Welcome Our 2 Newest Additions!!

This past week, we welcomed to our ranch, 2 beautiful additions to our foundation herd:

Invierno (meaning Winter)

Sienna Chanel (Sienna means: reddish orange brown)

We look forward to Lord-willing, breeding Invierno this Spring to Viola, for what is sure to be a spectacular cria.... & isn't Chanel such a little doll??

Graduation Plans

Grace Bible had it's first High School Graduation Planning Meeting (boy, that was a mouthful!! LOL), this past Tuesday. There will be 6 of us graduating this year at Grace: Elizabeth Patterson, Elizabeth Rognaldson, Noah Door, Caleb Chersin, Mary Beth Peabody, & me.

We decided on the date: May 20th, 2011 at 6:30pm at Grace Bible Church.
All the families were so accommodating--to adjust the usual graduation date, earlier than usual--so that I can  participate in it as well, before I leave (5 days later) for the Philippines...

I'm pretty excited....okay, I'm ecstatic...but then, who wouldn't be??

One thing that really stuck with me from the meeting, is the first thing that Pastor  Paul wrote on the whiteboard:

Graduation

What The Teen Thinks It Is...

vs.

Commencement

What The Parent Knows It Is...

Isn't that good!?!

We have another meeting in about 2 weeks, to continue the planning process...
It's going to be a blast preparing for it...(who doesn't love a challenge?!?)... :D

Samson's New Hair Cut

 So, Samson--our great, big, furry Bouvier des Flanders--got a new haircut/hair style this past week......And ain't he cute!?! Thought you'd enjoy these pictures of him!!
Unfortunately, the pictures don't show what he really looks like...his hair was all 'blow-dried', & his head was all cropped short...He looks like a real bear now!!! So, if you see a 'bear' roaming the hills...make sure it's not our dog!!! LOL

Sweet 16=Pain, Time, & Money

Rachel at Silver Mtn.

Following in my footsteps, Rachel got her ears pierced tonight at Claire's...but unlike my getting mine done 6 weeks before my 16th birthday, she got hers done exactly 2 months before!!

She was apprehensive (as are we all! :D) about what it would 'feel' like, but afterwards said, "Wow! That was ALL?!?!"

She decided to get the 5mm CZ (not squared) studs, (which perfectly beautiful on her).

Signing the papers

Picking the Stone

..........In Process........

First expression after...

Finished up...ain't she just gorgeous! (as she was b4)

"Comforts for Mothers in Labor"...

Today, we spent quite a few hours as a family, going thru boxes of "stuff"...mostly old ACE Paces, records, & interesting old papers. Amongst the junk, Mama found a paper, titled "Comorts for Mother's in Labor":D that I wrote between Year 2000 & 2002 (age 7-9).
I have no remembrance of writing this, but then, I don't even remember telling Mom at age 7, that I felt God wanted me to be a midwife...


Also, as of a few years ago, I gained conclusive evidence, showing that I am dyslexic (explaining the many different/odd learning problems I have had, especially in my High School years)...anyway, as of late, I have wondered if any of my earlier documents showed that...well, on this writing, I did wrote the following: Joshau & Isiaah....kind of cool if you ask me... LOL 

Going back to the verses, here they are...not all of them, I'd put under the List for Comforting Laboring Moms, but... :D

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.   Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.  Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but  thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

~ Joshua 1:5-9 ~

But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children.

~ Isaiah 49:25 ~

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

~ Psalms 23:1 ~

Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, & holiness, with self-control.

~ I Timothy 2:15 ~

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

~ II Timothy 1:7 ~

Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."

~ Matthew 9:29 ~

But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

~ Psalms 3:3 ~

Also, on the same but different note, we found some papers Mom wrote after she miscarried Matthew Paul on January 14th, 2004...my daddy's 39th birthday. Though not due until August, Matthew was miscarried during his second month of life. His name means "A little gift of God, dependent on the Lord".


