Now the wait.

Well yesterday was the big day for me, I had my biopsy done, and it went very very well, I didn't even feel the needle going in to numb my breast, and that was all the prayer that I had behind me, I literally felt God in that room with me yesterday holding my right hand as He promised that He would. ‎"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear: I will help you." Isiah 41:13 this was my verse I took with me yesterday, and the really other cool thing was my nurse (who is with you from the beginning and walks you out at the end) was a born again christian how cool was that?  All a God thing, I serve such an awesome God!  So today I am just taking it easy kinda restricted to what I can do so going to knit, read, watch some tv, maybe a nap is on my list today... 
I will get the results on tuesday as to what they have found the calcification is from, apparently they can tell what actually causes it, be it pre-cancerous cells, or calcium etc. so now we wait, and I am literally waiting on the Lord for the answer, I am ok with whatever it may be as I know nothing happens to me that isn't ok'd by Him. 
I started a new baby blanket yesterday, couple of people I know having babies in the next few months, I like to have spares on hand but hey the baby boom has been happening lately at least with people I know, so I'm fresh out.
Gonna be another warm day here in michigan but thats ok it's summertime right? Come January we are gonna miss this weather.
We have vacation Bible school at our church this coming week, we have it an night time so I have volunteered to help out with that, I'm not normally a "kid" person so to speak, but felt God asking me to volunteer so I'm sure I'll be blessed because I am obeying :)  I go to an awesome church, it's not a big church, been there done that, I love the accountability of a smaller church and the community that we have, the Bible tells us how important it is to be 
in a community of believers and be held accountable by them.
Well I will let you all know how the biopsy results come back. Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to go to church tomorrow.
Blog at ya soon
Val

Going on the end of July ALREADY!

Wow, can you believe how fast this summer is just flying by? I can't believe it's been almost 3 weeks since I blogged, just been busy I guess lots going on, I actually have 7 quarts of green beans in the canner as I type, did 14 yesterday and another 14 today, and why is it they come into season at the very hottest time of the year, but I must say using a canner (which I just got last year) cuts down on a LOT of the heat., you don't have to water bath for 3 hours and steam up your kitchen, at least with the canner it's a lot quicker. I was so deathly afraid of pressure cookers until last year I was reading online really how not wise it is to process it in the water bath, so I thought I would be brave and try the pressure cooker, I love it, wish I would have done it years ago, but I guess you need to be older and wiser to understand these things..  lol  
Just finished a baby sweater and now only have two afghans to go, haven't even started on them but I still have a little time for those, I like to have backups of stuff like that, but too many people I know having babies I guess.
Our garden is going very well, Steve said he saw some tomatoes beginning to ripen, really ?  already?  but it has been really hot here and I know that everything kicks in with heat.
Well the chickens are doing good, after our loss :(  just waiting for them to start laying.... should be anytime now, and I am really hoping that at least one of them goes broody for me (motherly) if that happens I am going to leave the eggs, I can continue to buy eggs from the family down the road, but it will be nice to have my own. 
I have made two batches of soap, feeling much better and much less intimated by it :)  just needed to get a couple under my belt I guess. Looking forward to doing a few more but needed to get the green beans done this weekend. 
Went for my annual mammogram a couple weeks ago, had to go back and have a diagnostic mammogram done this past friday,  as they found some calcification in my left breast, and now I have to have a stereotactic needle core biopsy done hopefully this week, waiting on the dr. office to call me tomorrow, I just found out friday afternoon at 3:30, a little nervous just the not knowing, I have read and heard from so many women that this is very common, but just the not knowing for sure, this could be a life changing thing ya know? I am at peace though, I know that nothing can happen to me unless it goes through God's hands first, and if I can be a witness or testimony to even one person I will, puts a whole new meaning to  James 1: 2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
So I do consider it pure joy, least I can do for a God that sent His one and only Son to die on a cross for me for my sins. I serve an awesome God!! 

my unicorn finally finished.

first batch of soap curing. 

6 of the 24 quarts of green beans 

baby sweater done.

on my way to work, but it never captures the true beauty.

Well I hope it's not so long before I blog again, sorry about that nothing more frustrating than following someones blog and they haven't updated it in weeks, makes you want to not follow it anymore. 

July 4th

Well it's over! The 4th of July that is, seems like once it's the 4th of July bam you turn around and it's labor day. We just hung out at home for the weekend our youngest dog is deathly afraid of fireworks so rather than go to the lake and listen to fireworks the whole time and have a freaked out dog.... we just stay home and ya know that's kinda nice too. 
We are recovering from our chicken loss, we have decided to just let nature take it's course and since God left us with 3 hens and 1 rooster we are just going to see what happens. Bringing in more chickens is not as easy as you would think you can't just go and put more chickens in the coop, there is that whole pecking order thing and I guess I just couldn't bear to watch chickens be mean to each other.
I did start my unicorn and will be posting pictures when it's done, also got the order for more dolls from my grand daughters, thought I would make a twin for Kamilah's best little friend Eleanor too.

