading up into the mountains to go camping, and then Mom and I will be having a girl night on Sunday to Monday.

So, this is the way I will do things. I will be off the computer for the weekend, and then, when I come back, I will post pictures of the time in McCall. Probably after Uncle Scott leaves, and after I have done pictures of our fun, that is when I will talk all about our Snake River Stampede fun!

I will be praying for all of you while I am away. I will greatly miss posting on here, but I will be thinking of you!! Have a fabulous weekend! God bless!!

May God Get the Glory

Treasure of Jesus, by Steven Curtis Chapman

What can I do

How can I live

To show my world

The treasure of Jesus

What will it take

What could I gain

So they can know

The treasure He is

And if I can sing

Let my songs be full of His glory

If I can speak

Let my words be full of His grace

And if I should live or die

Let me be found pursuing this prize

The One that alone satisfies

The treasure of Jesus

I have always had this love for writing. Ever since I was little, I was writing stories, and when asked what I was going to be when I grew up, I said, "a writer and a mom."

However, I am a firm believer in lining our beliefs and plans up with God's. He, after all, is the director of our lives; He already has our life's script written out for us. Well, he has transformed my desires and I pray for the better.

After I went through the traumatic losing/misplacing of my story notebook where I had my ninety page novel, I really began to wonder if writing was what I was supposed to do. I was content with the fact that God had other ideas. Perhaps it is when we let our dreams die that the Lord has room to work.

I think God still has writing in store for me, but not in a fiction realm. Not only has it been harder to recreate the story I lost, or even come up with new ideas, the Lord has brought non-fiction opportunities into my path. I have been able to write an article for HopeChest Magazine, plus working with them in a position. I am praying about sending in a motherhood poem to Above Rubies and it appears as if another magazine is coming into my life. I am really excited about all of it.

However, it makes me want to be even more diligent to always give God the glory. He has given each of us talents, like Paul wrote in one of the New Testament books. Therefore, we ought to use them to glorify Him!

So, may ya'll realize that though the Lord might not use your abilities in the way you originally thought, ultimately it will be even better than you possibly could've imagined! To God be the Glory...and great things you will do!

Zucchini Pie, yes I said Zucchini Pie

I don't know if ya'll have the same problem we do. We have so much zucchini!!! We are at that stage where you have to find a ton of new recipes, and that doesn't even make a dent into the plants! Now admittingly, we were worse off last year; Mom planted nine plants, and this year three. However, it seems like zucchini has been growing out our ears! Well, I want to share a very yummy recipe with you. People can't tell it is that "wonderful" green vegetable, and it is a great way to eat it. Presenting, drum roll please....the pie that tastes like apple, but wait, is that zucchini?!

8 cups zucchini--peeled, seeded, and cut into small slices. Cover with water and cook until tender. Drain and pour cold water over. Let stand 5 minutes. Drain very well.

Add 2 1/2 cups sugar; 3 tsp. cinnamon; 3 tsp. cream of tartar; 4 tsp. lemon juice; 4 TBSP flour; dash of salt and dash of nutmeg

Mix and pour into pie shell. Put on top crust, or a Duth apple pie topping works well too. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Go ahead....try this recipe on your family. Do it when they aren't noticing what you're doing. (That way the vegetables can get in without their knowing.) And I bet in the end, you will have an empty pie pan, a happy family, and vegetables in their bellies.

Oh no! Tagged!

Some of you might not know this, so I will enlighten you! I have really begun seeing my blog as a ministry, so I have tried opening it up...but with precautions of course. Anyway, Mom mentioned me on her blog, and some have begun leaving comments. However, they use Homestead Blogger, so I have created an account to make it easier to comment on theirs. This blog is DEFINITELY my top priority when it comes to blogging, but I do post on my other one every so often. (But with everything you read here, so ya'll aren't missing anything!)

I have been what is called "tagged!" Even though I want to post "important, eternally-significant things," I do enjoy fun stuff. So, I hope you like reading 8 lesser known things about me. But there is a catch, I have tagged some of you!!

1. My ideal day would be watching girly movies (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Wives and Daughters, North and South) with Mom while stamping cards and eating cheesecake, while being surrounded by roses and lilacs.

