It's Time

Dear friends ~ it's time.

Time for some time away from this space.
Sometimes it's necessary.

Lord-willing, I will return to blogging after a few weeks.

Please understand that this means I will

not be publishing comments until I'm back in the saddle.

However, I do *love* to hear from you ~ 

it would be lovely if you would let me know you were here.

Your comments will appear upon my return.  :)

I will also have to forgo the pleasure of visiting with you 

at your place for the next little while.

It is my plan to catch up with y'all in October.

Those are my plans, the Lord's may be different.
What a blessing it is to rest in Him.

Thank you for extending grace to me over

and over and over again.

Each one of you is a precious gift.

I am thankful to the Lord for your kind friendship ~

It truly is a blessing to my heart.

"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

The LORD make his face shine upon thee,

and be gracious unto thee:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,

and give thee peace."

~ Numbers 6:24-26 ~

 With Love,

Camille

Comforting the Grieving

**Please know that this post is not a plea for further kindness to be
shown to us ~ We have been abundantly loved through this journey!
We are not lacking in anything.  Nothing at all.

A friend of a friend shared another grieving Mom's

blog with me ~ as you might imagine, I visited.

Many of the things she has written have blessed my heart.
I only visited briefly, however, and do not personally know this lady.
As with anything I share, please read with discernment.

Having said that, I'd like to share the links 
to two of her posts here today.  Perhaps they will bless your heart as well.

The first ~ 10 Things Bereaved Parents Wish You Knew ~

is a practical list of how those grieving may be feeling.
Each individual grieves differently, but,

I do believe that we all desire to be loved through the process.

This list may help define the ways in which 

we might come along side a grieving friend or loved one.

~ Austin at about age seven ~

The Wrong Thing to Say is the second post that spoke to my heart.

In it, an idea was shared that puts legs to

the ways in which we may comfort those dealing with great loss.

I found it to be a thought-provoking measure

by which I can temper my words when seeking to be an encouragement

to others who are going through a distressingly difficult time.

Loss takes many shapes and forms.

We will each deal with some sort of loss at 

one point or another in our lives.  Perhaps multiple times.

I found these two articles to be very helpful

in formulating my own ideas on how to be a blessing to others.

Again, please let me state that this post is in no way meant

to draw attention to any deficit we are experiencing in our own grief journey.

We have not been neglected.  Quite the contrary, actually.

We continue to be blessed by loving people who are

seeking to uphold us through this deep valley.

We have been blessed beyond measure with the love and kindness

of those the Lord has put into our lives.

Thank you to each of you who is walking this path with us ~
We praise the Lord for you.

Many Blessings,
Camille

Soaking and Drying Nuts

Did you know that nuts, oats and beans

are more nutritious when soaked prior to cooking?

This is a relatively new concept to me.

I first wrote on some of the changes I'd made in my 

kitchen back in my early days of blogging ~ 

It includes many links to the *whys* and *hows* behind soaking.

That post may be found by clicking here.

At the time I didn't know about the benefits of soaking and drying nuts ~

just goes to show we are always learning something new, doesn't it?

I certainly do not have it all together in this area,

and I have been known to completely change my mind on some 

things after further research.

It's a good thing to be flexible ~ another thing I've been learning.  :)

Soaking may seem like such a lot of extra work, but, it really isn't.

It just requires a little advance planning,

and the end product is so much better for you.

I cannot help but take notice of the references to soaking beans

in the "Little House" books when I consider what we do as cooks today.

There seemed to be a general knowledge about these things passed

down from one generation to the next back in those days.

We often are hurried and harried in this day and age ~

sometimes food preparation suffers in the process of day to day living.

Soaking and drying nuts is my most recent kitchen upgrade.

I buy pecans and almonds raw.

Then, I soak in salted filtered water for about twelve hours ~

I use 1/2 Tbsp sea salt to 1 lb nuts in about six cups water.

For a specific guideline on how long to soak 

for the type of nut you are working with ~ Click Here.

Sea salt is added to the bottom of a large glass bowl ~

then one variety of nut is added and covered with plenty of fresh water.

Soak only one type of nut per bowl of water.  Stir to dissolve the salt.

Set a lid or large plate over the bowl to cover it ~

some people use a tea towel so it can *breathe*.

After about twelve hours, the water will be brown and murky ~

 pour it off and rinse the nuts well with fresh water.

