One by One

I did not deserve God's mercy,
yet, He gave it.
I am not deserving of His grace,
but He continues to supply it.
Because of the finished
work of Jesus Christ.

As time goes on,
I am more and more aware that
what I actually deserve is
eternal separation from Him forever.
Outside of Christ....

I deserve Hell.

Oh the thought of it!
And yet, He chose to extend Life to me.
He continually gives grace and mercy.
He promises to save all who come to Him.
How Amazing and Wonderful!

Are you HIS?

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

Run to Him today!

This knowledge has put into
perspective quite a few things.
We have had recent trials and struggles.
Sorrows that even those closest to us
know nothing of.

And yet, through it all,
there is joy.
And peace.
And comfort.

And we have been provided for.
And we have been sheltered.
And we have been encouraged.

The LORD is Faithful.

What more can be said?

The list continues to grow.
The mercies abound.
The graces are numbered.
And we rejoice!

All we have is from His Hand.
Numbering God's gifts ~
One by One.

1609. That I do not get what I deserve ~
That's Mercy!

1610. That I get what I do not deserve ~
That's Grace!

1611. That the LORD is merciful ~
Extending Life to me!

1612. For godly influence

1613. For godly teaching and instruction
in a wonderful church

1614. For internet connection
and audio broadcast live
when we are unable to be there in person

1615. That my Dad thought
to blow this photo up so long ago ~
He was right...it is a treasure!
(Fraser, Calvin, and Austin Summer 2001 ~
2, 4, and 6 years old)
Be. Still. My. Heart.


1616. That these boys are growing
up and following the example of their
Daddy in so many ways

1617. For a Dad who takes his
sons on business meetings ~
What a blessing!


1618. For a *new to us* van to drive in ~
truly an *extra* and not a *need*

1619. Mornings like this...


1620. Last effort of winter ~
But Spring is coming!

1621. Birthdays and birthdays and MORE birthdays ~
Four in the space of 7 1/2 weeks!

1622. The joy on their faces! :)


1623. Celebrating with family
and friends

1624. Learning and growing...
still (thankfully)

1625. Provisions and seeing that
they come directly from our Loving
Heavenly Father ~
A pair of Sunday Pants for Calvin
on sale and a pair of Sunday Shoes
from the Thrift Store (the label on
the sole said they were Italian made!)

1626. Music ~
Continually.


1627. And that the piano had
its tri-annual tuning...
ahhhh!

My journal sits on my counter.

I list as events unfold.
Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal,
set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~
As they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Chai Tea Latte ~ Homemade

Chai Tea Latte with Vanilla
is my preferred indulgence
whenever I go to Starbucks.

Y.U.M.

Recently, I was there
with a friend and our
two little girls.
As, per usual, I ordered
my usual.

And my friend asked if
I wanted the recipe for a
homemade Chai Tea.
You know what I said, right?

Yup.
That's right.

So, now I can share with you!
Are you excited?
You should be! :)

Measure out 1 cup water per
tea bag and set in a pot to boil.
(I really like this made with
Vanilla Rooibos...but,
any regular tea will do!)

Reduce heat to simmer and add
1 heaping teaspoon each of
the following whole spices (not ground) ~
Cardamom, Cloves, Fennel, and a Cinnamon stick.
Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes
with lid partially vented.

Add in a heaping teaspoon of brown sugar
and 1 cup of full fat milk.

Heat through, but do not boil.
Strain and serve.

This recipe makes enough for one
GIANT mug or two regular sized ones...
with no option for seconds.

Enjoy!!

Thank you my sweet
friend for sharing! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Let it Roll

Ever observe a duck?
He dives under the surface ~
Bobs up ~
And all the water
just rolls off his back.

It's amazing.

We are to be like this
when it comes to some
things in life.
Let things roll off of
us without sinking in.
The negative stuff, that is.

The nasty words of others.
The hurtful actions.
Especially those things
that were unintentionally hurtful.

Thoughtless.

We are not to absorb those things.
Doing so can lead to bitterness.


I speak from experience.

It's never a good thing
to harbour nasty stuff in our hearts.
To replay it over and over
in our minds.
To share the hurt around
in the form of gossip.
To lash out and bite back.

Not a good thing at all.

Only by the Grace of God are we
able to let things go.
Turn the other cheek.
Pray for those who mistreat us.
Show love in the face of hatred.
Only by HIS grace are we
able to move on.
In HIS Strength.


Forgiveness.
Grace.
Mercy.

Breathe deep.
These are the *real* things.
And HE alone is able.
Look to HIM.
Draw strength from HIM.
HE will meet us in our need.

For HIS glory.

