First Mosquito of the Season

This hand is to tough to bite...

My husband captured this hearty mosquito yesterday in the palm of his hand.  Look at the size of this thing!  They are hatching out already and we've just had a couple inches of snow again a few days ago.... I have a feeling this will be a bad year for mosquitoes as last summer they had record rainfall in Fairbanks.  Most gardeners had trouble growing anything because it was so wet and muddy.  Usually Fairbanks is quite dry.

Does anyone out there have any all natural recipes that work for warding off mosquitoes?  I would love to try any and all of them.  Thanks!

Of Mold and Marriage

You'll never guess what we found in our bedroom wall and ceiling today...... black mold, wet sheetrock, water drenched plastic, nasty, nasty stuff.  We are rejoicing.  Why?  We're so glad we found this out now and not two months from now when the new baby arrives and Mom is recovering from abdominal surgery.  Our bedroom also doubles as the sewing room and office. 

So we spent hours this evening moving our bed out to the living room, and our kitchen table to the other end. Cramming our school books in a pine cupboard and finding new homes for our newly sprouted seeds was challenging.

Our clothes went into the children's closets and we left everything else in the nasty room.  When we peeled off the wood paneling, it really smelled bad.  The exposed sheet rock is completely ruined as you can see from the photos.  Tomorrow and over the weekend, the tear out begins. We're not sure how bad this will be, but it appears as though walls, maybe studs, and roof will have to be repaired.

The surprise is that we had no idea that the mold was so bad.  When we bought the house, we knew that room smelled musty but not to that extent.  Things had been paneled over, painted over, and a drop down ceiling put in.  But..... surprise, surprise, mold and water eventually leaks through.

So, do you want to know how good God is?  He's so good to have given us the skills, materials, and time to handle this.  Not only that, but in his foresight today, He really spoke to my heart about marriage.....

Before I knew this problem of mold existed, I was working on a huge pile of mending this afternoon.  Huge as in several dresses, skirts, and 6 pairs of pants.  (In between caring for our second little one for the week that came down with what we thought was the flu, but perhaps mold related now that I think about it.... anyways, between catching vomit and helping my little one sip basil tea, somehow all this mending was accomplished, another act of God.)

So, as I picked up the most damaged skirt of all, I began to think that perhaps it wasn't even repairable.  It had been stepped on while someone wore it traveling down the stairway.  It was torn in so many places:  zig zagged, ripped apart at the edges, strings and gaps hanging off, it was so bad.  Some of the seams had come apart and the actual fabric had just given way under the stress of the tear.

Then the thought occurred to me, that it could be fixed.  I just needed a little time, broken down into little sections.  Sure enough, I began to sew and slowly made my way over the damage.  I noticed something..... the actual fabric was damaged far worse then where the seams were.  You'd think seams would be weaker, but they weren't.  They tore fairly straight and were easy to put back.  Then I began to see the analogy in marriage...

We have a big blow-out or blow-up or something huge happens that feels disastrous and beyond repair.  Maybe we end up emotionally distant, or choose to separate or divorce because that seems to solve what the perceived problem is.  BUT, that's exactly what our enemy wants.  He's so deceptive. 

The seams in my skirt were strong.  The places where someone had purposefully sewn together and bonded the fabric were holding and if they had torn, I could fix them.  Guess what?  The covenant and act of marriage was enacted by God.  He originally put a male and female together and called it a marriage.  It's a strong bond, meant to hold up under difficulties.  He likewise has put my husband and I of almost 18 years together.  The marriage is not what is necessarily weak, it's the fabric. 

The fabric is my husband.  The fabric is me.  We are weak.  We are the ones with problems, issues and character flaws.  The institution of marriage is what is strong. 

I finished sewing realizing that God is good, my marriage is good because God calls it that.  If I find rips, tears, and holes, I need to patiently mend them, one little bit at a time.  It doesn't matter that my repairs are huge and yours are small or vice versa, we all will have them and cannot get away from that because we are human and we will be weak and will mess up.  Aren't you glad that God designed a system of forgiveness and restoration and reconciliation? 

