Thursday, September 5, 2013

Forever Altered

The new me is here to stay.
The new me is living without part of the old me.
I will never again be who I was before Austin
went Home to Heaven.  Never again.

I'm forever altered.

It's not a bad thing, though.
This new me is more weaned from this world.
My eternal perspective has been sharpened.
I long for Heaven more.  I love the Lord more.

I'm dead to me more.


Austin is not the same, either.
He is perfect and free from his body of death.
One day, I will be too.  One day.

Until then, I must live and follow and serve.
I must put aside the things that weigh me down.
I must abandon all my hopes and dreams to my Saviour.
His ways.  His purposes.  His plans.

All for Him.  Surrendered.
By His grace.  For His glory.  Alone.

With Love,
Camille


**Photo courtesy of our friend Rick ~
Thank you so very much!  

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

Cayenne Pepper in chocolate ice cream?
What do you think?  Ever tried it before?
It's good.  Really good.

Now, if you ask the children, they will tell
you that their favourite chocolate ice cream is not this one.
But, I like it.  And, they eat it.  So, I'm not sure what to think.
Don't you think the proof is in the eating?  I do.  :)

This ice cream is of the no cook variety
and it churns up nicely.
If you serve it right away, it will be soft serve.
If you pop it into the deep freeze for a few hours,
it will harden up and be more scoop-able.  


Either way, it's yummy.

I used whole milk in this recipe.
When I made it, I didn't have almond extract in the house ~
So, I mixed it up without...it was very good.
Next time, I plan to have the extract on hand.
I also ventured slowly into the *hot* side of things and 
only used the smaller amount of cayenne ~
Next time, I will go with the full 1/2 tsp.

I think the cinnamon flavour came through a bit overpowering
since I used the smaller amount of the cayenne and none of the extract.
Next time, I will use the full amounts of everything.

Intrigued?  Ready to give it a try?  Click here!  

**Update ~ Since writing this post I made it again
with the extract and the larger amount of cayenne.
The verdict?  I think it's much better with the extract,
but, the cayenne was a bit overpowering.
I suppose this means I will have to make it one more time
with all the ingredients *corrected*, don't you think?
What a shame.  ;-)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

11 American Civil War Books



This is part of a series called 11 Lists of 11 BooksI have read all books unless otherwise noted.



Civil War on Sunday (Magic Tree House Series) by Mary Pope Osborne - fiction 
In this well-known series, Jack and Annie travel back in time - this time to the American Civil War! There, they meet famed nurse Clara Barton and help wounded stories!


Who was Harriet Tubman? - biography 
About the level of the Magic Tree House, "Who was" is a series of biographies of notable people in history. This one profiles Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave who travels back into the Southern states helping many slaves reach freedom.


Meet Addy (American Girl Series) - fiction

This six-book series follows young Addy Walker and her family from their journey from slavery to freedom. Each book explores a new aspect of life as a newly freed slave. Addy also has a mystery, called Shadows on Society Hill: An Addy Mystery and a large picture book called Welcome to Addy's World: 1864.

Escape to Freedom by Barbara Brook Simon - fiction
I haven't read this yet, but it seems to be very popular. This National Geographic book is about the Underground Railroad.


Watcher in the Piney Woods - fiction 
The American Girl History Mysteries is for girls who have slightly grown out of American Girl series, but still love the adventure and female protagonists.
It's nearly the end of the Civil War, and Cassie and her family are struggling on their Virginia farm. After news of her brothers death, Cassie soon discovers odd things missing around the house. Who is stealing from them, and why?

The Riverboat Adventures Series by Lois Walfrid Johnson - Christian fiction 
Libby Norstad is a spoiled 12 year-old girl growing up with her wealthy aunt. However, her father, who is captain of the boat Christina, wants to spend more time with her. Libby soon runs into the mysterious cabin boy Caleb, and the two do not begin well. She longs to get the better of him, but her search leads her tangled in the Underground Railroad and helping a young fugitive and his family escape.


The Boy's War by Jim Murphy - biography 
The Boys War is a large coffee-table style picture book that explores the soldiers - 16 and under - who fought during the American Civil War. Both Union and Confederate stories are present, and no story is presented as "on the right side" or "on the wrong side". It's simply about a bunch of kids who grew up way to fast. Told through diaries, letters, journals, and photos, this book provides a wealth of information while being interesting at the same time.

North Star to Freedom - Information
As of currently, you can get this hardcover book on Amazon for a cent. I read this book in third or fourth grade and I loved it. It is a great book about American Civil War slavery in America.



Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green - Christian Fiction
I have not read this novel by Jocelyn Green. Twenty-eight year old Charlotte leaves her luxurious life behind to become one of the first female nurses on the Union side of the war. Another book be Green on the American Civil War is Widow of Gettysburg.


Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly - biography
This bestselling biography of Bill O'Reilly tells the story of Lincoln. I haven't read the book, but I watched the National Geographic docudrama. I loved it, but it replayed a stabbing scene about five times. (which was really unnecessary)
NOTE: A reader informed me there was a children's adaption, called "Lincoln's Last Days" from this, aimed at readers 8-12 years old.


The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - Classic fiction
I recently read this for school, and loved it! It is the classic story of young Huckleberry Finn. The story is hard to read at times (it were riten liyke this sumtimes) but overall a great book! Another great Civil War classic is Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Stowe.


What are your favorite American Civil War Books?

Year Eight Begins

Year eight begins ~ how time has flown!
were beginning grades six, four, and two.
Emma was four years old at the time.

It felt as though I had been thrown into the deep end.
Sometimes it still does.  :)
But, I am so thankful that we have been called
to this path ~ SO thankful!

After morning devotions and breakfast,
we went on our beach walk.
It's good to get back into these routines of life.
They do, however, produce bittersweet memories of days gone by.
It's a path we must tread.  The Lord is Faithful.
He is with us each moment of each day.

His ways are perfect and He lead us so gently along.
How precious it is to belong to Him!


The day began with rain.
We got soaked, so the clothes required drying time.
I *love* my mud room!


Calvin got Emma set up with some things she
needed online for school.
It warmed my heart to see and hear
them interacting at the kitchen table.


Fraser was so happy to crack open the computer
and begin his studies this year ~ 
doesn't he look excited about it all?  
(He really is excited...I'm not joking).


I've mentioned before how much I *love* these books ~
It's a blessing to have access to such wonderful resources!


Who can complain when roses are still in bloom and
making their way indoors?  So fragrant and lovely.
These blooms are from our hybrid tea rose tree
a gift from our neighbours in memory of Austin...
wasn't that just the sweetest thing to do?

See Emma in the background of this photo?  :)


At this moment, the children are out getting the papers
sorted and delivered ~ It's a blessing, too.
When they come indoors, it will nearly be time for dinner,
and then our night-time routine will be underway.
The first day of year eight is coming to a close.

Thankful this day that the Lord's promises
are sure and that He will keep us until the day 
we are taken Home to be with Him.
May we be found to be faithful to follow wherever He may lead.
May each of you find that His loving Hand is upon you as well.
He is Good.  He is Faithful.  His ways are always best.

Many Blessings,
Camille

Monday, September 2, 2013

Challenge 18 - Tag It

Welcome to the latest challenge, this time sponsored by Fresh Brewed Designs.  The prize up for grabs is a $10 gift certificate, so if you haven't had a look at our sponsor before  why not pop over now.



Hi. I am Heather Dennis. I am a homeschooling mother of 2 wonderful children, the wife of 12 years to the love of my life, a Christian and the owner of Fresh Brewed Designs. I have loved to draw and create ever since I was a child. My daughter has inherited my love of art and recently inspired me to start creating again.
All the images in my shop are hand drawn. I offer a wide range of images from coffee, cute and inspirational. I also love to create custom drawn images, so if you are looking for anything in particular, please feel free to drop me an email.

To enter, we need to see your Tags (either on their own or on a card).  The design team have been working hard to provide the following inspiration:









Michelle



Up Up Up and Away 2013








I'm sure you'll agree that we have a great design team and will be fully inspired and ready to join in.  Here are the rules:
1. Your card must be for a man or a boy.
2. Your card must be new for this challenge and follow the theme set.
3. Your post must mention Cards for Men and contain a link back to this challenge.
4. You may combine our challenge with others up to a maximum of 10.

The challenge will run from now until midnight BST (British Summer Time) on 15 September 2013.  Leave a link to your card (not just your blog) in the link list below.  If it's not there for some reason, leave a comment and I'll enter you in before the draw.  Good luck

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Top 3 & Winner for challenge 14

Now for challenge 14 which was our BINGO challenge. Again there were lots of wonderful entries hoping to win the Stampin Up prize.  Our current challenge still has a few hours to go and can be found here.

Without further ado, the winner chosen by random.org was #8 - papersniffer.  Congratulations, Wendy , email me on cardsformen@donnasden.co.uk and I'll let you have details of your prize.

Our top 3 in no particular order are:








Congratulations to you all, grab the top 3 badge from our sidebar and add it to your own.

Winner & Top 3 for challenge 13

Cracking on with catching up, here's challenge 13.  We had lots of wonderful entries to our 'Let's Get Sporty' challenge.  Our current challenge  is still open and can be found here.

Without further ado, the winner of our wonderful prize from That Craft Place, chosen by random.org was #8 - Samih (who's 8).  Congratulations, Samih, please ask your mummy to email me on cardsformen@donnasden.co.uk and I'll pass your details on to the sponsor.

Our top 3 in no particular order are:








Congratulations to you all, grab the top 3 badge from our sidebar and add it to your own.