Loving the West Ladies

I just love the West Ladies....do you know who I am writing about? Vicki, Jasmine, Cecilia, and Hannah....the girls from Homestead Blessings! :) We have all their homesteading videos as well as their cookbook! We just adore their sweet, hard-working spirits. They are sisters in Christ and have come to a time of great need! What better way for the church to band together (during all this chaos in the world) than to help one another? I'm sharing a few pictures from around *my* homestead and then I will explain more on the West ladies towards the bottom of this post!

Ruthie is *not* a 3-legged dog...although she looks like she is in this photo...

If you read the West ladies' blog, you would know that after 14 years of homesteading on property they leased, it has come time for them to move. You can read more about that in depth HERE. Unfortunately, the sales from their DVDs and cookbooks did not provide them with enough money to purchase/build a new home. If you have ever followed along with these women, you know they are hard-working women. I don't know about you, but their faith, work ethic, joyful spirits and love completely inspire and encourage me. When I saw the page where I could donate toward their home fund, I did so joyfully. I appreciate these women and am glad to help in any way I can (honestly, when I first read their blog on this, my first reaction was to say "Move here!" haha!).

If you would like to help out our sisters in Christ, you can do so HERE. I know often people are afraid to donate because it sometimes seems to give people something for free. I mean, I know we are working hard to pay off our own house/land and no one helps us with it. I believe though, that Christ tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. These ladies are in a bind and we know they are definitely not just looking for hand-outs. These women work.....and work hard. They don't take the road of convenience ~ so honestly, I imagine humbling themselves enough to ask for some help is difficult enough.

Every little bit can help...so if you would, please do. I know it would bless them immensely (and I know that *I* for one look forward to them blogging about their new homestead at some point!). So technically, your donation would bless *me* and *my family* as well (and you and yours if you follow along on their blog). :o)

Warmly,
Katy

*I should be at church right now and am saddened that I am not. After going quite a while without anxiety attacks, I had a bit of one this morning. I needed to stay home so as not to end up sitting in church and crying through the whole service (as I tend to get terribly weepy when my emotions pique like that). Embarrassing....? Yes. Real life though...? Yes. I'm all about truth....even when it isn't *perfect*. xoxo

Walking for our Nephew

This past weekend, we attended a Hemophilia Walk in honor of our almost-two-year-old nephew who is a hemophiliac. It was a chilly Saturday...but we all dressed appropriately! 

There was a Sheetz truck there giving (yes, giving..not selling) out coffee and smoothies! (I sure wanted a smoothie-but unfortunately, those are chock full of sugar so they are a big no-no for this gal!)...

Some of our group...

Chris with our niece and Eli...

After the walk, they let all children have free shaved ice! All the sponsors were handing things out for free! It was amazing to see the support there!

I believe over $30,000+ was raised altogether to help in hemophilia research...which is now something very near and dear to our hearts as we hope something can be done to completely fix it one day...for this little guy we love and all the others who are living with it....

For those who are not aware of hemophilia...it is a genetic disorder where the blood fails to clot normally. It can be quite a scary thing...comfort lies in knowing that our God is sovereign though! Thankfully, although our nephew's more on the extreme side of it, they can give hemophiliacs 'factor' which helps their blood to clot...my sister-in-love and brother-in-love are becoming experts in it all...and we all are learning as they teach us so we can all be properly prepared if anything is necessary while caring for our sweet Eli. You can read more about it HERE if you are interested.

We were thankful to help raise money and awareness for this disorder and support our nephew and his parents! Do you have anyone in your life or family who has this genetic disorder? What has been your experience?

Thanks so much for sharing in this special time with us!
I pray your week is going well!
Warmly,
Katy

Giving & Receiving

For Madelyn's birthday, instead of gifts she asked for her friends and family to consider giving to a local organization who helps abused children. You can read about that HERE. She made her mama and daddy proud, I must admit, as we did *not* suggest this to her! She came to *us* with this idea!

 Above, you can see her with Mrs. Pat as she hands her the money that was donated as well as all the items for the organization! A lady from our local paper came to photograph it and write up an article!

Below is a picture of Mrs. Pat giving a Madelyn a t-shirt in *thanks* for her donations...

