YUMMY Crockpot Oatmeal

Based on my experiences with this recipe I found online

Ingredients

* 2 cups steel cut oats (not instant or rolled oats)
* 8 cups almond milk, or whatever liquid you like (water, cow's milk, soy milk, rice milk etc...)
* a couple spoons of coconut oil
* 1 TB. cinnamon
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 TB. vanilla
* 2 apples, peeled and diced (optional, I'm usually too lazy to peel and dice so I don't usually add it)
* 1 cup dried fruit (I prefer berries or raisins)
* your favorite toppings (banana slices, nuts, bacon etc...)

Directions

if you don't use the coconut oil spray the inside of your crockpot with Pam or some kind of oil spray or rub with your favorite oil...

Throw all the ingredients except for the toppings into your crockpot and cook on low for 3.5 - 4 hours. When done, mix it all up, scoop a bowl, top with your favorite toppings and eat. I store the leftovers in the fridge. Super easy and really yummy!

Fabric Addiction

I really think I need an AA group for fabric addiction, lol. I could literally spend all day at fabric stores or online fabric stores just browsing, well and then I usually can't leave w/o buying some pretty fabrics... it's gotten to the point where I have a "fabric closet" full of yards of fabrics and squares and fat quarters and scraps. I have some ideas for some of them but most of them I just buy because I like it so much but have no actual plans for them.

One of my favorite designers is Amy Butler and I LOVE her patterns too (I have several of them too). Someone pointed out to me that she has a new CD chock full of patterns mostly quilts, pillows and handbags, all of my favorite things to make! I saw the slide show and I MUST have it! I feel silly because I have no plans to use it right now but I must have it! Addicted I tell ya! I do really like the patterns so I'll probably get it once we close on a house hopefully soon. I'd love to make some of the decorative pillows out of some of my pretty scraps for the master bedroom and probably for Moriah's bedroom.

Here is the link to the slideshow showing many of the patterns on the CD.

While browsing her site I also found that she has a dinnerware set that is hard to find but is based off of one of my favorite fabric lines of hers. Ack! I want, but then I'm reminded that it's only because I'm so addicted to her fabric, lol. But, it would look so nice with all my fabric scraps, lol.

Every time I think about or should I say dream about some day decorating a house all I can think about are my favorite fabric designers: Amy Butler, Alexander Henry, Michael Miller, Joel Dewberry, Robert Kaufman, Anna Maria Horner, Heather Bailey, Heather Ross, Jennifer Moore, Echino by Etsuko Furuya, Patty Young (my new favorite/Modkid), Valori Wells and many many more that I know I'm forgetting, lol.

I find myself daily browsing my favorite online stores, LA-Chakra, Fabricworm, Fabric.com, Etsy and many many more... I also have signed up for several fabric email subscriptions and blogs, like Sew Mama Sew, True Up and several more.

Would you call me addicted? I do!

Will you still love the LORD?

Last night's date movie was "Facing the Giants" and the couple in there faces infertility and the husband asks the question, "If we don't have any children, will you still love the LORD?". Of course, I was balling my eyes out at that point because the selfish part of me would really have to think about it and I'm not so sure I could have easily said "Yes" to that question. I know that when I got the news that it would be a miracle if I got pregnant I was devastated but then I had an overwhelming feeling that God was going to provide children for me, it just wasn't going to come easy... He did give me two beautiful children although it came with lots of struggles and hearthache...

Today, I find that I have to ask that question again, "Will you still love the LORD, if you don't get this house?" We've been waiting since February for the seller's bank to approve our offer so that we can buy a house that we really feel like God wants to bless us with... but then again, is that my own desire or is it really God's blessing? I find myself questioning whether it's really God's blessing or just my own desire that I want so much that I "feel" like it's God's blessing, does that make sense?

Last summer we felt God closing the door on our ministry with Wycliffe and our dream of living in Dallas and working with Wycliffe after 4 years of trying to raise our support team... I was grieving and wondering why this was happening and now I find myself questioning God's will or blessings for me all the time... I find I have to ask if it's really God's will for me or if it's my own strong desire that I'm making it "God's will" for me.

So, I find myself asking that question now, "If we don't have_________, will I still love the LORD?" If we don't get the house that we "think" is God's blessing, will we still love the LORD? If we have to stay in this apartment and pay rent, will we still love the LORD? If the LORD were to take everything away from me, will I still love the LORD? Hmm... makes me think I have a lot of work to grow my relationship with Christ to get to that point where I really would still love the LORD with all my heart, mind and strength no matter what.

It makes me think of this song that I consider to be my life song... it was the song I sang when I put Moriah and Isaac on the alter before they were even conceived... it was the song I sang (well sorta sang, it's not easy to sing when you're balling your eyes out) during each of our miscarriages... it was the song that helped me get through the grieving process of resigning from Wycliffe Bible Translators... it's the song I need to sing today while we wait to find out if we will be owning a house or renting our apartment...

Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

to become a blogger

I've decided it's time for me to start really blogging/journalling my life for my kiddos.

My plans are to share my daily life, what I'm learning and what I've been doing... I'll be posting projects, favorite pictures, post processing projects, etc... I'll also be posting about the things I learn about like homeschooling and my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the struggles I go through and the highlights, etc...