May HE give us all
daily the grace and strength
we need to follow HIM
in these ways.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Photo in this post
courtesy of our precious Calvin ~
Thank you so much! XO

Dairy Free Mint Ice Cream!

You would never know this
ice cream has no sugar in it ~
Just honey.

And no CREAM either ~
Only coconut milk!

W.O.W.

It is yummy.

Oh...
and one *secret* ingredient
to make it green ~
S.P.I.N.A.C.H.

Can you believe it?
Shhh....don't tell my kids! :)

I found the original recipe here.
And then I tweaked it ~
Just a little.

If you are looking for
dairy-free, sugar-free, grain-free recipes,
The Unrefined Kitchen
is a great resource!

~ Mint Ice Cream ~

Three 400ml tins premium quality coconut milk ~
Or just two if you use the liquidy stuff...
Make sure these are full fat, not *lite*! :)

1/2 cup Liquid Honey

1 cup Baby Spinach Leaves ~
Lightly steamed and cooled

2-3 tsp Peppermint Extract

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Chips to taste ~
My photo does not show chocolate
chips since this was a chocolate-free batch.
It's super-duper yummy with chocolate
chips in it though!

Scoop off the top heavy cream from
your tins of coconut milk and
discard the watery stuff ~
Or, if you are using all the contents
of the tin, just use two.
(I have done it both ways,
and I prefer the taste when
the watery stuff is not included).

Place into blender or a deep bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients
and blend ~ I use a deep bowl and
mix it all up well with my immersion blender.

Taste and adjust flavourings.

Process in your ice cream maker according
to manufacturer's specifications.

If adding chocolate chips,
do so at the end of churning and
fold in until well distributed.

Transfer to a freezer container.
Store in the deep freeze until
ready to use.

Thaw a few minutes prior to scooping.

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Camille

A Slice of Life

Just yesterday,
I kept the camera handy.
My desire was to preserve some
memories of this stage of our lives.

A Slice of Life.

Splashes of colour.

Emma has begun
making friendship bracelets
in earnest.

Each one has its
own unique combination
of colours ~
So pretty.

Just had to snap this one...

...And this one too.

Calvin frequently rushes
outdoors to capture
something special on his camera.

Emma copies him.

It's a joy to see
this love of photography
acted upon.

Fraser can often be heard
creating music on the piano.

Austin joins in and they
collaborate their efforts.

I *love* how music is
a part of the *everyday*
in our home.

A stack of vintage (1970's) Disney
comic books (thank you Grandpa!)
sits on the table
(or beside the tub)
as Emma enjoys.

Other reading material
is employed as well ~
just not in the bath! :)

Ahhh....
helpers!
I am so thankful! :)

And yes...
academics.

We use workbooks
as well as the computer.

Our wannabe architect *loves* to build things ~
Currently, this rollercoaster
lives in the kitchen.

The ordinary things
make up most of life.

We stop.
Take notice.
And the *ordinary*
things become precious.

The moments.
The days.
The months.
The years.

And they build upon one another
to make memories.
We capture some of them.
And then they are gone.

How quickly one
season gives way to another.
And this is life.

May the LORD continually
give HIS grace to live it for HIM!

Many Blessings,
Camille

The Old Way

Sometimes the Old Way
really is the Best Way!

I thought I needed to revamp
my system.


Home responsibilities
for the children were divided up.
And matrixed.
And rotated.


But, I found it
was a little too
complicated for my liking.
I didn't have a good handle on
who was to do what and when.

I discovered that I liked the
old way of doing things better.
With adjustments.

Of course.

My old system was lacking
in some areas.
So, it's been overhauled.
And, re-instated.

Each child has a responsibility
or two (or three).
Always.
The same one
(or two or three).

They know what to do
and when to do it.

If something is not being done,
I know which child has neglected their duty.
It's foolproof.
(Is anything REALLY foolproof?)

And easy.

Yippee!

In our system ~
(which, btw, I learned about from
my friend with ten children) ~
The children's jobs stay the same for at
least a year at a time.
This way, they become proficient at them,
which makes it MUCH easier on us all.

Again,
Yippee! :)

How do you manage responsibilities
around your home?
Do you have a chart?
Do your children switch jobs
or keep the same ones?
Or, do you do everything?
(That used to be me ~
But, I found that I really NEEDED
the help of our children.)


On a side note...

I sincerely hope
this type of thing
never occurs in your home if
one of your children is assigned
the task of vacuuming.
It only happened here once ~ LOL!
(Click on the link above to discover
what is wrapped around the power brush...
the guilty party shall remain nameless).

Happy Homemaking!
Camille

On the Lighter Side

Cookies.
They really are addictive.
And these are no exception.

I cannot bake unless
I am prepared to eat.

And, at the moment,
I am not prepared to.

