Chloe's Corner

2011-12-24T20:13:00.000-08:00

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she (Mary) should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
~Luke 2:6-11~

What a tremendous, precious gift!!! That God would send His only begotten Son, Jesus, to come, live upon earth and die for for the sins of men...in our place, then for Him to rise again, that through Him, we might have the hope of eternal life! What an awesome God we serve!

A very Merry Christmas to you all!

Blessings!
~Chloe~ :)

~Dinner Anyone?~

2011-10-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

For our meal this evening, we decided to go with Taco salad, veggies, fruit and ice water! It was quite delicious!

For the Taco Salad we simply used...

taco salad shells,

cooked, ground hamburger meat,

pinto beans,

brown rice seasoned with chilli powder and mixed with a veggie blend,

lettuce,

shredded cheddar cheese,

diced tomatoes,

and garnished it with picante sauce.

For dessert, I made up an easy recipe of peanut butter cookies and decided to top them each with a chocolate chip. ;)

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

Cream sugar and peanut butter. Add egg and mix well, until smooth. Shape into balls 1-1 1/2-inches in diameter and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls by crisscrossing with a fork to about 1/3-inch thickness. Bake at 325* until lightly browned, usually about 10-12 minutes. This recipe makes about 2-2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

"O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

~Psalm 34:8~

~Amazing Love!~

2011-10-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

This afternoon the Lord was so sweet to remind me of His great love for us...I was quite humbled. Just think. The fact that the CREATOR of the entire universe would care for...me...and you.

"What is man that You take thought of him,

And the son of man that You care for him?

Yet You have made him a little lower than God,

And You crown him with glory and majesty!

You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet..."

Psalm 8:4-6

Isaiah 49:16 says, "See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands...".

Luke 12:7 says, "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

Ps.139:13,14 says,

"For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You,

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.".

God not only cares deeply for each one of us, but He desires to have a close, intimate relationship with us!

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8

God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die... on the cross...in OUR place...for sins He didn't commit! He came down to earth to take the punishment for OUR sins, while He himself was completely blameless and spotless.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

"If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:17-19

God has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives...and His plan for us is good!

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Jer. 29:11

He is there for us, to listen to our deepest cares and concerns.

"And cast all your cares on God, for he takes care of you."

1 Peter 5:7

And He even cares about the little things in life.

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

Is. 49:16

He is faithful to meet our every need.

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Phil 4:19

With a God like that...wow. What can I do but give back to Him the life He gave me, to be used for His service, for His will and for His glory!

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

Col. 3:17

After all, I am not my own!

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."

1 Cor. 6:19-20

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."

Eph. 5:1,2

Let's live our lives for Him, because He gave His life for us! Let's give Him our ALL (He didn't hold back!). What an AMAZING Savior we serve! To HIM be ALL glory honor and praise!!!

Blessings!

~Chloe~ :)

P.S.

Here's the link to a song that I recently discovered that talks about how God views us...it's called, "Someone Worth Dying For". Listen and be blessed! :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtBfTfgeb4A&feature=related

~New Devotional Blog!~

2011-08-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Hope this post finds you well! :) This morning we were BLESSED to receive some MUCH needed rain! The cooler air that came with the rain, was such a relief after weeks of intense heat! The same is true in our spiritual lives! When the ground of our hearts and lives become dry and parched with the heat of things that go on in our every day life it can be SO refreshing to be washed by the water of the word and to let it cleanse us and to "settle the dust" and cause spiritual growth in our lives! Just as plants can become withered and dry up without rain, we too can become weary and grow faint if we become negligent in watering our souls with God's life giving word! With that being said, I am excited to introduce to you my new devotional blog...Striving To Fall More in Love With Jesus! This blog is not intended to be separate from my original blog for "more spiritual posts", but rather to organize the posts, where we can possibly have book studies, encouraging songs and more! My vision for this blog is that it would have the same kind of atmosphere as a specific room or place in one's home, set aside for quiet times with the Lord, or perhaps gathering for a group Bible study. A place where one would purpose to remove distractions, to be able to really focus on Christ and press in and seek Him with our whole hearts! This blog is certainly not intended to be a replacement for one's quiet time with the Lord, but to simply be a place where we can draw strength and encouragement with others by sharing insights and encouragement the Lord has shared with us as we continue to seek Christ and grow in Him! My desire in all my blogging (as well as in every area of my life) is that Christ would be lifted up!

So please feel free to stop by for a visit! (My most recent post is about some encouraging books I've enjoyed reading over the summer!) I pray it is a blessing to you! :)

Love in Christ!

~Chloe~ :)

"Listen, O heavens, and I will speak;
hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he."

~Deuteronomy 32:1-4~

~Summertime Reflections~ :)

2011-07-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Hope everyone is having a blessed summer! (I know I am!) :D

This year has been filled with many fun activities such as swimming, volleyball, working out with my brother and friends, dancing, cooking, cleaning, organizing, reading God's Word, singing, playing the piano and violin, (teaching my younger brothers some piano as well,) :) blogging, sewing and more! :D

In June I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a week long camp as a team leader! The first two days were for training and preparing the hearts of the leaders and the rest of the week we were able to invest in the lives of the youth attending the camp by leading small groups. I had never been there before and I was a little unsure of what all might come up during the week as to what questions might be asked...and if I would know how to answer them. But the Lord was gracious and reminded me of a clip from the film "The Prince of Egypt" that tells the story of Moses and how he had felt inadequate in what the Lord was calling him to do, yet the Lord assured him that he would give him the words to speak. HE is our enabler! (You can see the clip here .) The Lord also later showed me these verses...

"Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

And before you were born I consecrated you;

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak,

Because I am a youth.”But the LORD said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,

And all that I command you, you shall speak.“Do not be afraid of them,

For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me,

“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

~Jeremiah 1:4-9~

I desired to be a willing vessel the Lord could work through and as I yielded myself to Him, He was SO good to encourage me that He can give us the words to say and the wisdom to know what to do and how to respond in every situation that comes our way! He also seemed to continue to present me with situations for me to be bold in Christ! Stretching and growth took place that week and I'm thankful for the work He is accomplishing in my life!

While there, I was also refreshed and renewed in my walk with Him! During that week we were encouraged to daily spend time in God's word and to not just hurriedly read through a chapter, for example, as if to check Bible reading off our list of "to-do's", but to pray and ask the Lord to reveal Himself to us through His word, to listen to His voice and to really ponder and meditate on what we are reading. (Looking up the definitions of words and cross-referencing verses with other verses that contain the same word or theme are great ways to gain insight and a fuller, deeper meaning of scripture!) I love the visual picture of a sponge being immersed in water...that's how our lives should be! We should be so full of the Word of God that we are full and overflowing, so that He will spill over into every aspect of our lives!

A theme verse in our group was Romans 12:2 which says... "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Here's a couple of definitions from the above verse...

transformed=Make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of

renew=to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection

So...here's the verse with the definitions inserted.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (Make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of) by the renewing (to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection) of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

If we are born from above and are children of God, we should no longer be looking to the world for the standard as to how we should live our lives, but to God and His word. By reading His word and learning what is pleasing to Him, our lives can be changed from following our own

selfish desires and pleasures and we can surrender to His perfect will. Through Him, we can die to sin and live to righteousness!

That brings me to the theme of the second church camp I attended this summer where I also went as a sponsor! :) At that camp we focused on being consumed by Christ and giving HIM our ALL!

"Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!"

~Psalm 103:1~

Here are a few definitions for the word all...

all=the whole amount, quantity, or extent of, as much as possible, every member or individual component of, the whole number or sum of, completely taken up with, given to, or absorbed by, used up : entirely consumed

1 Kings 15:14b says...

"...the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days."