I use my dehydrator to dry the nuts.

This could also be done in the oven if it will allow you to set it

for a low enough temperature ~ it needs to be about 115-120 degrees F.

Whichever method you choose to use,
it's beneficial to spread the nuts onto parchment paper
for the drying time ~ I do this even in the dehydrator.
If you are using your oven a parchment lined cookie sheet works well.
It's best to try to evenly distribute the nuts in a single layer.

This next step takes a good 24 hours for pecans,

and closer to 36 hours for almonds.
The nuts need to be kept in the oven or dehydrator for the 
appropriate length of time and turned every so often.
Keep checking them for *doneness* ~ this is the fun part!

The goal is to remove all that water and get them

toasty and crunchy ~ They are kinder on your tummy,

and, in my opinion, actually taste better than when they were *raw*.

Once you have a batch of nuts ready to go,
put them into a freezer container and keep them
frozen until needed ~ they will be kept fresher that way.

What about you?  
Do you prepare raw nuts in this way?
Oh, and if you don't and aren't ever planning to,
know that there are seasons for everything ~
It's okay if you never ever do this!  *Smile*

Happy snacking!  :)
Camille

**Update ~ I have found that my pecans have turned out too salty
in recent days and have modified the instructions to reflect this.
Make sure you use lots of soaking water and 
rinse very well prior to the dehydration process.  

Caught Between

Life is full.  It doesn't wait for us to catch up.

Time marches on.  And, we are caught between two worlds.

The here and now and the eternal.

It's a strange place to be.  It's a normal place to be.

The other evening, Howie and I were at a meeting.

We met some people there for the first time.

Of course, the number of children we have came up.

The simple answer?  Four.  We still have four children.

Three boys and a girl.

One just happens to be in Heaven.

What is Heaven like?

I'm caught between two worlds ~ here and there.
We think and talk and read more about Heaven

than we ever have before.

In the past, it was a distant faraway place that 

was in our future.  We were happy about it ~ absolutely.

However, it didn't occupy many of our thoughts.

I was happily caught up with the things of now.

Now, it's more difficult to navigate the now.

But, these are the things that shape us and fit us for eternity.

It's in these things that we learn and grow and are stretched.

Most of all, we learn more of our Great God.

These days, we remember Austin and speak of him freely.

We cry easily and laugh easily ~ it's all part of the process.

This journey is far from over.  And, that's okay.

We don't really want it to end.  We don't want to forget.

The children are diligently doing school and I am trying to catch up.

Part of me doesn't want to catch up.  But, it's the right thing to do.

So, I go through the day ~ step by step.

The children are a step ahead.  And, it is good.

The boys are quite independent in their studies.

They rarely need help any more.

And, when they do require assistance, they tend to go to Howie.

I find myself mostly needed by Emma in the academic things.

Our school life has come full circle.

In the early days of home educating our children, Emma was a tag along.

She was just four and joined in with us in all that were doing.

She sat with us as we read history and explored science.

She came along on the field trips we took.

Emma was included in everything.

She is serious about her studies.

One of her courses is online this year ~

goodness me!  She is growing up, too.

Why can't we just bottle them up and keep them small

for a little while longer?  It's not possible.  

But, wouldn't it be good to slow things down just a bit?

So, these days are full.  They are colour-full.

And, that's how life is, wouldn't you agree?

We need the black and grey colours in our lives
just as much as we need the bright ones. 
It's how it is.  And, it is good.

So, yes.  We have four children.

Austin still lives.  Just not here.

We seek to live these days as the Lord gives them.
Entering in to each moment and enjoying the gift of now.

By His grace and for His glory.  For now and for eternity.

Because nothing else really matters.

With Love,
Camille

Forever Altered

The new me is here to stay.

The new me is living without part of the old me.

Part of me died when Austin did.

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!  

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

Year Eight Begins

Year eight begins ~ how time has flown!

We began our home education journey when the boys

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

Comforting Words

Our precious Auntie Mary gave me a lovely little book

on one of her recent visits to Canada.

I put it into my purse thinking I would read 
snippets of it here and there.

It's full of short quotes from letters which 
Samuel Rutherford wrote nearly 400 years ago.

Recently, I took it out of my purse so I could take it along
on a day trip to visit my friend on the Island.
The trip required over three hours on the ferry ~ lots of time for reading.