My boys were given a treat as well. The sweet lady from the paper has a brother-in-law who makes these handmade cars and gives them to all kinds of charities. They gave a couple to my boys to paint up and enjoy! My boys were so excited!

After doing some all-over painting at their pop-pop's garage, the boys finished up their cars by lettering and adding details here at home...

Last evening, Chris took the children and me to a local cruise-in we like for supper! We don't eat out often...but since the children and I helped with the meat chickens, this was Chris's way of thanking us! We all enjoyed our food! We know the owner of this restaurant (she and I spin together at the Y). She was there and treated us just wonderfully! Smiles were abounding...

I love my husband! He makes me giggle!

I got a healthy strawberry smoothie as my dessert. It was delicious!

I wanted to be sure to blog these things so they are here and will be remembered! I need to have more of my blog books published but it can be so costly! It's so nice, though, to have them in book form! It's like a scrapbook that I document throughout the year! I truly treasure these memories! Thank you for sharing in them with me!

With a thankful heart,
Katy

The Beautiful Gift of Life!

My sweet baby, Jaxson. My, how the time has flown! I didn't have a digital camera when my other children were born...but I got one for Christmas soon after I had Jaxson. So, I write these words concerning all my children..but just have baby pics of Jaxson to show on here!


What an absolutely wonderful gift God has given us women. The ability to have children! To think this sweet life started at a size that is unable to be seen by the naked eye! Look how he has grown over the past 2.5 years of his life! The time has just flown and I can NOT imagine my life without him!


If you have children....you know how I feel! Sure, there are frustrating times with them, lots of tears and upset over the years...but that's life. You live it and get through it and learn from it. Be their source of prayer when they don't even realize they need it. The love and joy that eminates from your children totally washes out the troubling times!
The giggles you hear when they think something is funny. The look on their face when they have just discovered something new. The stories and tales they make up with their imaginations. The amazing love they show me when I am having a bad day..(tons of hugs and "I love you, Mama"s). The sweet sounds of their voices when they sing at the top of their lungs.

If you don't already...live a life of love and show your love and obedience of Jesus daily! Let your kids see Jesus shine through you! Let me tell you...being the best example is one of the greatest challenges you will face as a parent. And although we all fall short....through love, prayer and forgiveness....we do our best. We want our kids to love Christ, love others and be in Heaven someday! Right?

And...can I tell you a secret?? Our kids aren't really our own. They're God's. He's letting us care for them for now. From the time of conception...God has entrusted that sweet life in your hands. What will you do with this responsibility? Everything we do should always be done with God's will in mind. That starts from the second of conception...till the end of time!

I am so thankful for my children. I am so thankful for a loving God who trusted me enough to give their precious lives to me. I am so thankful for the wonderful forgiveness God gives me through the blood of Jesus. I am definitely not the perfect parent. I try so hard....but fail miserably daily. I thank Jesus for his life, death and ressurection so I can experience God's great forgiveness.

Lea at the Shabby Olde Potting Shed has a lovely post you can go to HERE that has a video of a wonderfully loving woman who shares her experiences in life and forgiveness towards her mother for aborting her. Yes....this girl on the video was aborted....and lived anyway. She doesn't harbor ill feelings toward her mother. She is thankful for the beautiful gift of life and offers only love and forgiveness for what the abortion attempt did to her body.

I don't sit in judgment of anyone, ever. I sit here in joy...thanking God for my children and praying that maybe someone who is considering abortion reads this and changes her mind. I sit here hoping that those who have already had an abortion see why it is wrong but know that they ARE forgiven by our loving Creator. All you have to do is pour our your heart to Him. He hears you, He loves you, He forgives you.

Do you ever just wish you could bring all the homeless, orphan, hungry, not-wanted children home with you? I wish I had a HUGE house and could just give homes to all the suffering children in the world and give each of those women who think about aborting...a hope. A place that would love them and care for their baby. I just want to yell it from the rooftops..."Have your baby! I will love it and care for it!". Do you ever feel like that? I wish I could open a place that could do just that.

Thanks so much for coming by and reading. Please know this post was written in complete love towards all women. I don't know your situations or what you have been through...but He does. I do care about you though. If you need prayer or want to talk...my email link is up in the left sidebar! Whether it's about abortion issues or just struggles as a parent...I am always here to pray for those who need it. I pray constantly....I have to. It's the only way to live! :o)