That is how I want to be! WHOLLY devoted to the Lord ALL my days! I desire to be consumed by Him, to be so caught up in Him that when others look at my life they wouldn't see me, but Christ that is within me! That my hands would be His hands and my feet His feet...that I wouldn't live my life for myself but for Him and that I would glorify Him in ALL I think, say and do!

One of the songs we learned while at camp was titled "Arrest our Minds" and was referring to us allowing Christ to "arrest" our minds with the vision of Him and that He would be our first love. I looked up the definition of arrest and here is what I found.

arrest=to stop or check, to seize by authority of the law, to catch and keep (one's attention etc.) an arresting or being arrested, in legal custody

At first glance, the word "arrest" might seem like something that would be undesirable...something that would bind us and remove our freedom. But when you apply it to the context of Christ...it is really quite the opposite! Now, I won't deny that Christ will ask us to put off certain things in our lives that may seem "fun for a season" such as sinful desires, selfish pleasures etc...He will! But in doing so there is freedom beyond all measure! He is able to SAVE us from our sins! How freeing is that??? In Him we can overcome! As Christians, we are His, we are bought with a price! He has redeemed us! He has broken the chains of bondage where we no longer have to be enslaved to sin because He is our deliverer!!! Praise God!!!

While at these camps I was reminded of what great love the Lord has for us! He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for ALL our sins. He did nothing wrong, yet He bore the punishment of our sins for us. What an AMAZING sacrifice! That through Him we might have the hope of eternal life...what a MIGHTY God we serve! He gave His ALL for me...the least I can do is give my ALL for Him. This requires the daily choice to pick up our cross and follow Him, to die to sin and live to righteousness.

May the Lord richly bless you all as we seek together to give Christ our

ALL in EVERY aspect of our lives!

Looking to Him!

~Chloe~ :)

P.S.

Have you ever heard the song Christ is Risen? It's very pretty and has a very powerful message...to listen click here. ;) Also, I recently purchased some new books that have been encouraging to read in my free time this summer :)...I hope to post about them in the near future on my new blog...so stay tuned for the link! ;)

~Photo Contest~

2011-07-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Hope you're all having a great summer so far! :)

Just wanted to do a quick post to let you all know...my aunt is a photographer and my cousin's picture is in a photo contest! If you would like to vote for him, please click her e and you can vote by leaving a comment just be sure to change your comment to vote for "this photo". He's the little fella with the cute smile, wearing a black shirt and is in a meadow surrounded by lovely blue flowers! Your vote is most appreciated! :)

Thanks SO much and may God bless!

~Chloe~ :)

~A Shelter in Time of Storms~

2011-05-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Early this morning we were pleased to have the addition of a storm shelter made to our yard! We were all very interested in watching the whole process and took lots of pictures...soooo... if you would like to see too...feel free to scroll down for a virtual field trip of how one is put in! ;)

Breaking of the ground...

and moving in the shelter.

Digging...

and more digging.

Leveling out the ground...

Lifting the shelter off of the trailer...

and into its hole!

In it goes! :D

Packing in the dirt.

Now to make it a little more "homey". ;)

And there it is...all settled!

Blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

~Psalm 46:1~

~Dinner Delights~

2011-05-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight for our evening meal I decided to make a Cheeseburger Pie with a side of delicious baked beans followed by a pan of brownies for dessert! We enjoyed it at our house and I thought you might enjoy it in yours! Here's the recipes! ;)

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

(Note: We aren't that big on onion around here, so we use just a 1/4 tsp. minced onion and it is still quite tasty. ;) )

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Original Bisquick

1 cup milk

2 eggs

(Note: We double the last three ingredients to make the dish more filling. Also, if you don't have Bisquick, you can make your own self-rising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp, baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt for every cup of flower you use.)

Heat oven to 400*. Grease 9" pie plate.

(Note: We use cooking spray and put the ingredients in a 9" x 13" baking dish.)

Cook ground beef and onion until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate; sprinkle with cheese.

Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.

Bake about 25 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

For the side dish...here's a recipe we came up with. :)

Baked Beans

2 cans vegetarian beans

about a Tbsp. of bacon bits

Let simmer for 15 min. stirring as needed. Next add...

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp. mustard

1/4 tsp. minced onion

1/3 cup brown sugar

Stir and and let simmer 5 min. more to let flavors blend.

And now for the brownies! ;)

Brownies

1/4 cup nuts

1/2 cup vanilla chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup oil

3 eggs

Combine ingredients and pour into a greased 9" x 13 " pan. Bake at 350* for 27-32 min.

We decided to top our brownies off with a little frozen vanilla yogurt...SOOO yummy! :D

Happy cooking! :)

In Christ,

~Chloe~ :)

"I shall delight in Your statutes;I shall not forget Your word."

~Ps. 119:16~

~Birthday Bliss!~

2011-05-22T09:49:00.001-07:00

Hello all! :D

This week we were blessed to celebrate two birthdays at our house...the first one being my youngest brothers! He turned 10 years old! Upon his request, we decorated in a NERF theme! :)

Joshua is such a special blessing in our family, I am SO thankful for him! :)

A few days later we celebrated my older brothers birthday! He is a WONDERFUL brother and friend!

This weekend we hosted a party with relatives! Such fun! :)

As usual we came up with a design for the cake to go with the birthday theme and got busy baking and decorating! :)

We also prepared a trail mix for additional munching. ;)

All set and ready!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! :D :D :D

Picture time...

cake...

smiles...

fellowship...

and presents. :)

We then ventured outside for some Nerf gun adventures. ;)

Ready...

aim...

and let the fun begin! :)

Blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above... "

~James 1:17~

~A Giveaway!~

2011-04-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

A sweet friend of mine is hosting a lovely giveaway for the book entitled "31 Days To Clean". (It's subtitle is "Having A Martha House in a Mary Way".) It looks really good, feel free to stop by her blog to enter! :)

Blessings to you all!

~Chloe~

"Let all things be done decently and in order."

~1 Cor.14:40~

~Another Birthday Blessing!~ :)

2011-01-31T12:34:00.000-08:00

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

~Proverbs 31:10~

This month we also celebrated my mom's birthday! :) My mom is such a SPECIAL blessing in our lives!!! Her sacrificial love and devotion for our family is daily evident! I am SO blessed, encouraged and inspired by her godly example! She is not only my mother, but a WONDERFUL friend and role model whom I greatly admire! :)

Mom,

I am SO thankful for you!!! I pray the Lord's abundant blessings on you as you continue to serve in the incredibly valuable role the Lord has placed you in, as a wife and mother!!! I am daily blessed by your investment in my life, the lives of my brothers and my dad...what an incredible gift of love!

I love you SOOOO much!!!!!

"Her children rise up and bless her;

Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she
shall be praised."
~Proverbs 31:28-30~

~Hey, Howdy, Hey!!!~

2011-01-28T22:08:00.001-08:00

This month we celebrated my younger brother's 12th birthday!!! :D

For his party this year, we decided to have a "Toy Story" theme...we had LOTS of fun preparing for it! ;)

When we are making plans to create a special cake, my younger brothers enjoy drawing a picture of what they would like the cake to look like, then Mom will normally bake the cake and I will decorate it!

Here is the completed project!

We invited our guests to come dressed up as a toy to add to the fun of the theme! Our cousins came as a doll and a Barbie and my brothers dressed up as Ken and Woody!

Picture time! :)

Preparing to light the candles and to sing "Happy Birthday". :) (Over the years we have learned several birthdays songs...however, in more recent years we have discovered one that has become a new favorite. The tune is the same as the traditional "Happy Birthday" song...you just change up the words a little! It says...