Thankfully,
my family doesn't complain
when the cookie jar sits empty
for M.O.N.T.H.S.

Recently, I taught
Emma a few things about baking.
Her first project?
Cookies.

And these were the ones she baked ~
with a little help from Mummy.

And now,
the cookie jar is empty.

Are you willing to
fill yours up?

~ Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies ~
(Adapted from the back
of a Hershey's Chipits
Chocolate Chip Bag)

2/3 cup Butter, melted
2 cups Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Water
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla
Dash of Sea Salt
2 cups Chocolate Chips
(Milk or semi-sweet)

Beat together first four
ingredients in mixer.
Stir in everything else
except the chocolate chips.
When everything is mixed
together nicely,
stir in the chocolate chips.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment.
Drop batter from spoon
well spaced apart ~
These will spread.

Bake at 375* F for 8-10 minutes.

Cool on pan before transferring
to wire rack to cool completely.

Store in your cookie jar for a few days,
or freeze for longer storage.
Be forewarned...
these are super duper good frozen!

Scary.
I know.

Happy Baking!
Blessings,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~
The title for this post
does not reflect the caloric
value of its contents. ;-)

In Pursuit of J.O.Y.

J.O.Y.

Not *happiness*.
It is not guaranteed.
It does not last.

True joy does.

In the midst of trials.
In the midst of sorrows
and difficulties.

In the midst of happiness.
In the midst of triumphs
and victories.

Joy is abiding.
Because HE is abiding.

"Underneath are the Everlasting Arms..."
~ Deuteronomy 33:27a ~

We have had trials.
Struggles.
Sorrows.

We've also had many
happy times.
Triumphs.

And through it all...

God's peace and joy
sustain.
HE sustains.

We have nothing to fear.
Everything to hope.

It is foolish to
worry about the future.
The future is not ours to hold.
Ours to keep.

"Suffcient unto the day..."
~ Matthew 6:34 ~

Only this day.
Only this moment.

And HE will meet us
in our need.
HE is Faithful.
In that is J.O.Y.

Rest in HIM my friend.
Trust in HIM.
Find joy in HIM.
Only in HIM will
lasting joy be found.

If you do not have the LORD
as your own Saviour,
Please Click Here to learn how
you can belong to HIM too!

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Photos in this post courtesy
of our Emma ~
Taken on a recent Beach Walk.
Thank you my little love! XO

Good Enough

I'm a perfectionist by nature.
Not good.
Especially since I am the
Mum of four.
*Smile*

We are home together most days
due to the fact that we home educate.
And my husband runs his
business from the home as well.

Good news ~
The LORD is helping
me to relax a little.
A very good thing. :)

Long ago, we purchased our first home.
(The one we still live in).
It was *just a stepping stone*
to something better.
Or so I thought.

Shameful, but true ~
Oh how wrong I was.
How incredibly wrong!

This home was a gift.
We are SO thankful
that the LORD did not
strip it off of us!

SO thankful.


We had the opportunity
to renovate just after Emma was born.
And we did.

I chose these cupboards
for the kitchen.
So cute.
(My opinion).

And...
So much work to keep clean.
So. Much. Work!

Because of my
perfectionistic tendencies,
I put it off until I can do it *right*.
Which, by the way,
is very rare.
Too rare!

I got so tired of them
looking dreadful that I gave
a quick (and I mean quick)
clean to them one day recently.
All the cupboard door and drawer facings
were spruced up in under 30 minutes.


How great is that?

Sometimes Good Enough
Really IS
Good Enough!!

I remember a friend of
mine telling me (long ago)
that her Mom had shared a past regret with her.
It happened to be that she ~ (get this) ~
spent too much time cleaning and
not enough time nurturing her children!

This hit home with me.

How easy it is to get our
priorities mixed up.
Nurturing our children
both physically and spiritually
is of utmost importance.
How I need wisdom to accomplish
this task in a God-honouring way!

May we all enjoy the precious families
that the LORD has given each of us.

And clean just enough.
*Wink*

Many Blessings,
Camille

Homespun Treasures

Homespun treasures.
We likely all have them.

Perhaps...
A quilt made by Grandma long ago.
A baby blanket lovingly knit by
a pair of sweet hands.
A stack of handwritten letters.

Things irreplaceable.
Things priceless.
Of little or no monetary value.

BUT...
Of great sentimental value.

In this post I share
just a few of my homespun
treasures with you...
and then I will ask you to
share some of yours with me. :)

My husband has always loved airplanes.
As a graduation gift for my Sweetie,
my Dad created this Spitfire
in pen and ink and framed it for him.
It was the year we were married.

My Mom made this cross-stitch for us
as a wedding gift.

And my sister stitched this one
for the same occasion.

