China is so close!!

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No, we haven't gotten our Travel Approval yet.

But I am SO excited to tell you how CLOSE we are getting to travel time! On the optomistic side, we really could be IN CHINA (I can't believe it) in a month! That is AMAZING!

It's more than amazing, it's incredible.

Fantastic.

Remarkable.

Inconceivable.

That I could be in China in 30 days and be holding my little brother! It's one thing to know your mom is pregnant and see ultra sounds and be excited about it, but its' ANOTHER thing altogether to know that your little brother is already born and is over in another country waiting for you!

And it's perfectly awful to see his somber little face on looking at you on the computer screen day after day.

Can't you just hear him crying?

"Why haven't you come yet?"

Awww.....he's just too cute. I am more excited about this little boy than I have been about anyting for a long time. Of course, I was this excited when David came from Korea!

I AM SO EXCITED!!

That I could be boarding a plane bound for China in less than 30 days. And that I could be munching on M&M's while looking out the window and seeing...the North pole. Ice. Polar bears. Desolate cold wasteland with eskimos running around.

And that's one part I'm not really thrilled about, actually. I mean, what if our plane has to make an emergency landing because of engine failure in the North Pole? The thought of flying over the ocean isn't very nice either, which is unfortunate since that is what we'll be flying over the majority of the trip. Gulp.

Lord be merciful!!!

But, other than that, I am tickled pink about flying. Really.

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Animal Update

Remember Daisy, the cutie-pie-kid from last April?

She's back on the blog!

And she's all grown up! Cute, soft, and.....fat.

Ahem. She LOVES to eat. As much as we'll give her. Unfortunatly, that means she doesn't leave much for her poor mom, Pearl. And that is going to change.

Tomorrow, we are hauling mom and daughter to the goat breeders down the road - and we're leaving Daisy there for 2 weeks. And bringing Pearl home immediatly, since we're pretty sure she's already pregnant. That should give Pearl some time to catch up on her meals!!

This is Pearl....last year! I don't have any recent pictures of her, but she looks about the same. :) We're hoping that she'll give us some sweet doelings this year.

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Beyond the Cover

Jenna over at Feminine Farmgirl has started a new blog, Beyond the Cover. She, her brother, and a friend all discuss books they are currently reading, and you're welcome to join their discussions!

At this time, they're going through Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. I've never read it myself, but have heard that it is a great book - and I have it reserved at the library!

Just click here

to visit the blog and join in the discussion!!

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What I've Been Doing Lately

So ~ what fills my days these days? (no pun intended :))

Lots!!

I have begun this wonderful book again - Hinds Feet on High Places. It is an excellent allegory (I love allegories!!) about a poor girl called Much-Afraid who travels to the mountains with the help of the great Shepherd. Through it all, she learns many great lessons and develops hinds feet on high places (Psalm 18:33).

Of particular interest, I have really been enjoying my Apologia Biology corse this year! They do a really great job of making it interesting.

And today, oh yummy day, I made two *delectable* items ~ chocolate covered pretzel sticks and chocolate almond bark.

Hey, it is Christmas.

But, actually, these treats were actually a gift for someone (who I won't name because they might be reading this blog post)! But, as is custom, I had to sample some.

I mean, I did make it! And, as we always say, "Better taste some to see if it's poisonous or not!"

Wouldn't it be simply awful to poison someone, and all because you didn't sample it? That's my rational when it comes to baking.

Always, always always sample.

On to other things....

This is Pearl, our 1 1/2 year old doe, who is hopefully pregnant again. If all goes well, we'll be expecting little goat babies next April! (I hope she gives birth on my birthday ~ what a fun surprise!)

If you remember, Pearl gave birth to just one little girl last spring, Daisy. Daisy will be pregnant in a few months, as well.


And that's it for now!

What's been filling your days these days? :)

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Drawing Near to God

"But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works."

~Psalm 73:28

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you...."

~James 4:8a

I love these verses because of what meaning they hold - drawing near to God.

It is good to draw near to God ~ and He will draw near to you, if you do the same to Him.

I think sometimes we create the wrong mental image of God. He is not some mysterious Being Who is much to lofty and high to care about you; and He's not hard to find or talk to, either. If you look throughout the Psalms, as well as the Old Testament, you will find many, many attributes of God.

"The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all, He has compassion on all He has made."