"Happy Birthday to you,

and to Jesus be true.

May the Lord's richest blessings,

abide upon you!" :) )

My youngest brother enjoyed trying on Woody's little hat! ;)

Along with the cake and vanilla yogurt, we prepared small servings of trail mix for an additional treat! :)

Opening presents!

We all had a very blessed day and were grateful for the time we were able to share together with relatives! :) I am SO thankful for each one the Lord has placed in my family! God is SO good! :D

By the entry way we posted a sign which read:

~Loyalty~

Loyalty is the bonding of individuals in a long-term commitment of sacrificial support and defense.

"A friend loves at all times..."

~Proverbs 17:17~

(In the movie "Toy Story 3" the Toys show loyalty to "their boy"!) ;)

Blessings to you all!

~Chloe~

~Merry Christmas!!!~

2010-12-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

~Luke 2:11-14~

As many of you have probably noticed...I haven't been posting as much lately. That would be due to the fact that I started college in the fall and my time to type out all of the many happenings in life has become somewhat lesser in priority next to homework etc. :P However, the fact that things have been happening and the interest to post about them has NOT gone away...the updates are just a little delayed in their comings! ;) So, with that being said ;) ...Christmas break has come and I've decided to get you all caught up! ;)

This month (as well as the previous ones!) have been full of lots of activities...some of which have included (but are not limited to the following ;) )....

1. Finals Week

(Woohoo!!! One semester down...several more to go. :P lol! ) This semester I have taken LOTS of music classes...voice lessons, piano lessons, choir, vocal diction etc. It has been really fun and I look forward to exploring more next semester! (I'm excited about the opportunity to get to take violin lessons in the Spring!!! :D My desire in developing skills in music are to use them for His glory!

2. A Trip To See Christmas Lights

My older brother and I had the privilege to go with a group from one of the college ministries to go see Christmas lights early this month, it was lots of fun! :)

3. Caroling, A Christmas Skit and Games

Several families in our area, thought it would be fun to bake several dozen cookies per family, put them together on plates and take them to others in our community while caroling! So we did just that! :D It was loads of fun! There were 6 big vans, 1 mini van and 1 suburban...around 60 of us going caroling! :D It was SO neat to see the joy on peoples faces as we went from house to house!

Later that evening, we shared a meal together and then some of the children reenacted the Christmas story, which a sweet friend of mine helped organize! :)

Here were the shepherds....

and the wise men! :)

Here I was "standing with the angles"! ;)

We also enjoyed playing games! Here my older brother and friends had fun competing in chess! Some of the rest of us enjoyed playing a game called "Operation Telephone". (Similar to "Charades".)

4. Historic Dance Christmas Social

We also attended our historic dance groups annual Christmas Social where we all get together to enjoy fellowship and refreshments, play parlor games and dance "The 12 days of Christmas" (as sung by Miss Piggy)! We had a delightful time! ;)

5. Christmas gatherings with family and friends and re-tellings of the Christmas story!

This year I made up some delicious chocolate fudge to share while visiting relatives! (For the recipe, click here! :) )

First we were blessed to spend time with my dad's side of the family! We had a great time visiting, enjoying wonderful food, exchanging gifts, playing games and catching up with everyone! (I guess we were so busy enjoying our time together we didn't get any pictures to share this year :( ...oh well, we'll try again next time! :) )

Our family enjoyed a special meal together on Christmas Eve! :)

We also visited my mom's side of the family!

Here's my sweet grandparents! I am SO thankful for them! :)

We used the Wii for some recreation time! (Grandma even joined in for a round of tennis!) :D

After a wonderful meal, presents and fellowship, my younger brothers and cousin used the felt board to show the story of Jesus' birth while the Christmas story was read, then we joined together in singing some Christmas songs!

We have had a very blessed Christmas this year in remembering the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I am humbled to think that my God loved us SO much that He would send His only begotten Son to die for our sins that through Him we might have the hope of eternal life! What an AMAZING gift!!!

In closing, I would like to leave a link to a song that has been a blessing to me, it tells about the life of Christ. I hope it is an encouragement to you as well! :)

In Christ Alone

May the Lord richly bless you all! :)

Rejoicing in the life of my Lord and Savior!

~Chloe~ :)

"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

~2 Peter 3:18~

~Happy Thanksgiving!!!!~

2010-11-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

This year we were blessed to have our annual gathering with relatives and enjoy a wonderful meal together! :) Sometimes during the evening, the younger ones enjoy putting on a puppet show of the very first Thanksgiving, while the story is retold. In the past we have normally used a couch or some other object as a barrier for the puppeteers to hide behind. But one day as we were in a craft store we picked up a free paper that showed how to make your own puppet show curtains...soooo, this year Mom decided to make some! They turned out really well and we thought they really added to the presentation of the story. ;)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving as we count our many blessing and reflect on the goodness of the Lord! :)

With a greatful heart,

~Chloe~ :)

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

~Psalms 118:29~

~Fall Break Adventures!~ :)

2010-10-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

This week my older brother and I had the opportunity to attend a church retreat over fall break. The Lord blessed us with beautiful weather while there, which allowed for many outdoor activities! :) We played frisbee golf for the first time and also got in some competitive games of volleyball. :) Yesterday afternoon, several of us went on a hike and later we learned a new game called "Underground Church" (similar to "Capture the Flag") which was really fun!

We were also blessed with some enriching time of worship and Bible study. One of the songs we sang is titled In Christ Alone. (If you've never heard it be sure to click on the link above...it has a wonderfully powerful message!) We looked at the story of Mary and Martha and were encouraged to "spend time at the feet of Jesus" by reading His word and prioritizing the activities in our lives in such a way that we don't miss the things in life that are REALLY important! We also did a study on Colossians and found many encouraging truths as well!

I am thankful for the time we were able to spend in God's beautiful creation, and for the fellowship and encouragement we received while at the retreat! :)

*A special thanks to all those who prepared food, organized and planned for the event!!! Your efforts were greatly appreciated!!!

Hope you're all having a blessed autumn season, rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord!

May God bless you all!

~Chloe~ :)

"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.

She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."

But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;

but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

~Luke 10:38-42~

~My Birthday~ :D

2010-09-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

This month we celebrated my birthday! My mom and younger brothers graciously spread a beautiful table setting for the occasion. :)

They also blessed me with many beautiful cards and presents! :)

One of the gifts I received was a lovely tiara! :D

Here's a close up of the cake...SO pretty...and yummy too! ;)

I was also given beautiful pink roses...ahh, and they have a wonderful fragrance! :)

I am SO grateful for the Lord's many blessings in my life, He has been so good to me! I'd like to take a moment to share just a few of the things I'm thankful for.

I am forever grateful for the Lord's grace and mercy in my life, for allowing me to come to know Him, so that I can have a personal relationship with Him, and most of all, for the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, being sent to die on the cross for all my sins, so that through Him I can have the hope of eternal life!

I am also thankful for the wonderful family the Lord has placed me in! I love my parents and brothers dearly and am thankful for my Christian upbringing and for the fact that those in my family are also my special friends!

The list could certainly go on! I praise God for all He has done and all He will continue to do! I desire this year, to continue to draw closer to the Lord each day and I seek to glorify Him in all I do! May God bless you all!

In Christ,
~Chloe~ :)

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

~Psalm 118:1~

~Summer Ball 2010~

2010-08-01T14:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we attended the Summer Ball! Here are a few pictures from the lovely occasion! ;)

Getting ready...

