An April Baby Shower

An April baby-shower gave Mom and I the opportunity to make some girly baby gifts! The shower was for a dear family from church who finds joy in having a full quiver! :) Mom made the new little one a soft and cuddly fleece love-knot blanket.

For my birthday, I received a embroidery book that comes with iron-on transfers. I had never used them before, but I decided to give it a try! Mom suggested that I embroider these plain white onesies. They were so much fun to make! I hope the new baby can get some good use out of them. :)

~Alli

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!

Today, Eric turned twelve years old! God has truly blessed us with his bright, smiling face. With his cheerful and energetic spirit, Eric is always an encouragement to those around him. We hope your day is as special to you, as you are to us! Little does he know, we have a surprise in store for him tonight! Happy Birthday Eric!

Love~ Your family

The Surprise is Revealed!

Thank you Meredith, Sarah, Hannah, Aunt, and Nan for the lovely Happy Birthdays! I had a great 21st birthday, besides the getting old part. :) I woke up that morning without any clue to where Mom, my aunt, and my cousin were taking me that day (my poor family was getting tired of me playing the guessing game and asking for clues. ). Anyway, they were taking me to get a make-over at a local salon. I had always wanted to have my colors matched because I would like to have my make-up look more natural :) It was a real treat to have it applied by someone else! When we arrived at the salon, the make-up lady said my skin was too dry so she took me to their spa room to have a chemical peel. O boy was this a new experience for me! I was a little afraid with the words "chemical" and "peel" in the same name. After applying many layers of goop on my face, I felt like a new person!Here I am after the make-over, and boy did it feel nice! My aunt was the blog photographer (thanks Aunt). She and mom also had their foundation colors matched, and they looked fabulous! As a treat, Mom and Dad bought me some of their make-up for my birthday. After the make-up extravaganza, we set out to one of my favorite Chinese restaurants for lunch. Here I am with Aunt and my precious cousin Emily. Mom and Aunt humiliated me (thankfully there was hardly anyone in the restaurant) by having our waiter sing happy birthday to me. Actually, he sang "Hassy Birsday tu you!" It was so fun! He brought me my favorite dessert, cheesecake!Here, Emily is helping me blow out my candle! She was such a great helper! Thanks Ems! After eating way too much, we left for home and ended the day with one of my favorite meals. Mom fixed stuffed salmon, rice, and green beans for dinner. My birthday cake was made by friends of ours from church and they did a beautiful job decorating it! It didn't last very long after "Happy Birthday" was sung with this crew. :) All in all, I had a great 21st birthday! Even though I'm not a big fan of surprises, I enjoyed every moment of our outing and the special time I was able to spend with family. Thanks again everyone! ~Alli

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON

Today is Alli's 21st birthday. We are so blessed to have her in our family. She brings joy to us every day. I can't believe my "baby" is 21!!

We have very special things planned for her today. One surprise...and her favorite meal.

Happy Birthday Alli, we love you! ~Mom

Weed Invasion!

Ah spring has finally arrived...and so have the weeds! This, I'm embarrassed to say, is my poor little herb garden. Every year around the time of my birthday, I get to work- weeding, mulching, and planting in my garden. I had always wanted to have a garden of my very own after seeing how beautiful they were when we went to old southern plantations, Williamsburg, and other historical places like that. My first herb garden was a little raised bed in the backyard of our old house. I loved watching the plants grow and experimenting with new, unusual herbs. However, when we moved to the country, I couldn't take it with me :). When we moved here, I thought I would design a garden that was inspired by one in Williamsburg. We took one day to clear out the brush and brambles, and we started laying down a gravel pathway. Next, the beds were raised and tiny herbs were planted. It has been about five years since that day, and there she sits! During the two years that I worked, my garden was not tended to at all, and as you can see from the picture above, it needs a little TLC. :)

This year, I decided to try something new and start growing my herbs from seeds. Well, it was going great and tiny sprouts started peeking out of the dirt. On one of the hottest days this week, I forgot and left the plastic covering over my growing herbs, and they turned into deep-fried herbs! Poor little guys. Anyway, I decided to give-up, I mean put that project aside for a while. :) I will try again next year! Right now, I'm going to focus on de-weeding my garden before I add anymore herbs to the beds. I can't even see the beds because they're covered in a blanket of weeds!

So, stay tuned for an herb garden update. I will post an "after" picture when I have tended to my business. I kind of feel like I was acting like the slothful man in Proverbs 24 when his garden was "...all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down...Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man." (Proverbs 24:31, 33-34) I had better get busy!

~Alli

For those of you wondering where we were these past couple of days...

Yesterday, Mom had to have some minor surgery and she has been feeling poorly. Please pray for a speedy recovery. Thank you to all who have called and brought food by. My Mom and I really appreciate it. We are truly blessed! ~ Alli

April Birthday Party!