~Psalm 145:8-9

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

~Psalm 34:8

When you start to read God's Word for yourself and find out just Who He is, you can discover how amazing, loving, and caring He really is.

"Not having time" is an excuse we all use. (Myself included!) But as I heard recently, you make time for what's important to you. We seem to make time for eating, sleeping, very necessary things......but isn't drawing near to God absolutely necessary, as well?

Drawing near to the Lord is the most important investment of time you will ever make. And it's an investment that ought to be made on a daily basis.

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Answering a Skeptic

So how many of you have had people ask you questions......like "Are all those kids really your siblings?" or "What are your plans, you know, what's your career going to be?" "Don't you want a boyfriend?"

I have had a LOT of those questions. And sometimes you can really feel cornered. Once I was asked one of these on-the-spot questions while in an orthodontist chair. (Talk about trapped!) As the hygenist pried inside my mouth, I frantically tried to come up with a good answer to her question about if I had a boyfriend, and if I planned on getting a job over the summer.

Today, during my violin lesson, I was asked by my teacher if I planned to go to college, and what I was going to "do". Was I going to do the "home thing" she asked. (The home thing?)

And so, I would like to answer skeptics the world round.

Answers...for Skeptics

Dearest Skeptic,

Yes, all these wonderful kids are indeed my siblings. They are not monsters, aliens, or nuisances. They are great fun, good company, excellent role models, and the furthest thing from awful you could think of. Much to your surprise, I actually enjoy being around them! Oh, did I mention we're adopting another little boy?

You ask about my "plans". I guess I haven't really decided what I'm going to do with my life. I won't be planning that out ahead of time. Not the whole thing, anyway.

Hmm? What was that about being unprepared for real life?

No, I'm not really worried about that. See, I'm not going to plan out my life right now, because God has already done that. Why bother? He's already decided what the plan is, so I'm not going to worry about it. Of course, as He leads, I'll follow, and I know that my life will be patterned after a Biblical model. I would like to get married, I'd like to have children. But only God knows for sure.

Oh, and if you've concluded that I must be one of those weirdos who does the "home thing", you're pretty off base. See, although my focus is definitely on home, and everything that embodies, I've traveled very far from home before. I'm what you'd call an educated person.

Lets see.....I've been to Mexico, California, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Texas, South Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and oh, we're about to go to China, too. So, you could say I've been a few places.

Now, if you're wondering about my education, let me set your mind at ease. I am one of the fortunate few that have been homeschooled my entire life. (Gasp!) I've actually learned about little-known (and taught) things, like the Civil War, America's true beginning, who each of our 44 presidents were, and why the Great Depression really happened. I can tell you what Marxism, Socialism, Communism, and inflation is, and how it is affecting our country today. I can tell you what our government does (or what it doesn't) do, and I can tell you what the Civil War was really about. If you're wondering if I'm aware of important people today like Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Rom Immanuel, and Hillary Clinton, wonder no more.

As for your question about my boring ho-hum life here on our farm, allow me to fill you in a bit. I do a lot of really fun things, really. Examples? Well......in the last few years, my activities have revolved around:

~film making

~music

~website construction
~animal husbandry

~riflery

~budgeting/managing finances

~cooking

~home ec.

~gardening

I'm not normally bored.

So, by now, maybe you're beginning to think I'm actually - normal. Maybe you've decided that homeschoolers aren't so odd after all. Well, before you come to your full conclusion, let me give you one last shocker:

I'm a Christian. Yes, I am! And gladly so! It's only because I'm a Christian that I hold these views. I know that my faith, my goals, my values, and perspectives on life are far from popular. You might be quite offended at them, in fact.

But, with all due respect, I don't care.

Because I am living for something greater than popularity, coolness, or normality. I am living for God. And, if you check your Bible history, those who lived for God weren't always the most popular. And they definitely weren't considered hip or cool.

In fact, to those around them, they might have been considered pretty odd ducks.

But they loved God with all their heart - and that's good enough for me.

Anyway, I hope this has answered all your questions. Please don't be offended. Please don't write me a nasty comment, either. And thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Rachel A. Krause

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

"O Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: His mercy endureth forever."

~Psalm 118:1

As you all enjoy a wonderful and cozy Thanksgiving today.....