I decided to go with an "up-do" this time. :)

Upon our arrival, meeting and greeting was done and dance cards were filled. We started the evening off with the Grand March! :)

There were a total of eleven dances in this years program, the titles of them are as follows:

Grand March
Friendly Waltz
Miss McLeod's Reel
Free waltz
Brown Jug Polka
Money Musk
German with Star
Caladonians Quadrille (which included three sets)
Portland Fancy
Around the House and Mind the Dresser
Sir Roger de Coverly

Dancing the Grand March...

...and Miss McLeod's Reel. :)

Our sweet cousins. :)

My dad and me. :)

There were many tasty refreshments to be enjoyed during the breaks. :)

The music, dances, fellowship, and food were all superb, we had a delightful time! :D

"O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

~1 Chronicles 16:34~

Marie-Madeline Studio...

2010-07-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

is hosting a giveaway for a fat quarter bundle from their Flower Sugar 2 collection! To enter or get more details, visit their site at www.mariemadelinestudio.typepad.com !

Many blessings!

~Chloe~ :)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight."

~Proverbs 3:5,6~

~Happy 4th of July~

2010-07-05T10:27:00.001-07:00

This year we were blessed to attend our friends annual 4th of July gathering! :) We had a wonderful time of fellowship, shared a meal together, played volleyball, played water games, (which included relay races, a sponge ball toss as well as a water balloon fight!) sang patriotic songs, pondered the blessings of freedom and shot off fireworks! It was great fun! :D

There were 100 people in attendance!

We are SO grateful for our friends hospitality, we all had a wonderful time! :D

May God bless you all and may God bless America!!!

~Chloe~ :)

P.S.

Below are the links to a couple of songs I really enjoyed this Independence Day, hope you enjoy them as well! :)

Let Freedom Ring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CqPMT-BhGs

The Star Spangled Banner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgJJXWGNGbc

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

~Gal. 5:13~

~Happy Father's Day!~

2010-06-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers."

~Psalm 1:1-3~

Dear readers,

As we approach yet another Father's Day, I've begun to ponder the many attributes of my Dad for which I am truly grateful, and for which I highly admire in him. I should like to take a moment to share a few of these qualities with you, in his honor. :)

My Dad is a man of God. He loves the Lord greatly and strives to please Him in all he does. He desires to share his love for the Lord with us, his children.

My Dad is a man of character. He is a hard worker and he has a servants heart. He looks out for the interests of others and goes out of his way to see that their needs are met.

My Dad is a good provider. He faithfully goes to work each day even when one might feel like doing otherwise.

My Dad is a good protector. He carefully thinks through scenarios and gives advice and cautions, as he sees them, so that we are kept safe from harm.

My Dad is loyal. I am SO thankful for my parents love for each other and their wonderful example in being faithful to one another!

My Dad is a gentleman. :) He is often opening a door when needed, or offering to carry something that is heavy etc.

And the list could certainly go on! ;) I am SO blessed to have such a WONDERFUL father...I love you Dad!!! <3

May God richly bless you all this Father's Day, as you seek to bless your father (and grandfather's) this year! :)

Love in Christ,

~Chloe~ :)

"But who can find a trustworthy man?

A righteous man who walks in his integrity--"

~Proverbs 20:6b, 7a~

~Birthday Fun! Part 2~ :)

2010-05-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

This month we also celebrated my older brother's birthday! :D Mom baked a double layered yellow cake and I decorated it. :)

Here's my sweet parents and brother... :)

...and my three brothers and me. :)

Happy Birthday Travis!!! :)
I am thankful for the Lord's hand on your life! Your love for the Lord, and steadfastness in Him is such an encouragement to me! May the Lord bless you abundantly as you continue to seek to glorify Him every day! We love you!

Love in Christ,
~Chloe~ :)

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers."

~Psalm 1:1-3~

~Birthday Fun~ :)

2010-05-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

This year, for my youngest brother's birthday, we decided to take a trip to the Science Museum!
Sooo...Saturday morning, we all loaded up and headed down the road! :)

Upon our arrival we paused for a quick picture in front of the Museum entrance. :)

Before going in, we went over to take a look at the rather large propeller that was displayed outside.

After meeting up with relatives, we ventured into the gift shop. Some interesting things we discovered there, were some magnetic balls which could be linked together to form a circle etc.

Next we moved on to check out these scales. One scale showed what you weigh on earth and the other showed what you would weigh on the moon!

There was also a mirror maze! The maze itself really wasn't that complex, but since all the "walls" were mirrors it made things quite interesting! :) If you weren't careful you could almost walk into a mirror!

Upstairs we saw a rocket...

...and part of a space shuttle! :)

There was also a three story tree house with a spiral slide and if you went all the way up to the top of the tree house, you could look out of a skylight in the roof of the building! It was pretty neat! ;)

We then viewed a "Science Live" show where a young man came out and did experiments (blew things up) on stage.

After the show we decided it was time to have lunch and cake. ;)

Following the meal, my brother opened his presents! :)

We then resumed our exploration by heading off to the train area! There was a large display of model trains as well as a real passenger car! We enjoyed walking beside the passenger car and peeking in the windows at the many little rooms...

...one of which was a dining room. :)

There were also a couple of segways to ride too!

Another part of the museum was called "Whodunit". In this area you were to get a newspaper that described three suspects, then you were to go into the diner to hear an audio recording that was supposed to be a conversation between the two gentlemen (in the right of the picture) discussing the crime. From the information you heard there, you were then to go into....

...this ally way and look for clues to determine who you thought the criminal was!

This was actually a bed of nails! (Don't worry, my brother said it didn't hurt!)

Here my brother looked through a periscope!

Here you could pump a marble all the way up to the ceiling and from there it would drop down and land on a round metal surface where the marble would fall though a hole in the center and then be pumped back up and dropped again! It was rather captivating to watch. ;)

There were SO many things at the Museum to see and do...this is just part of all that was there!

Later we went by a couple of stores including Bass Pro, here's a few pic's we took while there. :)

To conclude our outing, we stopped by Grandy's and enjoyed a meal before heading home! It was a full day but we all had a great time!

May God bless you all!
~Chloe~ :)

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

~Psalm 118:1~

~Happy Homemaker Material~

2010-05-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

Today I received this lovely piece of material from the Long ladies at www.mariemadelinestudio.com ! They recently hosted a giveaway to win a fat quarter and I was one of the twelve recipients! :)

The Long ladies let us choose which material we would get, so after Mom and I browsed their selection we finally decided on getting "Home Ec" in their "Fun Prints" collection. The fabric is a very nice quality and I really like the print! Now I just have to decide what to make out of it!

Many blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

2010-05-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

"Her children rise up and bless her;

Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."

Proverbs 31: 28-30

I am SO grateful the Lord blessed me with such a wonderful mother! I'm thankful for her love and devotion for our family, her sacrifice of laying down her own life to take time to teach, instruct, guide and invest in the lives of my brothers and me, for sharing with us wise counsel, and not only being our precious mother, but also being our special friend!

Mom, I love you SO much!!! What a tremendous treasure and blessing you are in my life!
I praise the Lord for gifting me with such a WONDERFUL mom!!!
~Happy Mother's Day!!!~

And to the rest of the mom's out there...
praying you all have a VERY blessed Mother's Day as well!

Many blessings to you all!
~Chloe~ :)

"What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God.
We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God,
not on account of the position and work,
but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow."
-Martin Luther

~Delicious Blueberry Muffins~

2010-04-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month I decided to make up some homemade blueberry muffins! ;) The recipe I tried was from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. The muffins turned out really well and I thought I would share the recipe with you, so here it is...enjoy! :)

~Blueberry Muffins~

Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 18 minutes

Oven: 400*F Makes: 12 muffins

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (I used 1 1/2 c. white flour and 1/4 c. wheat flour.)

