Home away from Home

This is a slideshow of our cabin on a buffalo ranch in Gardner, MT, as well as the surrounding property. They'd moved the buffalo because of the wolves and the nearby Yellowstone buffalo, but we still enjoyed the company of horses, miniature ponies, and friendly ranch dogs. Thankfully no grizzlies or wolves...as interesting as that might have been. :)

One thing that I don't have a picture of, but that we'll all remember forever is the loooong driveway to our cabin! It was 6 miles of gravel that took our poor van 20 minutes to drive. Everyone just sorta tingled for a minute or two after driving it. :P

In Heavenly Love Abiding

In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear;

And safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here;

The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid;

But God is round about me, and I can I be dismayed?

Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back;

My Shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack

His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim;

He knows the way He taketh, and I will walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me, which yet I have not seen;

Bright skies will soon be o'er me, where darkest clouds have been;

My life I cannot measure, the path of life is free;

My Savior has my treasure, and He will walk with me.

--Anna L. Waring (1823-1910) "In Heavenly Love Abiding"

The 33-hour drive

The first of what I hope is several slide shows depicting our westward travels :)

To Live Faithfully...

"God surely hears that prayer [to live faithfully] when it is accompanied by obedience in the things that are perfectly clear. Both the wisdom and the strength will always be given, in perfect measure when the time comes, if we take up quietly and faithfully the duties of today. Let us not make the mistake of directing our energies toward what is not today's business. The best preparation for the future is always the conscientious carrying out of what is given us today."

~Elisabeth Elliot

A week at the Orchard

For those who are curious how much fudge, donuts, pies, etc. a little apple orchard goes through in the time of a week, here's an estimate 0f what we made and sold this week:


--24 9x13 pans of fudge, (120 pounds, I believe)


--35 batches of donuts (that would be roughly 210 dozen...and yes, we sell out every week)


--THOUSANDS of fried pies (turnover size...we can barely keep up with the demand! They're what this orchard is famous for)


--Dozens upon sticky dozens of caramel apples


--I don't know how many gallons of cider (Tyler would know...he has spent almost every minute at the orchard this past week making and bottling cider!!)
*NOTE: I was just informed by Mr. Ciderman himself that they make, bottle and sell 2600-3500 gallons of cider weekly!!!!


--Lots and lots of apple butter, pumpkin butter, jams, jellies, and preserves! This is what they make all winter with all the extra fruits!


--I can't imagine how many apples, pumpkins, squashes, etc, they sell. But really I'm not surprised...their apples are gorgeous and the most delicious things ever!! How am I going to go back to grocery store apples after this?!?! I don't even want to think about it right now. :)


Obviously I don't know all the numbers, but it really is pretty amazing how busy they are this time of year!! I love it!! Today I spent most of my time in the back kitchen making donuts...77 dozen. Love those greasy racks. :P But to make up for it, I got to help jar apple butter, which is the most wonderful job because it smells so amazing!!! Hopefully I'll get some pictures of my workplace and all that fudge soon, but here's a link for the present:
http://www.evansorchard.com/Index.html


The Lord has definitely blessed Tyler and me with a great job. We love the people we work for...and most of the people we work with. ;) It's always busy and sometimes crazy, but has brought so many opportunities to share the gospel and reach out in love to hurting people who need Jesus!! Has been a growing experience for us both, for sure. Ha ha. That just struck me as funny after writing about all the fudge and donuts I make. *grin* Never mind.

(picture from www.evansorchard.com)

Twinsies

Carrie and Hope, all matching and adorable. :)

Little sisters are so wonderful!! This picture just makes me want to sew more so I can make more cute matching things for them. In all that spare time I don't have, eh?

Beautiful day...

Such a lovely day at the vdH home...blue sky, cooler temperatures...Hey, but what kind of critters are on the roof there?

Aha...it's Dad and Sam! I guess they miss the mountains from our trip out west. Too bad there are so many trees. They might actually be able to see for a couple miles. Not quite like being 10,000 feet up on top of a mountain, but...I guess they were willing to take what they could get!

Okay, okay, they were cleaning the chimney. Or it looks like Tyler was anyway. Getting ready for those cold, yet cozy, winter days. :) Hooray!

Trust and Obey

"David inquired of the Lord"

2 Samuel 5:23

"Christian, if you would know the path of duty, take God for your compass; if you would steer your ship through the dark billows, put the tiller into the hand of the Almighty. Many rocks might be escaped, if we would let our Father take the helm; many shoals or quicksand we might well avoid, if we would leave to His sovereign will to choose and to command...We must mark God's providence leading us; and if providence tarries, tarry until providence comes."