Take a moment to stop and thank God for all His many blessings! I'm sure if we were to 'count our blessings' as the song goes, we would be astounded at how good God has been to us. I did this very thing just the other day and was amazed at how many things I take for granted; like chocolate, the details of a flower, the beautiful view of the mountains I have from my bedroom window, the oppertunity to take a hot shower at night.

What I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving, is the chance to adopt my little brother Isaac! I love him so much already, even though I've never met him.

Count your blessings today, friends!

As we realize how much He's given us.....

we realize how ungrateful we are.

Thank the Lord for all His bountiful blessings today! He is

so good!

And of course ~ Happy Thanksgiving!

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Hearty Eight-Layer Salad

Now this is what I call a salad.

Mmmmmm.....one of my favorite salad recipes!! This layered salad is a meal-in-one so it makes an easy lunch or dinner.

All the yummy layers stacked up.....

Everyone is sure to love this salad because of all its delicious ingredients! If certain family members don't care for peas, you can simply substitute with a bag of mixed vegetables, or try broccoli.

Hearty Eight Layer Salad

1 1/2 C. uncooked small shell maccaroni

1 T. olive oil

3 C. shredded lettuce

3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

salt and pepper

2 C. julienned fully cooked ham (we just used cooked turkey or chicken)

1 10 oz. package frozen peas, thawed

1 medium red onion, sliced thinly

1 C. mayonnaise

1/4 C. sour cream

2 T. Dijon mustard

1 C. shredded Colby or Monterey Jack cheese

2 T. minced fresh parsley

Cook maccaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water. Place shredded lettuce on the bottom of a large salad bowl as the first layer. Toss maccaroni with olive oil and evenly spread over lettuce. Top with slices of hard boiled eggs; sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Layer ham on top of eggs. Next spread the peas out evenly on top of the eggs. Add onion rings. In a small bowl, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard well. Spread evenly over top of salad. Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and parsley just before serving.

Enjoy!

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Getting Ready for Christmas.....

And with Christmas comes the fun of.....gift-giving!

Now I don't know about you, but lying in bed at night and coming up with ideas for everyone's Christmas presents is such a fun, cozy, exciting thing to do. For me at least.

And after reading Miss Jen's post about a Homemade Christmas, I thought that I would share with you one fun idea for Holiday gifts......

Decorative Jar Mixes!

A decorative jar mix makes a great gift for friends and family.....it is very easy to do and looks so cute!

If you'd like to read more about jar mixes

and how to assemble them, feel free to take a look at

our canning website here.

Here is one that I assembed this afternoon.....a yummy pancake mix. This recipe, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, happens to be our favorite way to have pancakes!

Decorative yellow ribbons.....and a cute card attached with directions about how to make the pancakes.

And you can use any fabric you like for the top, of course.

Anyway.....there are many many delicious recipes for a variety of dry mixes.

Take a look at a large list of them here!

And finally......here is the recipe for Chocolate Chip Pancakes!

For the Dry Mix:

2 C. oats

1 C. white flour

1/2 C. chocolate chips

1 C. whole wheat flour

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. dry milk powder

1 1/2 T. baking powder

1 T. cinnamon

One at a time, layer the ingredients in order into a clean (and dry!) quart jar. With each ingredient, take time to pack down tightly and evenly. As you add each layer, press the sides down with your fingers and make sure the layers are even. It will be a tight squeeze, but all of this will fit into a quart jar!

Add a lid, band, and fabric circle to the top of the jar. Attach a decorated notecard with these directions:

To Make Pancakes:

Mix 2 C. of Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix with:

1/3 C. oil

2 eggs

1 C. water

Drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased skillet. Cook until evenly browned on both sides. Serve warm with maple syrup.

I hope you enjoy this fun Christmas gift idea as much as I do!

And remember.....you do not need to can these mixes. They are dry ingredients, so they will not spoil.

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Another.....

.....tag!!

Yep, here it is! I've been saving this one for a while - but here it is! Thankfully, this is a short one.

1. Have you ever ridden an elephant?

Absolutely not. I stick to safe activities.




2. Have you ever eaten squid?

Nope - and I don't plan to, either!! I am not a seafood person.


3. What is something crazy you have done with your best friend?

Well....I don't really think I've ever done anything "crazy" with my friends, but I have done a few pretty silly things with my siblings before. Examples? (please remember that all of the following examples are from years and years ago. Ahem.)

Together, all four of us have:

~Held a presidential election meeting in the basement of our house.