(pictured left to right are Eric, Jack, me and Emily, Sarah, and Philip)

Yesterday after church, our family went over to our Nan's (grandma's) house for an April birthday party. Since so many of the grandkid's birthdays are all around the same time, we thought it would be fun to have one big celebration (Eric, Jack, Emily, and I all have April b-days). The evening consisted of laughter, present opening, candle blowing, and a wonderful cookout. It was so much fun to be able to watch all of the kids open their gifts with all of the excitement! Don't get me wrong, I was excited too :).

Here I am with my Nan. She has been a constant encouragement to me all throughout my life. I think I have inherited her love for cooking and I'm hoping that one day I will become a true expert like she is. After dinner, we were able to spend some time chatting about new recipes, and I helped her plan some freezer meals.

Thanks Nan and Bernie for the wonderful time yesterday!

~Alli

My Testimony

"What is my purpose in life?" I cannot count how many times I have asked myself that very question, and how often I have been asked that by others. After the completion of high school I thought, by the world's standards, that my purpose in life was to go out and get a job or leave the home and go to college. Unfortunately, I went the working route thinking, "I guess this is just what I'm supposed to do now after high school, since I don't want to go to college." After working for two years, I felt God convicting me to quit my job and come home. I thought that if going out into the world to "make something of myself" was supposed to be my purpose, then why didn't I feel fulfilled? Instead, I felt unhappy and exhausted. While I was working, God pricked my heart and my perspective changed to, "What does God want me to do with my life? What is His design for me?" Since this change of heart, God has revealed His direction in my life in so many remarkable ways.

After searching through Scripture, I found that my ultimate purpose is to glorify God in all that I do in life. Through His Word, He revealed to me ways that I can accomplish this. All my life, my desire was to be a wife and mother one day. God showed me specifically through Scripture how this was actually part of His perfect plan for a woman. I was led to this passage, "And the Lord God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a help meet for him.' " (Genesis 2:18) Therefore, according to this verse, a woman is to be a help meet to her husband. My purpose in this season of my life is to train for this very important role at home under the guidance of my father. My job now is to be a helper to him and his ministry as preparation for my husband one day.

God also revealed to me that my purpose is to one day be a keeper at home. I found this clearly stated in Titus 2:4-5, "That they teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed." These are the things I am working on now while I'm still at home to prepare myself so I can one day fill this calling. Right now, our home is my ministry and I'm using it as a training ground for these purposes.

In addition to being a help-meet and a homemaker, my other desire is to be a mother one day. I feel it is my duty, as a Christian, to train and teach my children(Lord-willing) and bring them up in the glory of God. After all, my generation is going to be responsible for training up and bringing forth the next Godly generation. In this phase of my life, I am trying to learn everything I can about God's Word so I may be able to teach my children when the time comes. Currently, I am enrolled in a Christian college called Telos and I am taking some online courses through them. Telos focuses on building God's principles around all areas of the lives of believers.

Ever since God has revealed to me His plan for my life through His Word, I have felt the greatest sense of peace in my heart. Only a couple of years ago, my heart felt void and everything I did felt meaningless. I had always thought, "Why am I hear?" instead of thinking, "What does God want me to do while I'm here?" I am ashamed because I had never really looked to God's perfect Word for my answer. I only made an assumption and traveled down the path that was not intended for my life. Now I know my calling in life and can't wait to see what the future holds! Now I must focus on preparing and training myself for these future roles so that I may glorify God in my purpose. I has been difficult at times to stand alone and swim against the tide of the world, but God continually gives us the grace to get through the persecution that we receive from others. I will continue to embrace His calling and hold it dear to my heart because God's ways are sovereign, and He has truly filled the emptiness in my life.

~Alli

Cookies Can Be Healthy?

Yes they can! A few days ago, I found a recipe for these healthy but fabulous cookies over at Tammy's Recipes. Even though this recipe is without sugar , the substitution of honey and molasses really fools you and you can't tell the difference! Our family is trying to cut back on our sugar intake but it's really hard to find sugar-free recipes. And when you do find one, the results taste like cardboard. This cookie recipe, on the other hand, is definitely a keeper!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies

2 C. whole wheat flour (I used unbleached all-purpose flour)

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/4 C. rolled oats

6 Tbs. butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 C. honey

1/4 C. molasses (We didn't have any molasses, so I used an extra 1/4 C. honey instead)

1 tsp. vanilla

1-2 C. (total) chocolate chips, nuts, or sunflower seeds, optional (I used walnuts)

1. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and oats. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, eggs, honey, molasses, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix, using hands if needed. Add any optional ingredients and drop by teaspoonful onto lightly greased cookie sheets, or, roll dough into balls and press lightly.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until cookies are done. Remove from oven, wait 5 minutes, and then remove to wire rack to cool.