-C.H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, Feb. 9)

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"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God! Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground!"

-David (Psalm 143:10)

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I'm not an especially talented writer when it comes to sharing what the Lord has been teaching me. I know after I post this, I will think of dozens of verses I could have used, or things I could have said better or differently, but this is a subject that has been on the forefront of my mind this past year, and I just wanted to share it. I'm slowly learning that I'm not the only one to have these struggles, and that it's okay to open up and be honest, and to share how the Lord comes through every time. :) Would heartily welcome any thoughts or comments from any who are learning or have learned the same things! Particularly, though, from any of my older, wiser readers who have been walking with the Lord longer and have more stories of His faithfulness! You never know how God might use a little comment on a little blog to bring encouragement at just the right moment to someone! :)

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Somehow I have a funny feeling that, no matter how old I get, obedience is something God's always going to be working on in me. It probably gets easier as you begin to build up story after story of God's faithfulness, and experience the joy of walking on obedience to the Lord. But it definitely seems to be a process of trusting, obeying, and then finding out that the Lord really is sovereign and knows what He's about.

Although I've had "obedience tests" in the past, it seems that it's a lesson the Lord has really wanted me to "get" this year. Since my graduation about a year and a half ago, there's been the question of how I use this time in my life. Lord willing, I would love to some day get married, have a family, and be a godly stay-at-home wife, mother, and homemaker. Best job in the world, in my opinion! So though that's what I've wanted since I was a little girl, the Lord has reminded me that "obedience is the end", and that I really don't know what He has in store for me, and that I just need to do what He says, without considering whether it lines up with what I think my future is. Similarly, I need to obey His revealed will to me, and not concern myself with things I don't understand yet. It's been said, "Beware reasoning about the Word of God. Obey it."

For example, I've said that I would love to get married some day. And yet, the Lord hasn't led me to college and doesn't want me to play the dating game. *gasp* How will I ever find a husband?!? Oh yeah, I don't have to find a husband! If the Lord wills it, He will bring it about in His good time and in His good ways, without any "help" from me. And I'll be saved from a lot of the heartbreak and hastily formed and broken marriages that I see around me. It's only by the grace of God that He's brought certain people, books, and teachings into my life that have helped me to understand that I need to trust God in this area as much as (and perhaps more than) in any other. It's a hard one to keep my hands off of, I'll admit, but I know, through many testimonies, that it'll be worth it in the future. Elisabeth Elliot's book, "Quest for Love" has been a great encouragement to me, and I plan to read it's prequel "Passion and Purity" soon after.

So even though the things God has me learning right now seem to point to the desires of my heart, I still have to hand those desires and dreams, good as they are, back to Him, and trust Him with them. And I'm excited to see how in the world He's going to do it!! As a child of God, it's a joyful thing, even if I struggle first, to place myself into the hands of a loving Father, who sees and hears and knows all! :)

So though God's helped me trust Him with my future, I've still struggled somewhat with being content where God has me right now. It's so easy for me to compare myself with friends who have found their "niche" and then to feel like I'm not doing anything of much value. But I was reminded the other night that God doesn't "rate" us based on how much it feels like we're doing for Him, or how "spiritual" what we're doing looks, but He DOES care about whether we're walking in obedience to Him and seeking to glorify Him wherever He puts us. Even if it's not exactly what we had in mind or especially want to do in the long run. :) I want so much to be able to say with Paul that "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." (Phil. 4:1)

This wanting to walk in Jesus' steps certainly keeps a person in prayer. "David inquired of the Lord". I never want to make a decision based on what everyone else is doing, especially if it's the way the world is doing it. God calls believers "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9) So it follows that the way I make decisions should probably be a little different than "what's popular" "what's considered 'normal'" or "what makes me stand out the least?!?!" And yes, for a quiet, shy person like myself, it's a temptation! But if I want to glorify God and proclaim "the excellencies of Him who called [me]," my decisions HAVE to have their beginning in prayer and in Scripture, or my decision making won't be any different from the unsaved! Being the temple of the Holy Spirit should and will make us radically different!