I found it to be full of rich nuggets

that ministered to my grieving Mama heart.

Such encouragement, comfort and truth

can be discovered within its pages.  It's precious.

I am sharing a few lines from this little book here today.

May these words be used to encourage your heart as they have mine.

"They are not lost to you that are laid up in Christ's treasury in Heaven.
At the resurrection ye shall meet with them: 
there they are, sent before, but not sent away.
Your Lord loveth you, who is homely to take and give,
borrow and lend."

~ Calvin, Austin and Fraser Circa 2002 ~

"She is not sent away, but only sent before,
like unto a star, which going out of your sight, doth not die and vanish,
but shineth in another hemisphere:
ye see her not, yet she doth shine in another country."

"The child hath but changed a bed in the garden,
and is planted up higher, nearer the sun,
where he shall thrive better than in this out-field moor-ground."

Comforting words?  Absolutely.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**All quotes in this post are taken from Samuel Rutherford's

"The Loveliness of Christ" ~ a rare gem of a book!

Austin's Resurrection Bed

It is such a comforting thing for my Mama heart to consider this ~

Austin's body was sown in corruption, but, it will rise in glory.

Just as the Lord Jesus Christ's body was raised up

in perfection from the tomb, so will Austin's.

From this very spot ~ his resurrection bed.

"But now is Christ risen from the dead,

and become the firstfruits of them that slept."

~ I Corinthians 15:20 ~

"So also is the resurrection of the dead.

It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory:

it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.

There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."

~ I Corinthians 15:42-44 ~

**Our last name was photo-shopped out of this image**

The grave marker was fashioned from a slab of polished black granite.
We are so pleased with the workmanship of the carving ~ 
the family who did the work are true craftsmen.

We are also thankful for the message it conveys.  
John 6:37 was Austin's favourite verse ~ please click here to read it.

Austin's trust was solely and alone in the finished work of his Saviour.

Our son's body rests in the ground until that glorious day

when all God's people, in the twinkling of an eye,

will be caught up with the Lord Jesus Christ in the air.

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, 
and we shall be changed."
~ I Corinthians 15:52 ~

What a day that will be!

Rejoicing in the thought of it.

Praising our Great God for the Truth of it.
Life here is temporary.  Life there is permanent.

Many Blessings,

Camille

Fresh Memories ~ A Thankful Post

We are in the midst of the everyday and the routine

and the sometimes-not-so-ordinary things that make up our lives.

Nothing new, really.  However, it is.  

We are making fresh memories together.
Memories are always being made ~ it's the nature of life.

These are the moments that we will cherish in years to come.
That's how it is, isn't it?  

We look back on precious days and events and ordinary

things that reside in photos and in our memories.
They are held in highest esteem.  

Interesting how that works, don't you think?

We long for long ago.

Why do we do that?  Sometimes it robs us of now.
It can keep us from really living this day.  In this moment.
Do we take notice and stop to consider
that these things ought to be treasured up now?

I'm storing up these memories.  These treasures.
I am seeking to live in the moment as the memories are made.

Cherishing and enjoying and entering into every little detail.

May the Lord give grace to hold everything with a loose hand

all the while praising Him for the gifts He gives.

They are all from Him.  They all belong to Him.

He may claim them back at any time.
We are not entitled to any of them.
Yet, He graciously gives and we live because of Him.

My list today is made up of the random things that have been
such lovely blessings in recent weeks.
The here and now is precious.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow.
This ought not to make us tremble.  If we are the Lord's we have nothing to fear.
It ought, however, to make us thankful ~ for every little thing.  
Thankful for every gift no matter how small or insignificant.

Everything is a gift.  Directly from His hand.

Our niece and her husband have a little teeny tiny doggy ~
Her name is Charley, and we were blessed to have her stay with us.
Isn't she just the absolute cutest thing you ever saw?
(Emma is allergic to dogs ~ this was a trial run to see if she
might tolerate one this small.  Apparently she doesn't.  Isn't that sad?)

  

The boys were blessed to be able to take two separate camping trips ~
The first was in the mountains, and included lots of hiking.
The other was to a little local island, and involved a ferry and bikes.

The first trip found our two boys out in the bush
with two boys from our friends' family.
The photos from that trip will likely be featured in future posts ~
God's creation is absolutely stunning.

