Easter Week

I love spring and there's plenty going on this spring at Sweet Woodruff Acres!  We're pulling pictures and ideas like crazy for Jessica and Craig's wedding.  I'd love to hear any and all wedding ideas you have, from the dress to the ceremony to the reception and more!  Give me links, give me stories, give me ideas!  Thank you!  Jessica is waiting until Melissa finds out a closer due date for her baby, due the end of August or around the first of September.  This will be Kris and Melissa's third child, and we're so excited!  So it looks like we'll have a new baby grandchild and a new son-in-law within maybe a month!  Our family is growing! 

(by our front door)

We've got a lot of projects going on here outside as well.  We had to tear down a failing retaining wall in the garden, and all my raspberry plants have to be moved. 

(Here's a picture of our raspberries from a previous season.) Have you ever shoveled wet dirt?  It's heavy.  But, maybe it's good muscle building for my arms!

I won!  I won!  Yes, I won two blog drawings!  I tell you...there are such generous bloggers out there!  Thank you!  First off, I won Tracy's (My Cup Runneth Over) blog-anniversery drawing. She sent me a purse(pocket)-sized leather bound Bible!  I just love it as I can take it everywhere and anywhere I go.  She also sent the book, "100 Days of Grace for Women".  I love to spend time in the Word and love reading devotionals and study books that point me in the right direction:  to Jesus! Thank you, Tracy!

                             (Photo by Heather Bullard's, on her blog:  You must visit there!)
Then over on Heather Bullard's blog, I won her drawing for jewelry by Cap Creations.  I received the items I selected yesterday.  I picked a cross necklace, a pair of pretty pearl drop earrings and a charm with a musical note. 

(yes, sitting on my musical egg! they should be in my ear lobes!)

I have to tell you...this jewerly is wonderful, very high quality silver, absolutely gorgeous!  Thank you, Cathy of Cap Creations for sending it and thank you Heather for drawing my name! 

And for you to have a chance at a drawing today, check out Faded Praire Junky Birthday Giveaway.

Easter Week:   This is Easter Week, also called Passion Week.  Friday night we'll be remembering how Jesus died on Calvary for our sins.  Huge.  HUGE.  He died for me.  Precious Redeemer.  So this week I've been going through the Bible following Jesus's last week before His death and resurrection.  I've learned so much, and can't believe I've never done this before.  As a guide there is a "Helps" reference at the back of my Bible that shows the last week and the Bible passages from the four gospels and other Bible books that tell the story.  As another reference I'm using the book, "The Last Week" (The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem ).  Every morning I wake up and tell God, "I'm so excited to spend time in the Word and with You, what is my manna for today?"   And every morning He blesses me richly with His everlasting and unfailing love.  Blessed Redeemer....do you know Him?

May God bless you this Easter Week.   Hugs, Heidi

Some news!

 Jessica said "yes" under the Seattle Space Needle last weekend!  Isn't that romantic?  And the ring is georgeous! Craig and Jessica are making plans now, but this I know:  The wedding will be this year and we're having fun planning!

THE BRIDE

Melissa asked me to make John Mark's birthday cake.  The theme of his pizza party was "Hot Wheels", he loves all things with wheels.  So last week while I was playing cars with him in his bedroom I lined up a row of cars.  I asked him, which FOUR cars do you want on your birthday cake?  He said, "these, on my cheeseburger birthday cake".   How does a four year old get the idea that a cake needs a cheeseburger?  Well, this grandma can make things happen.  (I texted Jessica to bring home a fresh McD's cheeseburger on her way home from work that day...)   

At the pizza parlor John Mark was so excited he never ate anything, just ran around.  But next think you know, he grabbed his cheeseburger and ate it!  This grandma knows her grandkids!

And for the race... Yes, I ran my first race last Saturday.  It was a 5K (little over 3 miles).  I've been running about 4 miles daily so I knew I could do it.  But there were some hills to contend with, other than that--it was a blast!  I came in first in my age division (51-60, I'm 52!), so that was cool! I won't mention my time, but it was not bad for a grandma!

(And, yes, I do need to buy a new size of running capris, these don't fit anymore!)

Yesterday after work a Jessica and some of us girls met up with her to check out a potential wedding location.  Mark was so sweet to watch the kids....his activity was to teach them how to fly!  All kids need to know how to fly!  I just love seeing the smiles on their faces!