~Dressed up as homeless people,

~Run a pretend shoe store in our living room

~Played "pharoah/slaves"......yes, we did. We dug a mud pit and made mud bricks and pretended we were all slaves under the evil rule of pharoah (a.k.a. our Dad.)

~Tried to make our mom a special breakfast in bed and accidentally sprinkled chilli powder on her toast instead of cinnamon/sugar

~Re-inacted the movie "The Grinch" and raided the kitchen cabinets of all food on a very early Sunday morning, much to the chagrain of our parents.

~Spilled wood stain (alot of it) on our brand new tile floor only days after we'd moved in

~Devised a plan to cut electricity bills and family expenses so our family could adopt a little girl (which still hasn't happened)

4. Have you ever held an alligator?

Held an alligator? Are you kidding???



5. Have you ever let a snake slither through your fingers?

No comment.



6. What is your first and foremost dream in life?

I have a lot of dreams...but my TOP one is definitely knowing and doing God's will; having a close relationship with Him, serving Him with my life, etc.




7. What is your dream vacation?

Going to China.....ahh...what bliss!!



Oh, wait a minute - we're going there anyway.


8. What is the funniest movie you have ever seen?

Funniest movie would have to be Huck Finn (our version, anyway.) Besides those, we love the Andy Griffith Show!! (And yes, I have to admit - all four of us kids were pretty near hysterics the other day when we reviewed our "Winnie The Pooh" movie the other day....for the first time in proably 5 years!!)



9. What is your favorite song?

Favorite? I go through "phases" on this one. Right now I'm currently enjoying the songs that are on my blog, "On Faith Alone" and "Blue Skies".


10. If you could change the world in one way, what would you do?

Make everyone a Christian!!

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Awarded!!

I am honored!!

Haley over at Haley's Happenings gave me this award!!

It also "comes" with a tag, but since I just did one, I'll save it for later.

*Thanks, Haley!!*

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I Tag.....

Lindsay
Joanna
Jen
Courtney

....and anyone else who hasn't done this tag yet!! This particular tag has been circulating alot lately, so I was trying to think of girls who haven't done it yet. The three above where all I could think of - if you want to do it and I didn't tag you, go ahead!!

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I Got Tagged!

I got tagged by Hannah! This is a 38 question tag, so hang on!

1. Do you like to write?
Yes, I do - especially journaling and articles.

2. Favorite books?
Hmmm. Over the years I have found many good books - although my favorites would have to be Edge of Eternity, Raising Maidens of Virtue, Case for Christ, Case for Faith, and the Elsie and Millie series. (oh and of course the Bible.)

3. Do you compose music/write songs?
Uh - no.

4. Do you like poetry?
Again, no.


5. Love someone so much who made you cry?
My parents and Jesus.


6. Broken a bone?
Thankfully, no!


7.Been in a police car?
No way!! I am not a criminal!

8.Been on a boat?
Nope. I would worry about getting sea-sick.

9.Fallen asleep in school?
I can honestly say I never have - if I'm tired, curling up and CLOSING MY EYES is what puts me to sleep, not schoolwork!

10. Did you sing today?
Yes! During church!

11.KFC, Popeyes, or Church's?
Never had any of those foods! Although my Dad tells some pretty disgusting stories of when he was a chef at greasy, unhealthy Denny's resteraunt years ago.


12.Chick-fil-a or What-a-burger?
Yes, been to Chick-fil-a once (I think I was seven) but whats "What a burger"?? As you can tell, we don't eat out much - we eat such good healthy food at home!!

13.Starbucks of McCafe?
No. Coffee tastes pretty good with lots of creamer and sugar, but caffeine keeps me up all hours of the night!!

14.What's your favorite time of year?
Definitely the time we're in right now - fall. I just LOVE the "winding down" season of the year, when things start to look (as I would say) "Thanksgivinig-ish" or "Christmasy". I love warm fires in the fireplace and steaming cups of hot cocoa!

15.Do you ever talk to yourself?
Oh yes - usually when I'm mucking out the goat shelter in the evenings. I usually talk to God then too!!


16.Do you have a favorite treat you like to buy on occasion?
You bet!!
Can you guess?
Anything chocolate. I really don't care what it is, as long as chocolate is one of the ingredients.