So this post is getting long, but I learned all this today while mending away.  So, tonight, when my husband found the nasty mold, the analogy was the same.  We sat down with our older kids because they know the trials we've had as a couple over the last few years.  What a time of rejoicing to see how God uses our daily lives and work to teach us and give us hope.

So, if you find yourself in what may seem like unbearable circumstances, look up and allow God to teach you how to make repairs, one small step at a time.  It's you, in the very fabric of your being, that He created and cares about.  He knows how to fix anything.  Trust Him today!

Here's a P.S.  I found a helpful site MomsAware.org on Mold
It has some helpful and informative videos as well as great posts. I e-mailed Andrea and she got right back to me and is a very concerned and kind individual.  Her family had to vacate their home in order to get the medical help they needed.  I learned a lot about mold from just clicking and reading or watching.

Sewing a Modest Swimsuit

When I was young my favorite swim wear was my cut-off jeans and a T-shirt.  Perhaps it was because I mostly swam in the creek that ran along the edge of our property.  I remember loathing the whole beginning of summer and trying to find a decent swim suit that fit. 

My youngest brother jumped out of the back of the truck while we were in town one day and ripped his shorts on the way down.  That got him a decent pair of trunks real quick!  If only I could think up a strategy like this.  Of course, it was pure accident, but it did get him some nice swimwear.

Then there was that time that I hung out at my friends house down the road a few miles.... her Mother spent the afternoon making us Wrangler jean cut-off shorts to wear.  I remember how important I felt that she'd take the time to make us something that fit and with such style!  But, alas, when I arrived home, the new shorts were a little too short and deemed OK for swim wear only.  Guess what?  That friend I was visiting is now one of my sister-in-laws! 

So... I tried making a swimsuit once when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade... out of a red pin striped T-shirt material.  I'll never forget that ridiculous thing.  I wore it once in the "hot tub" my brothers and I dug out of the side of the hill and lined with a blue tarp.  After the water sat in the lined pit a few days, it was fairly warm.... and probably growing things. 

I always wanted something I could wear and not feel like I had to tug in various places just to stay comfortable, let alone modest.  You know, something to run and jump and play in the sand and play water polo in.  I've finally found it!  Last year, we went swimming with another family several times and they all had the coolest swim wear.  I asked them where they purchased it and she said they had them made.  Here's the website:Simply Modest Swimwear  You can order multi-size patterns, or they will make one for you.  If you've ever wished for a decent suit to wear, go visit their site.  I only wished I'd made these sooner.

I've had the fabric and patterns for a year now, and finally finished them today. 

Sisters!

We could hang out all day in these and still be comfortable!

It's not that they take that long.  They are so simple and easy to make.  The fabric was way easier to work with then say, a sheer curtain fabric, my worst enemy.  Swimsuit fabric is heavier and stays put.  All you need is a size 11 ballpoint sewing machine needle and 100 percent polyester thread, chlorine resistant elastic, swim wear fabric and some liner. 

In one afternoon the girls pinned and cut all their pattern pieces out.  In another afternoon and part of the evening, I sewed them together.  It is two pieces:  the lined top has an attached skirt and then it has a pair of legging like shorts that are sewn separate.  That's it!  My girls love them and are so happy they don't have to wear a skimpy and uncomfortable suit ever again.

Now, my third daughter who is seven, wants one too and I'm going to make one for myself after the baby is born this summer.  No more uncomfortable, immodest suits for me either! 

Spring Planting...Indoors

Putting in pea seeds as carefully as I can...

May I do more?

Family affair... this planting of seeds.

We finally got our seeds started!  We are a little late for cucumbers and tomatoes, I hear, but we started peas, beans, squash and cabbage.  I think we tried planting cucumbers anyway.   We have yet to pick up broccoli and crooked neck squash seed.