Just last week Calvin made us all
bookmarks using photos that he had taken.

Complete with a verse and personal
note on the back of each one.

Our other children
have given us notes and cards (handmade)
and other little gifts of love
over the years.
We treasure them up in special
keepsake boxes.
And then, of course,
there are the photo albums
and home videos of the children
when they were small.


If we should ever have a fire,
these are some of the irreplaceable
things that would be missed the most.

Keeping in mind, of course,
that it is unwise to store up
for ourselves treasures on earth.
(May the LORD give grace to keep
all things in their proper place and
in perspective).

What homespun treasures do you cherish?
And who made them for you?

Do share.
Maybe even post about them?
Please let me know if you do! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Simply Life

Simply Life.
Day in.
Day out.

Over and over again.
The blessings of routine.

I give thanks.
In the midst of the ordinary.
The *routine*.

This has been a familiar
sight in our home of late ~
Emma dressed in a
dress-up dress doing math.
Oh the joys of the moment.
It won't always be like this.
It won't.

I'm seeking to cherish
these memories.
Hold them in my heart.

So...
I continue to count.
To number HIS graces.
They are found in the simple
as well as the grand.

1581. A *princess* doing math

1582. That the children
migrate to the kitchen table for
their studies.

1583. A robin in January

1584. A little girl who knows what it
is to tidy up, and that she just gets
on with it! :)

1585. Kettle Corn

1586. Sharing some with Emma
while the boys were out with Daddy ~
Shhhhh! ;-)

1587. Girl's night in

1588. Indoor tropical plant blooming in winter ~
Thank you Susan for gifting it to me!
(I can't believe it flowered for me!!)

1589. Impromptu game of
Battleship between the first and the last

1590. Help from the children ~
A Blessing!

1591. The difference it makes!!

1592. That amazing things can happen
in only 30 minutes when *all hands are on deck*!

1593. Quinoa and what can be done with it

1594. Discovery of this *new-to-me*
Superfood!

1595. A puzzle in progress (by Austin and Emma)...

1596. And the completed masterpiece

1597. And the fact that
the perfectionist in me didn't require it
to be packed up right away ~ progress! :)

1598. More often than not,
getting waved on at the border

1599. Hagen's of Blaine!

1600. "Early to bed, and early to rise..."
and the wonderful routine of it.

1601. The blessing of routine

1602. Paper route and that
Emma is old enough to join in

1603. So thankful that her
brothers are right there to protect her

1604. When she said ~
"I bet it's better than White Spot's!"
(A favourite local restaurant)
In reference to the home-made chicken pot pie
we just put into the oven. :)

1605. My Sweetie's drawings
to explain the Trinity to the children

1606. Clear, frosty mornings...
rare where we live ~ winters tend to be grey

1607. Four haircuts done in record time :)

1608. Shorts in February!
(Don't be too jealous...things are chilly again).

My journal sits on my counter.

I list as events unfold.
Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal,
set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~
As they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,
Camille

This Little Miss...

This little miss drinks tea...

...with her special tea cup and saucer ~
(a gift from long ago)...

...while wearing her fuzzy socks and
a WalMart dress-up dress.

Oh to be young again! :)

Have a Happy Day!
With Love,
Camille

Propelled

I once, quite awhile ago,
read something somewhere in
this blog-world that made an
impression on me.

Not the impression the
author was looking for,
mind you.

It propelled me off in
the OPPOSITE direction.

A good thing.
A VERY good thing.

Her advice was to those individuals
who wanted to see their blog grow.
To see their following increase.
To see how to make all that
(and more) happen!

Blog every day,
was her advice.
Every. Single. Day.

Bondage.

At least,
that was how I viewed it.


Why do I blog in the first place?
To have *followers*?
To be popular?
To show off?
(May it never be so).

Or...

To glorify my Precious Saviour?
To share what HE is doing
in our lives?
In my heart.

To be an encouragement to others along this path?
To record for our children some of the
everyday things that we do together as a family?
To share our joys and our sorrows?
To share some of what I am learning
as a wife, mother, teacher, homemaker ~
Christian?

Yes.
That's it.

By God's Grace.

As an added bonus,
there are friends
to be made along the way.

True friends.

The ones who you pray for.
The ones who pray for you.
The ones you grow to love ~
In the LORD.


It's a beautiful thing.
And I'm thankful that YOU
have joined with me on this journey.
What a blessing you are.

Thank you for understanding when I don't
visit you as often as I would like.
And, be assured that I understand
when you are unable to visit me.

I really do!

Thank you for your patience.
And for your friendship ~
It is a joy.

With Love,
Camille

**Photos in this post courtesy
of our Emma ~ Thank you little love! XO