1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. cooking oil

3/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Grease twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

3. In another bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Bake in a 400* oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.

Many blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

~Lamentations 3:22-24~

~Blooms, Blossoms and Birdhouses~

2010-04-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

We have had so many plants awaken this month, it's been such a joy to see the Lords handiwork! What a creative and artistic God we serve! :D

Here's our azaleas... :)

...and one of our bradford pear trees...

...along with one of our lovely red bud trees!

My younger brother collected these pretty wildflowers one afternoon...the orange ones are called "Indian Paintbrush".

My younger brothers also enjoyed painting birdhouses a while back!

They did a wonderful job on them and the birdhouses made a great addition to our spring decorations! :D

This lovely butterfly was pleased to perch on this bright, yellow dandelion! :)

One day we looked out the window and saw these beautiful geese just outside our back yard!

I am grateful for each season the Lord has blessed us with in both creation and also in our lives!

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

~Ecc. 3:1~

Have a wonderful spring!!

~Chloe~ :)

~This Is My Father's World~

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.

2. This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me everywhere.

3. This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

~Happy Resurrection Day!~

2010-04-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I hope you had a very blessed Resurrection Day! (We certainly did!) :)

My brothers had fun decorating our windows for both spring and Resurrection Day!

My brothers also enjoyed creating beautiful cards! One of my brothers chose a flower theme and my other brother made some cards with hidden eggs on each page! They were both very creative and artistic in their designs! :)

On Saturday we went to my grandparents house! My Grandma so graciously blessed us with a home cooked meal (for dessert she made this cute rabbit cake!) and we had a great time catching up with relatives!

We then headed outside to hide eggs for my brothers and cousins to find. Here my cousins waited in eager anticipation! :)

And the hunt was on!

Pausing for a quick picture...

...and another!

Here's a picture of my grandparents handsome dog Tuffy. ;)

After all the eggs were found and treats were sorted, we decided to take a hike up to our house to show our cousins the new baby kittens!

When we went back to my grandparents house, my brothers and cousins put on a show with paper Bible characters (which my cousins created) as the story of Jesus' death and resurrection was read aloud. :)

When we returned home that eveing, we concluded the day by watching some of the film "Jesus of Nazareth". :)
On Sunday we were blessed to gather with friends and reflect on our Lord's resurrection, followed by a wonderful meal, and later we went to the park and played volleyball and Capture the Flag! SO much fun! :D

That evening, we decided to make our traditional Resurrection Day crescent rolls! We put a little butter, cinnamon, sugar and marshmallows inside the crescent rolls, then after they are baked, and the marshmallows have melted, you can take a bite and the crescent rolls are hollow, like an empty tomb!

May we all continue to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus!

Many blessings to you all!
~Chloe~ :)

"knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold...but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."

~1 Peter 1:18, 19~

~Celebrating 26 Years of Marriage!~

2010-03-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

This month my dear parents celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary!!! :D :D :D

To mark the special occasion, we prepared a delicious dinner!

Here I was making small cherry cheese cakes...a rare and special treat! :)

Time to put the cheese cakes in the refrigerator to set up. :)

My brothers and I had a delightful time decorating the table... :)

... we enjoyed our meal by candle light! ;)

The happy couple! ;)

Here's my sweet brothers...

and me. :)

Here's a close up of the cheese cakes!

Later one of my brothers requested that Mom get her wedding dress out. So...one thing led to another and soon both Mom and Dad were all dressed up! It was really sweet. :) We pulled out our ball room music CD and Mom and Dad waltzed the evening away! :)

I am SO thankful for my parents and for the Lord being at work in their lives!

<3 Congratulations to you both, Mom and Dad!!! I love you!!! <3

"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."

~1 Cor. 13:13~

~January Birthdays Part 2: A Trip to the Children's Museum!~

2010-02-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

When we arrived at the Children's Museum a lady informed us that they were giving segway rides upstairs, so we all went up to check it out!

When you first step on, the segway would wobble back and forth a little. To go forward you would lean forward so the weight of your body would be on the front of the platform, then to go backwards you would put more weight on your heels. (Much like the Nintendo Wii board works.) To turn you simply push the handle bar to the right or left.

The man overseeing the rides let us each go around the room a couple of times. We greatly enjoyed the experience! ;)

In another area of the museum, there were some things you could sit on to show you how pulley's work! Here's the birthday boy trying one out!

Several of us had to give it a try! :)

Here my brothers and cousins enjoyed making swirls in sand! (There were spinning disc's with sand on top of them and if you held a tool in the sand as the disc was spinning, it would create lovely designs!) :)

This interactive display was part of a traveling museum and was great for many to play with together!

Here's the bubble station! If you look closely you can see that both my brothers and cousins are inside bubbles! :)

As we continued on to another room my brothers and cousins stopped to play in a big sand box! If you look in the sand carefully you can even find some dinosaur bones!

Here's my younger brothers and and cousins having fun in the Model T.......

...and the airplane! :)

The news station was another fun place to stop by! Here my brother acted as the camera man! :)

And my other brother and cousins pretended to be the news anchors!

After exploring much of the museum, we decided to take a break for some delicious birthday cake and presents... :)

...shortly followed by more delightful interactive play! Here we were in the courtroom! :)

Many blessings to you all! :)

~Chloe~ :)

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

~Phil. 4:4~

~January Birthdays!!!~

2010-01-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

This month we had two birthdays at our house...my mom's and younger brother's! :D

In celebration of my mom's birthday I prepared a delicious angel food cake (topped with butter cream frosting)-Mom's favorite! ;)

Here Mom and Dad paused for a picture just before opening presents!

One of the gifts Mom received this year were some pretty pink fluffy towels! :)

My dear mother and me. :)

My mom and brother were blessed with many lovely birthday cards as well, which were displayed on our buffet for continued enjoyment!

And for my brother, we prepared a fudge marble cake with chocolate icing and sprinkles! :) It was really yummy! :)

Our grandparents were able to come over that afternoon and my brother enjoyed opening presents during their visit!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..."

~James 1:17~

Later that week we enjoyed a trip to the Children's Museum! Hopefully I can do a post on that in the near future soooo.....stay tuned!! :)

Many blessings!

~Chloe~ :)

~Scripture Memory Challenge!~

2010-01-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hello all! :D

With the new year at hand, my dear friend, Melinda, (blog author of Abounding in Hope) has initiated a scripture memory challenge! The challenge is to memorize 365 verses in 365 days! That's just one verse a day...and if you miss a day it shouldn't be that hard to catch up. What better way to bring in the new year than spending time, meditating on the Word of God! Soooo...pick out some chapters or a book of the Bible that is meaningful to you and let's get started! ;) Remember, as we hide God's Word in our hearts, the Lord is SO good to bring it back to mind just when we need it! If your not sure where to begin...I'm going to try to start with Psalm 119. I know its a lot of verses and as life gets busy, it can sometimes seem a bit overwhelming, but we all need this SO much...

"Now as they were traveling along, He (Jesus) entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.
But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."
But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;
but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

~Luke 10:38-42~

Even if you are unable to participate in this challenge, I would like to encourage you to consider memorizing at least one chapter...(Phil. 4 is really good!) or at least, (if you haven't already) try to make it a habit to read your Bible and pray every day (I'm reminding myself of this as well), because that is how we can "go from strength to strength..." ~Psalm 84:7~

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

~Is. 26:23~

"So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God."

~Rom. 10:17~

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

~Psalm 119:11~

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

~Psalm 119:105~

~Psalm 1:1-3~

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

~Joshua 1:8~

So...if you are interested, feel free to leave a comment to let me know and we can try to help keep each other accountable and updated on our progress! ;)

The verse I'm working on today is...