These photos were taken in our bathroom!  It's huge and the easiest place to clean up so it doubles as the first greenhouse. 

We had a dusting of snow a few days ago, and yesterday and today a few little pretty white snowflakes fell so Spring is still a ways off....

It gives us hope to plant seeds indoors.  We are hopeful of Spring even though we saw flakes fall outside the church windows as the Pastor spoke of new life in Jesus Christ.  He is risen, that is why we have hope. 

My second youngest daughter broke into tears today in the middle of church saying she didn't want to die.  After much nose blowing and talking about it later, she was simply struck by the reality of death and burial.  She was sure she didn't want to be under all that dirt, not able to get out. 

Having planted seeds Saturday under the dirt, knowing the process of burial, and then today hearing of Jesus death and resurrection, she connected the two very clearly.  I explained to her the peanut shell analogy and how our souls go to be with Jesus instantly and our bodies are just shells to be recycled into dirt.  We're not there!  Praise God, we are co-heirs with Christ, and will share in all His victories and triumphs of the cross..... even over death!  What good news this Easter, He is risen indeed.

House Decompression

What is that?  Having the air sucked out of your home in order to determine where the air leaks are.  It's a whole lot more high tech than that, but that about sums it up.  It's a wonderful way to mathematically figure out how much fan ventilation one needs combined with any other outside vented appliances such as our wood stove and diesel Toyo Monitor heater.

What are you all doing in there?

Our dog was a little unsure if this was safe or not.  He is so protective and likes to be in the know.


Checking the numbers with some high tech readings...

I blogged awhile back about how God provides in so many different ways for all our needs and more...  this is just one more way.

We qualified for Interior Weatherization of Fairbanks, Alaska, program of making our home more energy efficient.  They came out today to do the actual labor.  They installed smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, a fire extinguisher, a better venting bathroom fan and dryer ventilation, blow in insulation in the attic, energy efficient light bulbs, and two air pressure tests that involved taking all the pressure out and finding out where the air leaks are.  They patched and sealed several places.

Then they walked around checking and caulking anything that had cold air coming in.  They spent a full 8 hour day of work here, for free.  There were four on the team, plus an electrician that was sub contracted.  Somehow, this program is funded at the state level with a little trickle from the federal government as well.  Tomorrow someone else will install another Toyo monitor diesel stove down in the basement and another day someone else is putting in a brand new Blaze king woodstove including the pipe and surround. 

We don't usually accept state funded help from programs, even if we do qualify because of the principle of the matter.  We like to know that we are working hard and receiving benefit from that work.  In saying this, my intention is not to look down on others for their personal choices, it's just that I see such value in trusting in God first above all else.  I enjoy learning and leaning onto Him for strength and support.  It deepens our relationship quickly and surely.

It gives us a sense of healthy pride and determination to be creative, careful, and good stewards of the resources we do have.  This program came so highly recommended and is such a savings for the home owner.  It would actually help to keep us off of having to use other programs because the money saved in energy costs is so great.  It almost feels like more of a reward for saving, earning, and buying a home so that our living expenses are indeed less. 

Because we have so many children they bumped us up to the front of the waiting list.  What a blessing.  They were all so kind and helpful.  What a fulfilling job, coming home at the end of the day knowing that you're helping someone save a lot of money to heat their home. 

My husband came home from work to observe and learn lots of great tips.  My oldest son was also fascinated with the work they do and the why's and how's of everything. 

I had a most enjoyable day just being Mom and homeschooling the kids and cooking and hosting.  It was very pleasant and the little ones had a great time too.  I never got a chance to share the gospel openly, but know that according to Scripture, the testimony of loving behavior between believers and family members will speak volumes. 

We'll never know what part of someone's salvation we will be called on to be a part of.  Some till soil, some plant seeds, and some are going to get to help with the harvest.  Isn't it wonderful that we all get to be part of God's team, and that He is patient and slow, not wanting anyone to perish in these last days?