Reminiscing about Spring and Home Schooling......

Well it seems like spring has finally arrived here in our little corner of western Pennsylvania... daffodils in all their glory are shining there little faces up to God, bright and beautiful.  tulips are bright and cheerful....bits of happiness to catch your eye as you drive by.  It is this time of year that I loved our time home schooling so much.  All of God's creation begging to be noticed and enjoyed.

Nature studies in the parks, bird watching and nature journaling.  We spent so many hours out experiencing nature as a family and with friends that it seems odd to not be doing it any more.  Yes, there were many Happy memories spent while home schooling, out learning about our beautiful world.

 Went for a hike a couple of weeks ago, and it brought back many memories of previous hikes, although this time we didn't need to document everything for our portfolios.  Of course it didn't stop me from noticing all the new spring flowers pushing their little heads out of the crisp fall leaves laying on the forest floor, trying to remember the names of them.  I know one was a spring beauty, which one I'm not sure. I guess all those years of learning didn't quite stick when it came to flower names....

What a beautiful time of year to acknowledge Gods beautiful creation outside.  Take the time to take a stroll through the park and enjoy Gods continued gift of spring.  And if your really adventurous, take a nature journal with you and jot down your observations.  A field guide is always  a good thing  to take along too.

Don't get so wrapped up in life that you forget to stop and enjoy the beautifully simple things of God's creation, his precious gift to us.  And maybe, if you can, you could share it with someone who you love....

Happy Spring!

The smell of carnitas wafting through the house

There is nothing like the smell of waking up to Carnitas cooking  in the crock pot.... it takes about 12 to18 hours to cook, so I usually start them about 10 pm the night before.  they are done when the liquid has evaporated and turned to a nice caramelized texture.

here is the recipe:

1 large pork roast about 8 lbs
garlic
onion powder
1 can of Coke

place these in Large crock pot and cook on low over night.
in the morning place a spoon in lid to vent and let moisture to cook out.
watch it as it cooks, when it has mostly evaporated of the liquid, shred meat and remove any bones. keep on warm until dinner.  it should have a nice caramelized look to it.

(This is my daughter Stephanie's Pork Roast Carnitas sitting in a bubbly pool of Coke)

2-4 bunches of cilantro  cleaned and chopped
1 lime per person cut in wedges
green tomotillo salsa
shredded parmesian cheese 1-2 containers
corn tortillas 4-6 per person maybe more

prepare corn tortillas by rubbing with oil and frying them in a skillet until cooked, folding like a taco.  keep warm while cooking them all.

layer the pork, cilantro, parmesian and tomotillo salsa into tortillas. Squeeze lime wedges over the top of it all and eat.... yummy.... you will also need lots of napkins.

(Pictures taken by my beautiful Daughter Stephanie)

I hope you love them as much as we do.

You can do this ahead of time and freeze the meat, and it will be ready when you have a craving.

~Heather~

Wedding count down

Weddings are a time of Love and happiness, Tears of Joy and peels of laughter....  
                        

Friends and family will come together to celebrate the love and happiness of the young couple.  Traveling over the miles to come to the blessed place chosen for the ceremony.  The invitations have gone out, and the little pink envelopes are coming back in the mail every day.... Friends and family coming here to Western Pennsylvania to share in the memories with Stephanie and Danny and us on their wedding day.  

                                             

Where has the time gone, it seems like just yesterday she was just a little girl, in polka dots, baseball cap and bunny slippers.  Well whether or not I wished her to grow up so fast, she has gone and done it.  A little over a month until the blessed day when Airplanes and cars will bring our loved ones here with anticipation and happiness in their hearts.  The day we will all remember with Joy and hopefulness.   The day a new journey will begin for Stephanie and Danny, and also us as a family.... going from having her here all the time, to living a few miles down the road. New beginnings for all of us.  

All those years spent praying for the husband of my little girl, someone I didn't know,  didn't have a face to put to, and now it is so clear who he is.  And it is so clear that God answered my prayers for her husband to be.  He is everything I prayed for, for her.  He makes her happier that I could have ever dreamed, and brings her love and laughter and a relationship based on our Heavenly Father, which is the best part of it all.  In the blink of an eye, years have flown for us, and in a blink of an eye she will be looking back also, and wondering where the time went.

God gives us each the same 24 hours in a day, and we are responsible for how we use it.  It is our choice as to whether we spend it for good, or evil.  If we spend time wisely, or waste the precious time he gives us.  Never let a day go by without thinking about the gifts God gives to you each day.  Gifts come in many different forms, it might be friends, family, time, a rainbow or rain.  Take the time to look at Gods creation around you and thank him for the beauty all around you.  Thank Him for the friends he puts in your life to walk beside you through the good and the bad, the happy and the pain, the Weddings and the sadness we might have to experience.  And lean on God through it all, He is waiting for you to come to him all day long. He is waiting for you when you wake up in the morning, and patiently waits to commune with you all day long.... just hoping you will remember he is there with you, along with you through each and every task you do each and every day.  Longing to hold your hand, and listen intimately to your needs and desires, and your hopes and dreams, your happiness and your sadness.

Dreams will be fulfilled on June 1st 2013, dreams of a little girl, when she walks down that isle, on her fathers arm.  Walking to the hand of her beloved, her intended.  To the man I have prayed faithfully for, for 22+ years, He will take her hand from her father, and promise to love, honor, cherish  and  protect her for the rest of his life. They will be given a chance to begin their marriage in a church that Loves them and wants what is best for them, surrounded by their family and friends, and start a beautiful family of their own.  

What a beautiful gift, and answer to all those prayers..... Thank you God for answering my heartfelt prayers for my little girl....and for the "Husband" I always hoped for, for her....

I Love you Princess......You finally found your Prince Charming...... How very blessed and Loved you are..... I Can't wait to see you write your own story, and begin your own family... with little princes, and princesses.....  

~Mom~

                                             

Life, a journey of gifts

Do you ever wonder why you are taking the path that God has placed you on? Some times, as we are traveling without sight of the goal, it can be very tiring and disheartening.  But as we walk down the path, looking constantly for the goal, we miss all the beautiful sights along the way that God has left for us as precious gifts. He knows the outcome, and the trials it will take to arrive there, and because of that insight, he leaves wonderful gifts for us along the way to encourage us and keep us moving in the right direction.  But so often we are so focused on where we are going, we forget to enjoy the journey. We forget to take the time to thank God for all the little joys that he blesses us with each and every day.  Some times the journey is the goal, and some times He has a greater plan for us than we ever imagined.  Don't miss all His blessings along the way and miss out on some of the most precious times of your life. Remember he loves you greatly and wants the best for you, Don't miss out on the whole picture and get too focused on the end goal..... the journey there is also a gift.

Love is in the air

     Well..... I honestly and truly wanted to start this blog, but my mind must be going. After starting it I completely forgot how to find it..... must be the age or the stress of life that plays tricks on your mentality.
      if you are not aware of it... Love is in the air, and i mean literally. Weddings are happening all around.  We have the privilege of attending 3 in the next few months, an each and every one will be wonderful, to see young couples standing before God and beginning their journey together.  It is so refreshing  see young Christian couples that love the Lord as well as each other.
     We have had a great week here.... spending time with friends, doing wedding things and getting ready for the bridal shower for my daughter Stephanie.  it will be wonderful to get to see friends that we have not seen in a long time.  I know the day will be magical.