"How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the LORD."

~Psalm 119:1~

Many blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

P.S.

To check out other scripture challenges visit here. http://heismyhope.blogspot.com/2009/12/bible-memory-challenge_29.html :)

~November/December Update~

2009-12-19T20:42:00.001-08:00

Greetings to you all!

I hope everyone has been having a very blessed December!

We have been pretty busy this month and I haven't had much time for posting, but I thought I would start with a Thanksgiving update and catch you up from there. ;)

This year we found some lovely pilgrim figures at Hancock Fabric's. They have some really pretty seasonal decorations there and we've been excited to find some new one's to add to our collection. :)

We were blessed to gather with relatives and enjoy

sweet fellowship and delicious food. My Grandma made these fun "turkey" sugar cookies!

My younger brothers and cousins had fun dressing up in costumes to act out the first Thanksgiving! :)

"...in everything give

thanks; for this

is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

~1 Thessalonians 5:18~

Early in December, I had the privilege of performing the "Messiah" with a local College/Community Choir! It a was a thrilling experience! :) We sang nine songs and there were some solos as well. A very talented lady played the organ in accompaniment.

Here we are during a dress rehearsal. :)

We performed two nights in a row. :) After the first concert, we posed for a picture in front of a beautifully adorned Christmas tree that was in the foyer of the building.

The following week we attended another Christmas performance that some of our friends were participating in. We enjoyed hearing hand bells, a children's choir and an adults choir accompanied by an orchestra! :)

This month we also had a delightful time at the historic dance Christmas Social. There, we played parlor games and engaged in a few dances, one of which is called the"Twelve Days of Christmas"! It was a lovely evening! :)

In other news, I have been doing some baking! I made a loaf of cinnamon bread a while back which was...ohhhhh so delicious!

I also made up some fudge and peanut butter cookies topped with chocolate kisses! So yummy! ;) (For the cinnamon bread or fudge recipe click here. ) :)

We recently had Christmas dinner at my grandparents house! :)

Here's some of the yummy deserts we thoroughly enjoyed! ;)

After the wonderful meal and fellowship, we all gathered in the living room to hear the Christmas story read aloud while my younger brothers and cousins gave us a visual aid by using a shadow box to reenact the story.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

~Luke 2:11~

Next, we sang some Christmas songs as my younger cousins played them on the piano. :) We then, opened presents and enjoyed more fellowship, food and games. :)

Hope you all have a very blessed New Year!

In Christ,

~Chloe~ :)

~Marie-Madeline Studio Quilt Giveaway!~

2009-11-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

The lovely Long ladies from Marie-Madeline Studio's are hosting a quilt giveaway from November 28-December 13! :)

They will be giving away two quilts this time... the beautiful Garden Party quilt.....

.....along with the beautiful Darla quilt! If you get a chance, stop by and enter to receive one of these lovely quilts! You can click here for details. :) Also, f you learned of the giveaway through my blog and you decide to enter, please let me know...as I get more entries if you do. Thanks!

~Chloe~ :)

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers..."

~Psalm 2:3~

~Happy Thanksgiving~

2009-11-25T16:13:00.000-08:00

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens his will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
Amen

--Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn
(A translation by Theodore Baker: 1851-1934)

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year...with beautiful autumn colors, special gatherings to spend time with family and to enjoy delicious foods! :) Praying you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving as you reflect upon the Lord's goodness in your life, this year and always!

With a grateful heart,

~Chloe~ :)

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

~Psalm 107:1~

~Blog Awards~

2009-11-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Bethany has graciously bestowed me with two lovely blog awards! Thanks so much Bethany!

Here are the rules:

1. Do a post about the person who awarded you, and their blog.

2. Give the award to 5 of your favorite blogs, give a reason, (i.e, why you awarded them) and leave them a comment letting them know they've been awarded.

3. Answer the 10 random questions.

4. Have Fun!

About Bethany ...Bethany is a sweet young lady who loves the Lord and her family. On her blog "Polished Cornerstone ", she shares about the many fun and exciting things that happen in her everyday life! (Bethany, congratulations on the wonderful news of another sister on the way!!! :D)

Now, I am awarding...

Jacqueline , a dear friend, and very sweet, christian, young lady. On Jacqueline's blog "By Grace Alone" she post's about fun activities she does with her family such as birthday's, trips and many other fun things. Jacqueline has also started the blog "Modest Finds", where she and a few others (including myself) post links to where you can find modest and fashionable clothing.

Miss Jen, is the very lovely blog author of "Blessed Femina". Miss Jen shares many recipes, sewing projects, crafts, ideas, giveaways, beautiful pictures and thought provoking quotes, scriptures, etc. After visiting her blog you are bound to come away encouraged and inspired! :)

Melinda, another special friend of mine. :) On her lovely blog titled "Abounding in Hope", Melinda shares adventures about her and her family on their farm, as well as inspirational quotes and articles. She also recently hosted a giveaway from Marie Madeline Studios.

Mrs. Smith and Jessica are a mother and daughter who are authors of the fun blog "Sew Chic". They post pictures of the many beautiful garments, crafts, purses, etc. that they have so beautifully constructed.

And if I could do one more.... :)

Daughters of Vision is such a pretty blog where three sisters post about how the Lord is working in their lives. They too, post articles that are inspiring and encouraging in ones walk with the Lord. They share sewing projects that they have made, as well as delicious cooking creations.

And the list could certainly go on..... :D but as to not make the post really, really long.... :) I suppose I'll stop there, however, feel free to check out some of the other really neat blogs by clicking on the links on my sidebar. ;)

And now for the questions I am to answer.... :)

1. Have you ever ridden an elephant? No... I haven't....(but my mom has!) :) Once my mom and I rode on a camel when I was really little though! :) )

2. Have you ever eaten squid? No...and I don't really plan to ever eat it either....

3. What is something crazy you have done with your best friend? Well, I wouldn't really call it crazy...it's pretty fun actually .... :)...when my older brother was younger he came up with the idea to move the chairs into the living room and then to drape sheets across the them and the furniture. Then we got out the socks...(they were clean, mind you :)) and we would roll them into balls, then our family would divide into teams, hide behind our "forts" made out of sheets and the sock war would begin.

4. Have you ever held an alligator? I recently had the opportunity to touch a small alligator at a wild life event we went to...but, I didn't touch it or hold it either. :)

5. Have you ever let a snake slither through your fingers? Definitely not! (I don't particularly care for snakes...) :P

6. What is your first and foremost dream in life? I desire to glorify the Lord in all I do, to put Him first place in my life, to walk uprightly before Him, and to please Him. I want to be sanctified and purified useful for the Master, to continually grow closer to Him. I want to be conformed to the image of Christ. I desire to be a vessel the Lord can work through. I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart soul, mind and strength. I desire to be a woman after God's own heart, to be a Proverbs 31 kind of woman, a woman of excellence.
I also, hope to some day marry a godly man, whom the Lord has prepared for me, (if it is God's will) and to teach and raise up godly children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, useful for His kingdom.

7. What is your dream vacation? I would probably enjoy going to Washington D.C. to see all the historical sites, the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore would probably be pretty neat to see too! :)

8. What is the funniest movie you have ever seen?
Hmmm....well, the Apple Dumpling Gang, and Finding Nemo are kind of funny. (I've not watched them in a while though, so if you watch them please use discretion.)