Looking back; though his death was hard at the time, I realize now, that if Matthew had been born alive, we wouldn't have James with us now (born in November, 2004), or have his twin-Lydia Carol in heaven. Through it all though, God has been so good to us, & I wouldn't trade any of my 10 brothers & sisters (those that are in heaven...& on earth LOL), for all the gold in China!!! :D 
How anyone cannot realize the Sanctity of Life, & how special each life is---no matter where they are in the process of growth---is absolutely ludicrous & insensible. May God turn the hearts of the fathers & mothers of our Country back to their hearts & lives of their children!!!

Viola is Here!!

It has been almost a month since the suspenseful last half hour of the OpenHerd auction, where we bought our newest addition to Rockford Bay Ranch: A beautiful, rose grey junior herdsire, who has Champion Genetics-Silver Spoon Viola.

Well, after waiting (for what seemed like forever), Viola arrived yesterday at our ranch, safe & sound!! (and ain't he gorgeous!!!)

Though only 17 months old, Viola is HUGE!!! We're very much looking forward to his first breedings later this year, for what should be, some large, colored (grey??) cria!!!

One more thing....about his name...isn't it cute? Yeah, I thought so too. It is pronounced: (VEE-ohl-uh). As many of you know, my Grampaw used to be a conductor/violinist/master of many (& has been teaching Rachel violin for quite a few years now, with phenomenal success, I might add).

Also, Oma (my gramma) used to play Viola as well, so it ties in both grandparents, & our family!!

Viola is such a God-send...we needed to get colors into our herd, & God provided for us!!!! Praise the Lord!!!

REMINDER: It Isn't Spring Anymore/Yet!!

Well, pride goeth before the fall, I suppose...or as it really goes in Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
So, I was emailing a friend the other day (who had a bunch of snow in her mid-western State), joking/boasting about our gorgeous Spring weather here in the Northwestern State of Idaho, and (as I knew would happen) snow came last night!!!

Not that that was a bad thing, but...well, I suppose it was "bound to happen" as they say! LOL
------------------
I just have to share this praise with ya'll....yes, it does have to do with Packing...

Yesterday morning, while trying to decide what to wear to church, I thought, "I really need to find some good layering clothes, & some good woven short-sleeved shirts!!" (It was the perfect day to wear a turtle neck under a short-sleeved woven shirt). Also, for the last many months, I've been trying to find some inexpensive flannel long-sleeve shirts, but to no avail as of yet...

Well, last night, we went to the Schumann's home again, & had a wonderful time fellowshipping with some other families there. Selah just happened to have cleaned out her closet, & had around a half dozen shirts that fit me; of which (Praise the Lord), there were amongst other things, some short-sleeved woven shirts & flannel long-sleeved shirts.

I know that you probably think it's just a trivial thing; but to me, it was another big reminder of how I can trust God to supply all my needs...heretofore and in the future!! There have been some other even bigger 'miracles' (to me) that have happened in the last few weeks, that I look forward to sharing in a future post.

But my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

~ Philippians 4:19 ~

It's February!

I can hardly believe it's February!! Doesn't time fly!!
Here are some interesting facts I found regarding the month of February. Enjoy!!

In addition to being the most misspelled month, February is a misfit of days from Leap Year (every 4th year) to its standard 28 days in a collection of 30. Interestingly, February had 28 days until Julius Caesar gave it 29, and 30 days every four years. According to tradition, Augustus, the Roman emperor, took one day off to add one day to August, the month named after him. We now have February with 28 days, and 29 on leap years.

February's name comes from the Latin word "februum", which translates as "purification". Given the amount of "purifying" rain that typically falls during this winter month in the Northern Hemisphere, the name seems appropriate.

Birthstone: Amethyst
The word Amethyst is believed to be derived from the Greek language meaning "a (not) and methustos (intoxicated)," therefore the stone has been embraced as a symbol for sobriety.

Flower: Primrose

Fun Facts:
- February is is Black History Month in the US & Canada, serving as a remembrance of people & events in African American history.
- February is also National Cherry & Chocolate Month (among countless others), which explains all of those Valentine's Day gifts of chocolate-covered cherries.
- February is well known for Ground Hog's Day on the 2nd, Valentine's Day on the 14th, & President's Day on the 3rd Monday.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:42

(Thanks to 'entourage' wikipedia, & 'celebrations' for the facts!)