2. Unlike most people my age, I do not have my driver's license...and I am not sure when I will.

3. I would love to give a speech at my home school high school graduation.

4. I am a column editor for HopeChest Magazine, Nurturing Young Ladies Toward Biblical Womanhood.

5. I have been to the emergency room twice. The first time when I had five seizures at eighteen months old. The second times was when I was ten and I broke my arm. (That taught me ALOT about obedience.)

6. Sometimes I entertain the notion that I will one day publish a book entitled, There is More to Modesty.

7. I plan on being a chef, interior designer, fashion designer, mediator, and the director of Homeland Security when I get older.....wives and mothers do all those things! :-)

8. That the Lord is my very best friend!!

Okay, that was a little bit harder than I thought it would be. Why...I have no idea. Oh, I though of an additional one, so...

9. I often get asked at restaurants if I want the kid's menu. I stand at 4 foot 11 and a half, and I weigh 85 pounds. I always get taken for a 12 year old!

Anyway, I now tag: Mom, Emily, Alice, Anna, Miriam, uh....that's all I can think of. Now, ya'll have to think of 8 things, post them, and then tag 8 more people. Enjoy!

An Introduction

If you could go back in time, to what time period would you go? Like my mom, would your destination be "little house on the prairie" days? Would you go back to a particular nation, as my brother would with pre-Soviet Russia? My personal choice, if I had the option, would take me to Regency England.

I love that time period. I mean, the book I am currently reading is Wives and Daughters. North and South is the next movie I plan on adding to our family's inventory. One of my favorite authors is Jane Austen....see, I am crazy about it!! Yet why does the Regency era appeal to me so?

I believe the answer to that question lies in the general make-up of women. Though some seek to remove femininity, beauty, elegance, and grace from their lives, those yearnings are in each and every women, or so I think. I will even go as far as to say that I believe God put those desires in us for good reason; they set apart from our male counterparts.

So, if I remember those traits, I see why I love the Regency era so. The modest gowns, the tea times, the functional family relationships, the courting, the protection of men....all of it "soothes my soul." Perhaps if I lived in a time and place where my desires were fulfilled, I wouldn't crave Regency England and my world of certain entertainment so much. However, I do not live in a different time and place; I am firmly rooted in 21st Century America, and my love of "old-fashioned womanhood" is probably considered really weird by people.

Many would say that we have come far from horses and buggies, slow forms of communication, and the days of man-powered machinery. Okay, maybe we have. After all, e-mail is a great way to keep in touch! :-) However, when it comes to women, their role, and the way that they are perceived, I do not believe progress and change has been good. In fact, I believe we have missed out on a lot.

I do not want to appear as if Regency England is the greatest thing as sliced bread; I know it had problems. Yet, if you would allow me, (and even if you won't) I want to try to communicate why I think the way I do. But more importantly, I want these next posts to glorify God; that is my main goal. So, here we go! (Yet remember this: what I will write about is my opinion only. You are not in sin if you don't practice or follow what I think. PLEASE bear that in mind!!!! And God bless!)

Way Out of My Comfort Zone

Getting out of our comfort zone is a good thing. Sure, it is scary, nerve wracking, and difficult. However, one thing I mention a lot on this blog is that we can feel a sense of accomplishment when we try something new. Well, I did. Have any of you cut your dad's hair?!

Dad has been cutting Garrett's hair ever since he was four....I think. Well, Garrett was in the shower, and Mom wasn't too keen on the idea. So, I offered to do it. Now, I have never done anything like this before.

When I get my haircut, I go to a "salon" where a person uses scissors. With Dad, I used razors and a seventeen year old, rather inexperienced, girl. Dad was sure brave to trust his head to me! :-) It wasn't easy for me to do this. I was a perfectionist regarding this, even though it was my first time. I did cry with frustration, but somehow, I stuck with. (Perhaps it was because I didn't want Dad to go around with a half-done haircut!)

And here is the finished product. Doesn't look too bad! I have made up my mind; I will continue to learn the art of cutting Dad's hair. It is a way to honor him, and I definitely want to do that!! Plus, who knows, my husband want me to do his hair too!

So, I have some "encouraging wisdom" for ya'll. If you are faced with an opportunity to honor your dad, take it! He will be pleased and happy, and you will be a servant...just what our Lord was to us!