9. What is your favorite song? Well, some of my favorite hymns would probably be "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", Be Thou My Vision, and "Take My Life and Let it Be". I really do like many songs...too many to mention here. However, a few others are "As the Deer", "He is Exalted", "You are My All in All" ,"Lord I Lift Your Name on High" etc. :D

10. If you could change the world in one way, what would that be? If I could change anything in the world? Well, I think it would be wonderful if sin would have never entered the world. But since it has I am forever grateful that my Lord is so loving and merciful as to send His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for all our sins, that we might have eternal life and that we may turn from our sins and live for Him. What a wonderful Lord we serve!

Bethany also gave me another award! :)

I'll present this award to the same people mentioned above... :)

To accept this award, recipients should do the following things:
1) Save the image and upload it to display in your sidebar
2) Present the award to five people
3) Publish a post presenting the award which names your 5 recipients and tells what you like about each of their blogs/websites.

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful Autumn season! :)

Many blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

~Autumn Sewing~ :)

2009-10-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce the recent completion of a new jumper! :D I used the Simplicity pattern number 3747 view C (minus the pockets). And the denim floral material was from Hancock Fabrics. :)

The jumper has a centered zipper in the back along with a pleat, which I had never done before, but with careful reading of the instructions, along with my dear mother's guidance, both went together very smoothly! :)

She looks for wool and flax

And works with her hands in delight.

Proverbs 31:13

May we all continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior every day!

Blessings!
~Chloe~ :)

P.S.
As I was having my Bible time this morning this verse jumped out at me and I wanted to share it with you all. :)

"O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me..."

Psalm 43:3a

~Furry Friend Adventures~

2009-10-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Hope you are all having a good October so far!

We have been busy finding new homes for our latest litter of kittens! When we were down to two kittens a sweet older couple called and said that they were interested in getting a couple of them. They were hoping to get two so the kitten's would keep each other company. :)
We were going to be out and about that day so Mom asked if the couple would like to come the next day and they said they would. Well, the next day we were only able to find one of the kittens, but the couple decided they would go ahead and take one of the kittens and if the other one showed up we could call them and they would come get it too.
Later that day, Mom, my younger brothers and I all went out to see Dad, who had just gotten home from work. When I stepped out the door, I was pleasantly surprised to see dad sitting on our bench just outside the back door with a cute little brown puppy in his arms!

He told us that there was a man giving away puppies at Wal*Mart and that the puppy is half Lab, half Australian Shepherd and is about nine weeks old. Dad has always liked Labs! :)

Now back to the kitty story! :) Sometimes our kitty's have been known to hitch a ride under our vehicles without our knowledge: sometimes they return, sometimes they decide to move out of town! Or of course, there are natural predators that unfortunately think the kittens would make a nice meal...owls, coyotes etc. :( Anyway, we weren't sure whether the kitten would come back or not. Later that evening however, we learned from Dad that the kitten had apparently ridden in his pick-up down the drive way as he was leaving for work, then hopped out, and ran across the road. So, after getting to know the puppy a little and then finding a place for it to stay, my younger brother and I decided to walk down the lane to see if the kitten would come to us if we called for it and if it hadn't wondered off too far. We called for the kitten but it didn't come so we headed back for the house to see the puppy. While we were on the porch with the puppy we saw a black fur ball making a dash for the back yard! And so we called the elderly couple once again and they happily returned the next day to adopt the second kitten!

So, that is part of the many things we have been up to lately!
That's all for now...until next time!

~Chloe~ :)

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

Eph. 6:10, 11

~My 19th Birthday~ :)

2009-09-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month we celebrated my 19th birthday!
:D

After considering what kind of cake to have this year, :) we decided to go with a wonderful strawberry soda pop cake (minus the soda pop), which mom so graciously prepared. :) It was soooo yummy! ;)

Here are my dear parents, me...:)

....and my younger brothers! :)

That morning my younger brothers thoughtfully, scurried around the dining room, decorating the table and blowing up balloons, getting everything set up just so, to celebrate my birthday. :)

My youngest brother drew up some very complex mazes for me do where you were trying to get to the "cake" or the "Happy Birthday" sign at the end of the maze. :) (He really likes mazes.) :)

My brothers also gave me some beautiful cards that they had made. :)

Here's my youngest brother enjoying his piece of birthday cake... :)

....and this is my other brother thoroughly enjoying his ice cream! :)

An early birthday present that I received from my parents this year, was a lovely wicker chair for my room! It is so pretty and I have really enjoyed having it! :)

I had a very pleasant day, and I am so very thankful for the Lord's many blessings in my life! I desire to continue to grow closer to my heavenly Father each day and I greatly look forward to another year to serve and follow my Lord and Savior!

Blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

"O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

1 Chronicles 16:34

~September Happenings~ :)

2009-09-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we had the pleasure of attending the county fair! My younger brothers entered a few items that they made this year!

One of my brothers did a puppy paint by number! I thought he did a fantastic job on it! :)

And here are some message boards my brothers put together from Home Depot kits. They decided to paint them to add an extra special touch!

And.....just for fun....:)this is a picture of one of the chickens that was at the fair! It had quite the "hair-do"! lol! :) It received the champion ribbon.

And in other news, we have done a little decorating lately!

We decided to decorate this month with sunflowers and apples. :)

My younger brother came up with this pretty wall hanging. :)

I got the idea for this fabric sunflower from the Marie Madeline Studio site!

My great aunt was so kind as to pass along a magazine to us that contained a lovely fabric apple pattern! I made these apples on Labor Day out of some scrap material we had in storage for occassions such as this. :) The apples were so fun to make! :)

God bless!

~Chloe~ :)

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."

Proverbs 25:11

~Chocolate Chip Applesauce Brownies~

2009-08-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I tried out a new recipe for brownies! Here's the recipe! Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Chip Applesauce Brownies
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening, margarine or butter
2 eggs
2 c. applesauce
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. cocoa
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. nuts, chopped
1/2 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Beat the sugar and fat together.
3. Add eggs and then applesauce. Add dry ingredients and beat.
4. Grease or coat a 10-by -16-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into pan.
5. Sprinkle over top: 1 T. sugar, 1/2 cup nuts and chocolate chips.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 24 servings.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

God Bless!
~Chloe~

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Psalm 119:105

~A Summer Dress~ :)

2009-08-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

This is a dress I recently finished making! I used the Simplicity pattern number 4675. (The only alteration needed was to raise the neckline a couple inches.) The dress was lots of fun to make! :)

Here are a few other dresses we (Mom or I) have made from the same pattern. :) There are three different kinds of necklines you can do and you can make the skirt either pleated or gathered. Also, depending on what material you use, you can make the dress more formal or casual...so there's lots of room for creativity depending on what look you're after! :)

Grace and peace to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

1 Corinthians 15:58

~Birthday Fun!~ :)

2009-08-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month we celebrated my dad's birthday! :)

Since one of Dad's favorite games to play is domino's, we decided to decorate the table with them, along with some other game items for a festive touch! ;) One of my younger brothers created a very colorful sign for our centerpiece. :)

After having a delicious dinner it was time for pictures and.....
.....wacky cake! :)
We then played a few rounds of domino's which was quite enjoyable! ;)

Hope you all have a very blessed day!

In Christ,
~Chloe~

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."

James 3:17

~Sewing~ :)

2009-07-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

The other day while Mom and I were at the store we decided to look around in the fabric department! :) We had recently picked up a pattern (McCall's number 4291) to make some pajama shorts for my younger brothers and wanted to see what material was available. After browsing the aisles we finally settled in on a very bright blue material with lots of colorful cars on it! :) After purchasing the fabric we went home, put it in the washer and were soon busy putting the shorts together! ;)

Here the pattern is pinned onto the fabric and is ready to be cut out! :)

Then, after sewing for a while we had two new pairs of pajama shorts! :) The shorts were lots of fun to make and my brothers were quite pleased with the results! ;)

Hope you all have a blessed day!

