Entering In

Howie came up with a
great idea awhile back.
The idea?

To allow the children
each a twenty-minute block
of time to share with the rest of us
whatever they wanted to.

A family version of
"Show and Tell".

It went over well.
An understatement. :)

Fraser is our resident
atlas/languages/professor sort.

His pick?

Google Earth.

We visited places I had never
heard of and discovered new things.
What an adventurer!

Calvin is our budding photographer.
Some of you may have noticed
that I feature some of his work
here on this blog.
He's serious about it.

We enjoyed looking through
a photo album that he put together
last year after a family vacation.

Happy Memories!

Austin has been learning
a little about programming.
He has created little games
and question and answer sorts
of programs to tickle the funny bone.

He's even opened up a
you-tube channel as an avenue to
showcase his virtual rollercoasters.

Under that serious-looking
exterior there lurks a sense of humour.
Wonder where he got that from?

Emma has a serious love for
all things *Nancy Drew* ~
She shared an excerpt from
the book she was reading at the time.

The *original* series of novels are
being devoured at a rapid rate.
We have most of the earlier set
of books...what fun! :)

She then showed us her collection
of shells that were acquired
on our recent trip to visit with
Auntie Beverley.

God's Glorious Handiwork!

And the boys entered in.

It was an enjoyable time
spent learning just
a little bit more about
the unique individuals God
has entrusted us with.

What an honour it is to
seek to raise them for HIM
and for HIS glory!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Does the Wind Blow Fierce?

Sometimes...
Life throws you a curve ball.

But...
God is Good.
All the time.

In the midst of life's trials
and struggles and difficulties...

There is Hope.
There is Peace.
There is Comfort.

And it is all found in
the LORD Jesus Christ.

"...My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather
glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ
may rest upon me."
~ II Corinthians 12:9 ~

Even when we feel like this little leaf...
Just hanging on while the winds blow fierce ~
HE holds us!

What a thought!

We are not actually in control of
A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

Are the winds blowing furiously
in your neck of the woods?

Are you facing something
that seems to be insurmountable?

Be assured of this my friend ~
We do not hold on to the LORD.
If we belong to HIM...

HE HOLDS US!

Doesn't that just make things
seem a little bit brighter??

"Behold, I have refined thee,
but not with silver;
I have chosen thee in the
furnace of affliction."
~ Isaiah 48:10 ~

May HE help us all to
fix our eyes on HIM.

And to know beyond a
shadow of a doubt that
All is Well.

Many Blessings,
Camille

Feeding 29

When Austin was baptized, we asked all our family and the
Pastors and their families to join us after the service for lunch.
There were 29 of us.  What did I feed a crowd like that?

BBQ Meatballs (among other things)...
About Two Hundred of 'em!
Always a hit. A sure win.  Y.U.M.

A lovely lady at a church we attended years ago

faithfully brought these yummy morsels to church potluck dinners.

Unfortunately, I could never get any on my plate...

they always disappeared so quickly!

So, without ever trying them, I asked for the recipe.

And she kindly shared.  I'm so glad that she did.

And now...I'm sure you will be too! :)

~ BBQ Meatballs ~

Meatballs:

1 Egg

5 oz evaporated milk

1 cup quick cooking oats

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

1 ½ lb. ground beef

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp pepper

Sauce:

1- 1/2 cup ketchup

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 tsp liquid smoke

1 - 2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

Bring all ingredients to boil in a small saucepan.

Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes.

Set aside to pour over the meatballs

when they are done cooking.

In a large bowl,

combine all meatball ingredients (except the meat).

Mix well and then add the meat.

Mix well once again and form into 1 inch balls.

Place about an inch apart

on a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides).

Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven

for 20 to 25 minutes till cooked through.

Drain and place in 13 x 9 inch pan

and cover with sauce and bake for 10 to 12 minutes longer.

If heating the meatballs from cold, 30 to 40 minutes is about right.

Comfort food at its finest.

Enjoy! :)

With Love,

Camille

**I have no idea where the original recipe for these yummy meatballs came

from...if you do, would you please share so I may link back to the
book/site where they are found? Thank you!

Marshmallow Root Tea

Just a little something to share.
It's really too good not to.

No, I don't mean it tastes good.
At least, not particularly.

But, oh is it G.O.O.D.!

I have a little history
with kidney stones.
Okay,
not really a little one.
It's been big.

As in, if I don't do something
about it, I could lose the kidney.
Not good.

But I digress.

I was recently told a little secret.
A wonderful secret.
And I am going to share it with you!

Marshmallow Root Tea
is the secret.

Oh. Dear. Me.

Does it ever relieve
the pain I have been experiencing.

And how.

Unfortunately,
it hasn't taken the stone away.
But, it has provided a reprieve
from the throbbing I was experiencing.
I do still have to deal with the stones.

Oh well.

What to do?

Get your hands on some
marshmallow root tea.
Spoon a teaspoon per cup of water
into a small pot.
Bring to a boil.
reduce heat and simmer ~
with lid slightly vented ~
for 20 minutes.

Strain and enjoy.
Up to three cups per day.

I just leave my pot on
the stove all day with the lid
on and the heat off.
When I want another cup,
I reheat to boiling and
strain into my mug.