Here's some pretty daffodils on my counter to cheer up your day!  I painted the chalkboard paint on a few bottles, 1-2-3, easy as can be!  I love painting with the chalkboard paint!

I painted a little round table for the kids to use...

We've only a few days until  we celebrate "Resurrection Sunday"- Easter, my favorite day, because He Arose-He Lives, which gave me everlasting LIFE when I accepted Him as my Savior!

Last night while the kids were here I asked John Mark to decorate my Easter tree.  John Mark very serious about the job I gave him....

Have a blessed weekend! 

Go out in joy!

          ~Hugs, Heidi

Delighted

Lookie here...my own sweet Raggedy Annie verse doll!  Lea made with so much love in every stitch!  You can look at her other creations in her Etsy store here.  The verse is Psalm 37:4 and it says,

"Delight in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your Heart." 

To "delight" in the Lord is to take pleasure in the Lord.  When I do this the Lord changes my desires to conform with His will.  He changes my desires to match His will and His delights.  It's an awesome experience to find myself delighting in all things eternal, as opposed to earthly things, which have no eternal value.  But it's okay to enjoy the beauty and splendor the Lord does give me.  Such as this cute little Annie doll...she's there to remind me of keeping focused on my Jesus.  She also reminds me of friends and family---God's gifts to me!

More fun...  I won Tracy's  (my cup runneth over) drawing, here.  I'm excited to read what she'll be sending to me. You still have time to enter her final drawing, she's got a big surprise for the final giveaway.  I tell you, bloggers love to giveaway and to celebrate blog-anniversaries!  Loads of fun!

Also, regarding the blog where I go the idea to glue paper clips on the back of plates: I always try to include links to places I mention or refer.  I finally found the blog I had mentioned!  It was Diane of "In My Own Style".  The post about hanging plates, etc, is here.   Be sure to read her post of how to have some fashion fun on your refrigerator door!  So cute!

Having fun in March...rain, birthdays, flowers, fellowship, family, food and fun!
Blessings, Heidi

Plates and platters on the wall; the blessings of brokenness...

Here's another corner in our home...(you can click on the pictures to enlarge).






We've been working on our home for, oh, about 18+ years now...perpetual home improvements! Our latest "big" project was putting in a new front door/entry into our home. We hadn't had a front door for a dozen years, or so. This first picture is the entry way into the kitchen. What I wanted to point out is the platter collection I hung on the wall. We glued saw-tooth picture hangers to the back of the platter with Gorilla Glue. Yes, it works! I have a large collection of platters, but because we use them all the time I had to pick out ones I wasn't going to use. My sister Genece has an eye for garage sale bargains platters, she gave the two on the left to me. The bench is one we made from an old bed frame. The pillows and bench pad I made from an old chenille bedspread. The sweet little oak wall drawer thingy is something Mark made for me about 20 years ago, using old oak wood from a discarded pallet.

This is under the entry way stars, our new pantry.

You can almost see the shelving under the stairs on the right. I hang my aprons in here, but I do keep one right in my kitchen! The plates hanging on the wall here were an experiment for me. I had read in some one's blog (sorry, can't remember who that was, but she had written a decorating book!) how she had glue used a hot glue gun to glue paper clips (bent up a little) on the back of her plates to hang. Well...I did that. A little while later: crash! A plate fell to the floor. Oh, the floor in here has not been laid yet, so it's cement now... Yes, the little saucer broke to pieces. I figured I just hadn't glued it well. Crash. Crash. Two more fell and broke! I quickly took them all off the wall and this time I used the STINKY glue! It's called E6000. I'll forever be thankful to Elizabeth who told us about this glue years ago. Just be sure to use it outside as it stinks until it's dry. I haven't lost a plate since then.

So if you want to try this, you can use either Gorilla Glue or E6000. And you can use saw-tooth picture hangers or paper clips, depending on the size and weight of your platter, plate or saucer. I thought of these two walls in our home after reading Tina's blog today, Cherry Hill Cottage. Then also reading a new blogger's blog and seeing her Great Wall of China, (welcome, Danielle!).

But, really, this broken plate episode reminded me of a "Streams from the Desert" devotion I had read last year. It was called, "Broken Things". In part it says, "God uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts......It was when Mary broke her beautiful alabaster box, rendering it henceforth useless, that the pent-up perfume filled the house. It was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken to pieces by thorns and nails and spear, that His inner life was poured out, like a crystal ocean, for thirsty sinner to drink and live."

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3
Blessings, Heidi