~Chloe~ :)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight. "

Proverbs 3:5,6

~Summer Ball 2009~

2009-07-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we were pleased to attend our historic dance class' annual Summer Ball! This time we were to come dressed in 19th century clothing or Sunday best. :)

We had many dances this year...13 to be exact,
the titles are as follows...

Grand March
The Circassian Circle
Prince Imperial Quadrille
Pride of Erin Waltz
Virginia Reel
Haste to the Wedding
Ninepin Quadrille
Federal Scottische
Waltz Quadrille
The Dashing White Sergeant
Carolina Promenade
Gothic Dance
Final Waltz
A very talented gentlemen played lively music for us on the fiddle that evening! :)

This is our gracious dance caller and instructor!

Here we are getting in position for the Circassian Circle.

Here the gentlemen were to advance towards the center of the circle.

My dad and I took our places at the end of the square in preparation for the next quadrille. :)

In this dance, the Prince Imperial Quadrille, the ladies were doing what is called a grand chain.
Mom wanted to get a picture of my hair in ringlets. :) (It took us about an hour to fix my hair that way!) :)
Here we were doing the Virgina Reel! Some of the younger ones joined in and seemed to be having a wonderful time! :)

My younger brothers and I paused in between dances for a quick photo. ;)

And here is my older brother and I. :)

This is a few of the gentlemen...all in civil war uniforms! :)
And here's some of the lovely ladies!

Below is a video of OUR group that my younger brother so thoughtfully took for us! It was during our first dance the Grand March! Enjoy! :D

Blessings to you all!
~Chloe~ :)

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"
Philippians 4:4

~4th of July and Crafts~

2009-07-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hello! ;)

Hope you all had a blessed 4th of July!

A dear friend of mine sent our family a link to a wonderful Independence Day piano duet video, which we thoroughly enjoyed listening to! (It really inspires one to continue to work on their piano skills as well!) :P :D

In other news.... :) I made some felt coasters! I have enjoyed having a hand project to do indoors since it has been pretty warm in the afternoons lately. :)

My younger brothers have been busy with projects as well! They have put together a wooden house kit and have also printed off some free paper furniture to go in it. They have done a really good job putting it all together! :)

My brothers were also inspired to make some puppets from an instruction book we have!

Here's a few examples of what you can make. :)

And here is a picture of the puppets that they made! (The puppets are made from boxes that Ziploc bags come in!) I thought my brothers were quite creative! :)

Hope you all have a wonderful day and may God bless you as you continue to seek Him with your whole heart!

In Christ,

~Chloe~

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Matthew 6:33

~Pride of Erin Waltz~

2009-06-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hello all!!!!! :D

During our last dance practice we went over several dances...one of them being the "Pride of Erin Waltz"! It is a very lovely dance and I thought you all might enjoy seeing a youtube video that I found of it! We do a few parts of the dance a little differently....but over all it is very similar. Enjoy! ;)

Some of the other dances we did that evening were called....Ninepin Quadrille (which is sort of a dance game that reminds me of musical chairs), Federal Schottische, Dashing White Sergeant and the Carolina Promenade. They were all quite fun! :D The ball will be coming up soon and I am greatly looking forward to it! ;)

After the practice we pulled up another dance video......it is from the movie "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". The dancers in the film are really good! I like the gentleman's bright shirts and the ladies dresses are oh, so pretty!

Well, that's all for now. Hope you all have a very blessed day!

In Christ,
~Chloe~ :-)

"He who gives attention to the word will find good,

And blessed is he who trusts in the LORD."

Proverbs 16:20

~A Lawn Social~ :D

2009-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we traveled to a beautiful old house that was built before the civil war!

Here are my dear parents beside the entrance sign. :)

(L- R)

This is me, my dad and my two younger brothers. :)

Here's a very lovely couple all dressed up! :)

(They attend our historic dance class...they are our dance instructors parents. :) )

Learning one of the dances from the period!

Here's a picture of the lady who once lived in the Murrell Home!

There was a lady dressed in 1890's apparel in this room! :) She told us about the many layers of clothing the women used to wear.

Here is a lovely day dress. :)

Shoes....

....and accessories!

This is the dinning room!

Here is the china cabinet. :)

...and the kitchen! In this room a lady (also in costume...she wore a work dress and apron) offered us some sour dough bread or a biscuit! It was quite delicious! ;)

Here is some of the furniture in one of the bedrooms.

This is the parlor.

Outside you could visit different areas where people were busy with some of the tasks that were done in the 1800's. This lady was doing embroidery...it was very pretty! :)

These folks were making baskets.

There was also a blacksmith and a sheriff! While we were observing the blacksmith at work the sheriff came over and starting asking the blacksmith questions....as though he were trying to find out some important information! :)

This lady was sitting in the shade of a large tree playing a small instrument (kind of like a flute). It was very nice! :)

And here is Dad and myself......waltzing. :)

The group that played for the dances were very accomplished! :)

Blessings to you all!
~Chloe~ :)

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Philippians 4:8

~May Birthdays~

2009-05-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip to the Children's Museum to celebrate one of my younger brother's birthdays!

We had a very enjoyable day and I thought I would share some of the pictures with you! :-)

This is the birthday boy...all ready to go for a ride in the airplane! :-)

Here my grandparents and two of my brother's and I stopped to look at something new in the museum....a "Kinetic Energy Exhibit". It was quite fascinating! It had many colorful balls that would roll along on tracks, some of the tracts were straight others were spiraled. Sometimes the ball would roll along and bump into a bell that had been set up to "ding" when the balls hit it. :-) Another thing that was really neat was when the ball came to the end of its track and fell off...it probably fell about two feet, then it would bounce off of a small landing area, up onto another track and keep going! We could have watched it for a very long time! ;-)

In this picture my brothers and another boy who was at the museum that day were exploring the bubble area!

There were bubbles in the ring around the boys feet and in the center of the ring there was a rope hanging down. If you pulled the rope, it would cause an object kind of like a hula hoop to come up out of the bubble liquid and form a bubble around you! :-)

At the fire station. :-)

This was at the art center...a very fun place to be!

Working and shopping at the grocery store. :-)

This is my brother....the judge! ;-)

After a while we took a break to have lunch and birthday cake! :-)

Then it was time for presents!

Later we headed outside the museum. There was a small train that you could ride on and as the train was loading up to make one of its rounds, my brothers and cousins decided to stand on a bridge that went over the train track, so they could wave at the passengers as they went underneath it. :-)

Now this part of the museum was rather interesting! On the wall it looked like colored dots were "raining down" and if you stood in front of the wall you would see your shadow. Then if you put your arms up the "dots" would start to collect "on" your arms...as though you were catching them! It was pretty amazing! :-)

Here I am on a "not so ordinary" bicycle. When you start to peddle the "skeleton man" beside you does too! It's a great example of how our skeleton works inside us and of how we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made!

This is the News Center.

This is my other brother...ready for his ride on the plane. :-)

And here are my brothers and cousins...all loaded up in a Model T! "So long!"

Just a few days later we celebrated my older brother's birthday!

I am very thankful for each member of this family and I am so very grateful to be a part of it!!! :-D

Love In Christ,

~Chloe~ :-)

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting. "

Psalm 118:1

~Happy Mother's Day~

2009-05-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

"What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God...We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow."

-Martin Luther

"Her children rise up and bless her;

Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:

"Many daughters have done nobly,

But you excel them all."

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."

Proverbs 31:28-30

~Happy Mother's day!~

Love and blessings!

~Chloe~