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"And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19) Even the grit and grace to trust and obey. "To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." (vs. 20)

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"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13)

Obedience is the End

This is an Oswald Chambers quote that I came across earlier this year. Originally I had only read a portion of this quote in "God's Smuggler", but then googled it, and found out that there was a lot more! It really changed, among other things, my view of obedience, as well as my decision-making process! More about that later. For now, the quote!

"We are apt to imagine that if Jesus Christ constrains us, and we obey Him, He will lead us to great success. We must never put our dreams of success as God's purpose for us; His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end.
What is my dream of God's purpose? His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay in the middle of the turmoil calm and unperplexed, that is the end of the purpose of God. God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process - that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God.
God's training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training and preparation, God calls the end.
God's end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present: if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious."

A Fairytale Pie

Here's Kate, holding the evil-looking, brown-green squash called, upon research, a fairytale pumpkin! From the patch of Cinderella's step-sisters perhaps? At any rate, I picked this one up at the orchard down the road (where I work), having been told that it made excellent pumpkin pies. Time for some food experimentation!!

I used my mom's recipe for Pumpkin Pie from fresh pumpkin. The recipe said to bake the gunked out, halved pumpkins in a dish filled with 1/4 inch water for 1 hour. Being impatient, I decided to quarter the squash and microwave it instead. It took about...1 hour.

While waiting for my pumpkin to cook, I mixed together the dough for my Oma's pie crust and lined three pie dishes. This is the step that for whatever reason keeps me from making pies more often. An odd thing because I love to make pie crust. I suppose just the concept of having to flour the counter, get my hands all messy, and have to deal with greasy dishes afterwards that makes me THINK it will be a big undertaking. ;) Definitely worth it though. This is yummy crust! Flaky and delicious every time.

Once my pumpkin was soft and fully cooked, I scooped out the insides and discovered that I had 6 cups. Enough to double the recipe! Originally, the recipe would have made 2 8-inch round pies. I got 2 9-inch pies and 1 8-inch. By the way, Mom and I tasted the pumpkin at this point, and found it to be a bit sweeter and less bland than normal pumpkin. At least that was my opinion. Mom just kinda made a face that said "it still needs butter and brown sugar."

And then....I guess I could have used a mixer. But who wants to use something man-made when you could use something God-given? I mean, it's so much more practical and saves electricity. Not to mention that I don't have to wash an orange-splattered kitchen afterwards. The fewer things to wash in the end the better, I say!!

Next step: mix the smooooth pumpkin with brown sugar, spices, and beaten eggs. Pour into prepared pie pans and bake at 350*F for 35 minutes. You wouldn't believe how marvelous our house smelled! Pumpkin pie candles might have to do occasionally (though I think it's cruel...you walk into a house, smell pie, and...what a LET DOWN!!) but as for me and our house, we make real pumpkin pie!

Beautiful.

Though I do admit, the piece should have been bigger. Or maybe it was just dwarfed by that blob of cream on top? But anyway, I personally liked this pie better than the pumpkin pie made from canned pumpkin. Had a good texture and more spicy-ness. And although we have some pumpkin pie-dislikers in our family, it was generally approved of by those who tried it. :) Yummy!

The People on our Porch

Meet the Porch People!

Ernest is standing to the left. His wife Ernestina and their baby Tidbit are sitting in the white chair. In the rocker are Lady Hazel and her little one, Hazy. Sir Hazel was on a business trip, and was unable to make it for the photo shoot.

Grace stuffing Lady Hazel's legs. (Her ladyship is quite particular about her mode of dress...note the pink gloves and the high-heeled shoes off to the right.)

The arms look fine, Abbie, what Ernestina needs is her head!

Ahhh, complete at last! Pretty unique. It's what comes of creative girls with a well-stocked dress-up box. I was also just reminded to point out to the viewers that the little girl sitting on Mrs. Hazel's lap is NOT a hay person, but is in fact real.

Introducing...

My cat Shanni!! I'm still just trying to figure out how to do different things here, and thought I'd give the honors of first picture to my cat. :) She's part ragdoll, and has quite the personality! I think. ;) Mostly she's sweet, but bring out the yarn or the pattern pieces... My little sisters lock her up before they play paperdolls, to prevent any decapitations or chewed off appendages.

Here goes...

My very first post on my very first blog! And I've worked on it until so late that I don't know that I can put together a coherent sentence. :) Oh well. I'm happy to have it going at any rate, though there are a ton of things I want to work on and learn how to do on here. There have been a lot of cute blog features that I've seen on other people's blogs that I'm not finding anywhere. Another day. But for now, let's see if this posts.