I am thankful to have a husband who tells me that
we must let the boys do these things ~ it's a rite of passage into manhood.
They were safe and went with responsible young men.
It certainly is a blessing to see them developing these kinds of friendships.

The second trip was to Mayne Island and involved Betsy for transportation.
There were six boys on that trek.  The boys were taken to the ferry
where they loaded up their gear on their backs and bikes,
and journeyed over to the island.
It was an adventure, for sure!

I take no responsibility whatsoever for the food choices they made ~ LOL.

I am thankful that they all stayed safe and enjoyed their time away together.

God is Good to provide such wonderful friends for our boys ~ we are thankful.

The photo below shows the young men as they ventured out ~

Calvin and Fraser are together on the far right.

Emma missed her brothers.
She planned and shopped and decorated their room
to welcome them home from their first trip away.

See how she decorated the bed?
Confession ~ it was done a little too early...
we ate the chocolate bars and I had to replace them ~ LOL!  

I am thankful for sibling friendships ~
Austin's absence from the photo below is painful to my Mama heart.
However, I am thankful that he is where we will one day be.
And, again, God is Good.  Always.

A lovely friend sent me this praying angel ~

wasn't that just the sweetest thing to do?

It's a reminder to my heart that God's people care 

and that we ought always to lift one another up in prayer.

Another sweet friend sent these home-made journals ~
One for me and one for Emma.
We are so thankful for the love shown to us in these
beautiful ways ~ God is so Good!

I'm thankful that my Emma desires to learn
the finer arts of the home ~ she is learning to knit.
This is her first attempt at it.
I thought I would start her out small with a dishcloth...

...but, it grew and grew and grew!
Can you believe that I only cast on 45 stitches?
What happened??!!
We're not sure what this will become...
but, we will figure something out.  :)

I am thankful for a special time out with Emma's Grandma and my Mum-in-Love.

We were able to go to a tea room and enjoy...

...Afternoon Tea!  Isn't this just the prettiest tray of goodies?

It was a real treat.

God's Goodness to us comes in these and a myriad of other ways.

We are thankful for His Loving Hand upon us.

He is gracious and kind and does all things well.

In the midst of sorrow, there is joy.

In what ways have you been blessed this Summer?

Feel free to share in the comments section of this post ~

I'd love to hear what's been a blessing to your heart.

With Love,
Camille

Only a Moment

A few Sundays ago, after the service, a precious friend

took time to talk and listen and encourage.

She said something that has been such a blessing to my heart.

"The days are long, but, the years are short."

It will only seem a moment before we are ushered into glory.
Life here is temporary.  Life there is permanent.

Helpful words?  Yes.  Comforting?  Absolutely.

Every elderly person I have ever spoken to

says the same thing ~ life flies by!

And, in the twinkling of an eye ~ eternity begins.
It happens this way for all of us.
The big questions, in light of this, are these ~

Where will we spend it?  Where will we go?  Are we ready?

It is not on our own merit that we are welcomed into Heaven.

It is all the Lord's.  All of it.  We depend on His works.  Not ours.
The Lord Jesus Christ's perfect life lived on our behalf.  

The complete and perfect payment of the penalty 
for the sin of His people.  He took our sins upon Himself,
in order that He could bestow His perfection on us.

The Lamb of God.  We must look to Him.  Trust in Him.

Surrender to Him ~ utterly and completely.

In His work alone is Salvation to be found.
It's the only way.  He is the only way.

What is He to you?  Is your peace found in Him?
Is He your all in all?  Do you trust Him with your never dying soul?
 Settle with Him before the time He has granted you is gone.
Before we know it, it will be!
We all face the same reality.  Time is short.
We only have this moment ~ none other is guaranteed.

Flee to Christ while He may be found!

"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 ~

The best way to be found of Him is to read His Word.
Begin by reading Genesis, and then read the book of John.
His Word, the Bible, is True.  It's Powerful.
The words can only change us if the words are read.
We can only be changed by the power of the Living God.  By His Grace.
In light of this, please ask the Lord to open your eyes to see and
enlighten your heart to understand.  He is able.  He is merciful.
And, He graciously answers prayers like those.

The greatest thing in all of life is to belong to Him.
Be sure you are His and He is yours ~ nothing is more important.  
Absolutely nothing.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Photo in this post courtesy of Calvin ~
Thank you my love!  XO