17. Do you believe the Bible is the literal Word of God and is infallible?
YES!!


18. What's your favorite sport?
Sport? I don't really do sports, although swimming is fun during the hot summer months!!

19. What color is your ipod?
I don't have an ipod. And I don't want one, either. :)

20. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
China - to go bring my little brother home! Fortunately, we're going there anyway....

21.If you could go to any fictional place, where would you go?
If my siblings were answering this post they'd say Narnia in a heart beat - I guess I'd go there too.

22.Do you love to write or do you just like writing? Or do you write at all?
I like to write. That's all.

23.What do you want to be when you’re a grown up?
Definitely a wife and mother (while we're on the subject I'd also like to have a few goats and dogs, maybe some chickens), although I think being a mid-wife would be fun, as well. But most of all what I want to be is close to God!

24.Favorite animal?
Willie, my dog.

25. Favorite song?
I can't think of one right off. But as far as the type of music, definitely Christian praise!!

26.Do you like school?
Yes.

27.Are you a people person?
Oh yes!!

28. Do you like to talk?
Do I like to talk? Can't you tell from this post? I can ramble quite a bit!! Yes, I like to talk.

29.Favorite food?
Thanksgiving dinner - that and anything chocolate.

30.Hobbies?
Crafting, sewing, blogging, reading the Bible, and baking. (Emphasis on baking! - much to the chagrain of my Dad....)

31.'Favorite author?
No.

32. Favorite weapon?
Favorite weapon? I wonder if a boy created this tag.

Ahem. The only weapon I can say is my "favorite" is the Word of God!

33.Is this a fun tag or are you getting bored?
I think this is fun - but it is going on for a while.

34.Do you like Hannah Montana and all those girly people and movies like Highschool Musical?
No - I think they lead worthless, immoral lives. Most of the girls wear such heavy make-up it looks like they got punched in the eye, and the boys look like absolute slobs. (Besides that, it's getting hard to tell who is a girl/boy these days!)

35.What are you scared of?
A lot of things! But God's Word has a lot to say about that. I try to focus on that rather than my fear.

36. Favorite flower?
No - they're all nice.

37.What is the expression on your face?
If you were to look at me right now you'd see my mouth moving becuase I tend to mouth the words while I type them!!

38. Color of your eyes?
Brown - just like my brother's and my dad's!!

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More Giveaways!

Does everyone know that marie-madeline-studio is having another giveaway? Isn't that exciting? Head on over there to enter! They are giving away a pattern and fabric - how fun!!

And for those of you who may not know, Miss Jen at Blessed Femina is having a giveaway as well. She has made a darling fall apron - make sure you enter!!

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Dogs, Aprons, and Vacuums

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've posted...so here are a few pictures of what we've been up to lately.

Here is one spoiled dog getting way too much attention (but deserving every bit of it).....

Awww....puppy love.....

Here is the new apron I finished! I love the half-apron pattern from marie-madeline-studio, but why spend the money when you could come up with a pattern of your own? I enjoy "copying" patterns I see....so, here is my version of the "Chic Sisters Apron"...... (made into a half apron, of course....).....

What a fun project.....!! I love crafty things! As I was gathering fabric for this project, I kept thinking, "I really don't need another apron....we already have so many!", but I can't resist sewing up something fun and pretty.

Thismorning I caught David vacuuming -

"Mr. David Krause, reporting for duty, ma'am!"

In action

"Want me to do anything else? Need a bathroom cleaned? Toilet scrubbed? Just call me Mr. Clean."

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Blog Giveaway!!

Here is a very fun giveaway at marie-madeline-studio!!! They are giving away one of their CUTE aprons....so pretty and very practical. Head on over there to check it out!!

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Blog Giveaway!

Hello everyone!

Just to let you know, there is a really FUN giveaway at Tinker Girl's Blog! I'd encourage you to enter - it's very easy and the prizes are very nice.

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Feelin' Feminine Challenge Day #7

Phew! The last day of the Challenge!!

One of my favorite skirts with one of my favorite sweaters...and fortunate thrift store find!! I love shopping thrift stores, and then coming home to see what surprise matches I now have. We love thrift stores!

And for my hair...a simple barette.

Phew - that's it! I guess I got a little tired of posting pictures almost every day, but it was fun, anyway! And hopefully an encouragment to others out there to keep on the path of modesty and femininity - it's worth it!

Coming up soon...instructions for Courtney's Elegant Twist Hairstyle!

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Isaac....Our Little Cutie!!

I am SO excited about adopting Isaac!