Do not leave on the stove
longer than 24 hours without refrigeration.
It can go bad.

And, please, do see your Doctor
or Naturopathic Physician if
you are having any pain
or symptoms of kidney distress
of any kind!

As an added bonus,
it seems to be a wonderful tea
for our child with Crohn's as well!

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I am not a medical
professional and I am not authorized to
give medical advice.
I just share what has been working
for me with the desire that it may be
of benefit to someone else.
Please do consult with your Physician
prior to consuming any herbal remedies!

Rejoicing!

The LORD is Good!
Always.

Prior to any of our children
being born into our family,
we prayed for their Salvation.

We prayed that they would
love the LORD and follow HIM.
We prayed that HE would have their hearts.

We continue to pray.

This past Sunday,
Austin followed the Lord Jesus Christ
in the waters of baptism.

He obeyed the LORD's command.
By God's Grace.

"And Jesus came and spake
unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you:
and lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world.
Amen."
~ Matthew 28:18-20 ~

We are rejoicing!

Rejoicing in God's Mercy.
In HIS Goodness.
In HIS Grace.

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
and all that come to me I will in no wise cast out."
~ John 6:37 ~

May the LORD have the hearts of
each of our children.
Be encouraged.
As long as there is breath,
there is hope.

The LORD is Faithful.
And HE does all things well.

Many blessings,
Camille

**Photos courtesy of Calvin ~
Thank you my love. xo

1915

He lied about his age.
He was young and full of life.
The only boy of a farming family.
He was the baby.
He went.

He never came home.

Letters were written from France.
They would have been cherished.

The boy never came home to
be cherished in their place.

He never got married.
Never had children.
Never lived beyond his teens.

November 11th is
Remembrance Day in Canada.
May we all remember those who
went to fight for our freedoms.
For our liberties.

May we pray for those who
are fighting and defending even now.

May we always be thankful.
May we never forget.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Letters in this post
were written home by Camille's
Great-Great Uncle Johnnie
during WWI ~ 1915.

Some of Our Journey

What a journey this has been!
God is so Good.
All the time.

What a blessing it is to
rest in HIS Goodness.
In HIS Grace.


~ Photo courtesy of my Emma ~

Some of you may
be on a similar journey.
Crohn's Disease
is a tricky thing to deal with.
It's not simple.

Simply not.

We have been to see a
G.I. Specialist at
Children's Hospital in Vancouver.
We have been to our GP.
We are also seeing a
Naturopathic Physician.

They all have something to offer.
Advice to give.
Instructions to follow.

When we first got the
Crohn's diagnosis we were not surprised.
It was something we already figured he had.
It was, in some ways, a relief to know.

We started using dietary supplements.
We altered his diet.
We have been following this one.

Things went well.
Very well.
For a few months.

Then, some things stopped going well.
A flare up.

Not uncommon for those with Crohn's.
But, at the same time, disheartening.
Our son has been careful to follow
his dietary restrictions and recommendations.

No chips.
No chocolate.
No grains.

He is committed.


We continue to follow the
principles laid out in Elaine Gottschall's book ~
Breaking the Vicious Cycle.
We are also following the advice
of our Naturopathic Physician and General Practitioner.

Sometimes adjustments are necessary.
We are willing to do whatever it takes
to help our son get well.

Remission.

We seek the LORD for wisdom.
We pray.
We seek the wisdom of Physicians.
We weigh it all up.
We act.

I would like to share some of
what we are doing and going through
to be an encouragement to those of
you who may be in the same boat.

I also want to record it
for future reference.

To bring down the swelling
in our son's leg
(a manifestation of Crohn's),
we are administering a poultice
of grated potato and carrot with ice chips.
Wrap this in cheesecloth
and apply to the swollen area for about
an hour at a time.
Do this at least twice per day.

For settling and soothing the abdomen,
soak a flannel cloth in
Castor Oil infused with Lavender
and Chamomile and place on the tummy.
Cover with plastic and have
the child lie down on his back
and apply a hot water bottle to the area.
Lie still for an hour or two.
Do this twice per day.

For tummy cramping,
we are using a tincture of
Viburnum Opulus.
For our son, the dose is 30 drops
in water three times per day.
During a flare up,
it may be administered up to six times
per day, if necessary.


He also is taking a
natural anti-inflammatory twice per day,
a GI repair supplment at every meal,
a probiotic twice per day,
and vitamins.

As well as all the above,
we are keeping his diet very simple.
Nothing that will stress the system
is allowed.

I am currently making up
a big batch of hearty beef broth.
Chicken Stock is also an important
healing food that is being administered.
Did you know that homemade broth
has so many amazing nutrients in it?


Emma was recently feeling sick,
so I took some rich Chicken Broth
from the freezer and boiled it up for her to drink.
She started to feel a little better.
Her fever broke the next day.

Coincidence?

Maybe, but I don't think so! :)

May the LORD give us all
wisdom as we seek to lead our families
in the journey of good health.
For HIS Glory.
By HIS Grace.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I am not a medical professional.
I am just a Mum sharing some of the things that
we are using to help our son.
Please consult with your Doctor
prior to administering any drug or supplement.
Dosage amounts will vary due to weight and
the age of the individual being treated.
Some people will respond adversely to some treatments.