Enjoy! ~ Alli

Sewing Disaster!

Yesterday, after we went thrifting, Mom spotted this lovely sewing book on the shelf. It is full of fun little projects such as handbags, quilts, lampshades, pillowcases, etc... along with the instructions showing you how to make them. The book itself is so pretty inside with the many different bright colors and pictures.

After flipping the pages, I saw these cute little slippers and thought I would give 'em a try! I decided to use cotton material instead of going out and buying terry cloth for this attempt. I wanted to be safe...just in case I messed up (which was very likely with a new pattern :)). I cut out the fabric and started sewing! This is what I ended up with...

Here it is! The only problem is... it barely fits over my big toe! :) I have a feeling I'm going to be giving this pattern a tad bit more practice before I can have a new pair of slippers that actually fit... ~Alli

Thrifting with Alli

Today was a fun day. Alli and I went thrifting in one of our favorite thrift stores. She managed to find some great deals. This skirt was only $6. I found 2 skirts and some tops. We topped it off by stopping at a book store for an Italian Soda and a Mocha Latte :) Philip was kind enough to brave the thrift frenzy, so I treated him to a Oreo brownie. :) ~Julie

We awoke to this beautiful snowy scene early this morning, and received an unexpected three inches here in central Virginia! Although the weatherman yesterday had predicted some snow for this morning, we didn't get our hopes up. It never snows when you want it to!

Our family is going to be taking a break from blogging for Resurrection Sunday. We hope you all are blessed with a lovely weekend as we reflect on what our Lord and Savior went through for us to live eternally with Him in paradise!

~ The Trent Family

Very "Impatient" for Spring!

Get it? hee hee... ~Alli

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism awareness month. This disorder is now found in 1 out of every 150 children. We as a family would like to observe this month as a time to pray and remember the hard times these families face.

Our middle son Philip, now 18, suffers with Aspergers Syndrome which is a disorder in the Autistic Spectrum. It is considered "high functioning" Autism. Please take time to inform yourselves about Autism and all that is involved. If you know of anyone with a child who suffers with this disorder, please pray for them and also send them an encouraging word. Visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/ for more information. ~Julie

Soup's On!

A few days ago, I tried another new recipe from the Almost Homemade cookbook from the Gooseberry Patch! Here is their website if you want to visit : http://www.gooseberrypatch.com I just can't get over how easy these recipes are to put together. And the ingredients are really simple as well. Next time, I think I am going to double this soup and freeze it in Ziploc bags. This way, we can just toss a bag of it in the crock pot and be done with it! Voila!

Spicy Vegetable Soup

1lb ground beef (we used turkey)
1 C. onion, chopped
1 C. celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
30-oz. jar chunky garden style spaghetti sauce
10-oz. tomatoes with chiles (we used really mild)
10-oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
10-1/2 oz. can beef broth
2 C. water
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine ground beef (or turkey), onion, celery, and garlic over medium heat in a stockpot; cook until beef is browned and onion tender. Drain; stir in remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours to blend flavors. Serves 8 to 10. Enjoy!

~Alli

A Gift for Mom and Dad

Today I received hand embroidered pillowcases from Alli. She did a beautiful job and I will always cherish these. Her love for the home is inspiring. ~Julie

More Pincushions!

Hello everyone! I set up an Etsy shop today for the first time! Please feel free to visit...the link is on the sidebar. :) ~Alli

Busy Bees

Every other Monday, we volunteer along with the Winter family at the local pregnancy center. This center has a store where the expecting mothers can "purchase" items for their babies with tokens that they earn from completing counseling sessions.

Here, Leah is organizing all of the baby socks. She always comes up with new ideas and is very creative. Her enthusiasm and joyful countenance always keeps us motivated!

Hannah is always offering a helping hand with any chore that needs to be done. Here she is setting out New Testaments that are available for the Moms. Her servant's heart is very evident as she is always alert to the needs of others!

Whew! The end of another day- hanging baby clothes. :)

~Julie

How To Be A Lady

Chapter XXI-Choice of Society, and Formation of Friendships.

Character is formed under a great variety of influences. Sometimes a very trifling circumstance gives direction to the whole course of one's life. And every incident that occurs, from day to day, is exerting a silent, gradual influence, in the formation of your character. Among these influences, none are more direct and powerful than that exerted upon us by the companions with whom we associate; for we insensibly fall into their habits. This is especially true in childhood and youth, when the character is plastic, like soft wax,- - easily impressed.

Taken from How to Be A Lady by Harvey Newcomb, first printed in 1850. I bought this book for Alli as a Christmas present. I'm finding however that I can't seem to put it down. Some of the chapter titles are: Knowledge of Household Affairs, Habits, Doing One Thing at a time,Government of the Tongue, and Being Useful. If you like old reads, this is a good one.

~Julie