It is so amazing to see the transition that took place after his cleft lip/palate surgery.

From this....

...to this...

....is an AMAZING change!

We love Isaac so much already. You know that you are really intent upon something when you start dreaming about it! (And I've had many many "Isaac dreams"!)

We simply can't wait to meet this little guy.

Some of the Things I Can't Wait To Do With Isaac:

~kiss his chubby little cheeks

~hold and hug him about a million times

~play cars with him

~tuck him into his little toddler bed at night

~see him in his ADORABLE fuzzy blue winter pajamas we bought for him

~watch him learn to speak English - one word at a time

~watch his short little legs run all over the place

~see him get his first hair-cut

~hear him singing little songs

~read stories to him

These activities may seem rather common placed to most of you.....but it's been several years since I've gotten to do any of those things with a little brother! And I am going to enjoy every minute of it.

I can't WAIT to go to China and get this little guy home!!!!!

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Apple Delectables.....

We have a lot of apples on hand after buying 4o lbs at our local orchard! Being the baker of the family, I decided to bake two delicious treats this week....

Apple Fritters

Soft slices of apple are found in this sweet fluffy pastry.....topped with a bit of cinnamon-sugar, they are so good for breakfast or a snack!

Apple Fritters

1 C. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 T. sugar

1 egg

1/2 C. plus 1 T. milk

1 1/2 C. apples, peeled and diced or sliced

Mix dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl, combine egg and milk; add to dry mixture. Stir just until batter is smooth; fold in apples. Drop by spoonfuls on a hot skillet with oil. Fry until well browned on both sides. Immediately drain on paper towels and sprinkle with either powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Apple Bread

I added a delicate streusel topping to this yummy autumn bread. Best warm out of the oven (of course!!).

Autumn Apple Bread

1 C. oil

3 eggs

1 C. white sugar

1/2 C. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 C. apples, peeled and finely diced

3 C. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 C. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. In a seperate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to oil mixture gradually. Add apples and nuts. Bake in 2 very well greased loaf pans at 300* for 1 1/2 hours, or until bread is nicely browned. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Streusel Topping:

Brown sugar

White sugar

Cinnamon

Oil or melted butter

Add equal parts of sugars and cinnamon; mix in a bit of oil until sugars are slightly wet. Sprinkle over top of bread before baking.

Enjoy these delicious recipes...and have a lovely day!

And as for my Day #7 Challenge....don't worry, I haven't forgotten about it! However, my "grand finale hairstyle" did not turn out as expected, so I am a bit behind. Hopefully I will post tomorrow and finish up the last day of this fun challenge!!

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Feelin' Feminine Challenge Day #6

Today I wore:

One of my favorite sweaters with a khaki skirt......

...and a simple head-band in my hair.

Speaking of hair.....stay tuned for Day #7 grand finale hair-do!!! I have never done it before, but assuming it "works", I will post pictures and instructions.

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Feelin' Feminine Challenge Day #5

And now for Day #5 of the Challenge.....

My tiered skirt I made a few years ago.....

...and, although it's kind of hard to see in this picture, I have two french braids on the sides.

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OUR LOA CAME!!!!!!

FINALLY!!!!!!!

Today our adoption agency called to tell us that our LOA came in the mail!!

There's really only one thing to say.

(I can really relate to this one!!)

And of course......the most important thing we're saying is...

....Praise the Lord!!!!

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Feelin' Feminine Challenge Day #4

Here I am on the back porch....sorry about the shadows!

Long sleeves, of course. It's been chilly down here lately....but delightfully warm in a patch of early morning sunlight. I've been enjoying doing a good part of my schoolwork right there on the porch, just soaking up the sun and listening to the birds. It's just wonderful!!

This hairstyle is called:

The Elegant Twist That Courtney Did That I Could Never Begin To Do On Myself.

English translation: Courtney did this hair-do on me with about a million bobby pins and I could never re-create it! She's very skilled at fancy hair-do's.....I usually stick to pony tails. :) Anyway, she has fun doing my hair on occasions, and I enjoy having her do it! It would be so much easier to do fancy hair if I had another set of hands and another set of eyes. Anyone agree?

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Feelin' Feminine Challenge Day #3

Today's outfit:

Warm striped sweater....it felt so COLD this morning! I think it was 36* or something.

Princess style.....a great hair do to get all your hair out of the way!

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