Sarah's yummy desert. Looks good enough to eat!

Just hanging out.

Steve the hubby!

Kamilah

Kamilah actually swam the length of the pool w/o help.

Jazz

snack in the shade time

small garden

our mysterious guest....  hehehe

just looking out back.

Well I have laundry calling me to be hung on the line, but thought I would share some pic's from the weekend. Hope you all had a wonderful 4th!

It's been a devastating week!

Well where to begin, we have had a very devastating week, started on tuesday night when the door of the chicken coop was not latched.  I was gone to Bible study and Steve fell asleep on the couch and our dog Mr. Mac was outside, we lost 12 chickens and I can't hardly believe how devastated we have been over it. I hate to even think of it, all the time, money and hard work raising them from day one of their lives they each had their own little personalities,  we have 3 hens and 1 rooster left.  The amazing thing is that we have (1) each of the three breeds we had, and we weren't supposed to have any roosters, but ended up with three of them, at least we have one left.  Funny how I can see God's hand in all of this, I don't know why it had to happen but I do know there is a reason for it. We certainly can't blame Mr. Mac he was only doing what comes naturally to him, he is our little hunter.

We are going to get 5 more hens this weekend that are a year old so hopefully this all goes well. It's really amazing how attached you can get to chickens but I guess since we picked them up when they were a day old, and took care of them how could you not grow attached to them right?  The rooster who I have named "Buff"  seems to be getting better, he was limping and moving very very slowly, his feathers are a bit disheveled but he seems to be getting better, moving around better, so hopefully he will recover completely.  We are hoping to allow the hens to sit on their eggs and have chicks we shall see I have heard that is a very amazing thing to watch and be a part of I think it will be really cool for the grand daughters to be a part of too!

So the fourth of July this weekend, got big plans?  We will be staying home as Mr. Mac is deathly afraid of fireworks so no cottage for us, but my daughter Sarah is having some friends over for a pool party on sunday, and then Sarah and her family will be spending the night on sunday night, staying in our trailer it's always nice to have them do that.   Supposed to be nice and hot too!

So the Big Ticket Festival was incredible!! I can't wait to go next year already, got to see  TobyMac live wow does he put on a show or what, saw quite a few young people give their lives to Christ, it was just awesome, also got to see www.lifewithoutlimbs.org  Nick Vujicic an incredible testimony WOW is all I can say, I had read his book a few months ago, if you would like to read an encouraging book this is it!  He was born without arms or legs and there is really no medical reason for it. I can't wait for next year we will be camping for the whole time and not leaving on saturday afternoon, it just didn't work out right this year but had just an incredible time and spend time with a very very dear friend, we did a whole lot of laughing! 
Finished another doll, sold two of them to my friend I went camping with, I started a unicorn last night from http://www.etsy.com/listing/76680682/rainbow-the-pegasus-unicorn-with-wings  Kamilah loves unicorns, hopefully it turns out as cute as the picture :)  I really do enjoy making the dolls though fun to make them all different. 
Well thought I would update and can finally talk and think about what a week it's been, but only can get better from here right?  
How about you big plans for the 4th, and ever lost a bunch of chickens? 
Have a great great weekend!
Blog at ya soon!

Doll number 3, isn't she cute?

close up of her.

trailer closeness before they added the next row behind us

Big ticket festival.

us underneath our umbrella's 

more Big Ticket 

Nick Vujicic up on the table he speaks from.

our crazy cat in his basket.

Val

Rainy days

Well it's raining outside and any ambition I had earlier in the day has been soaked.  I feel like doing nothing! so I thought I would catch up on my blog. Things have been busy around here, the garden is in (needs to be weeded already), still have pumpkins, and sunflowers to plant but its been such a wet spring, we had to wait til Steve could get the tractor into the dirt and it's been stuck twice, but the last week or so it's been drying out, we actually needed the rain today, didn't think I would hear myself saying that anytime soon after all we have had.
The chickens are growing up nicely, they seem to be a decent bunch of ladies, Steve swears he has heard a rooster oh well if we happen to have one apparently not to aggressive so that would be ok too.  We are going expand their pen area in the next few weeks, I feel as though they need more place to roam and eat, I would love to let them free range, but I don't trust our Mr. Mac I am afraid he would kill them, he's a hunter!  So stay tuned for that I guess.
I finally finished my purse, I like it it's cute, but if I were to make another one I would have the opening bigger for sure it's ok for a summer purse.  The lotion business is crazy, I don't seem to be able to stay ahead of orders but praising God for it all :) the money has helped out a lot! I like to make it as I get orders for it so it's always fresh when I sell it.  I have to have to have to get started making my soaps, I just can't seem to decide where I am going to cure it, not sure I have the best conditions so I might just wing it and see what happens.
Last saturday we went to an open house in Adrian, 3hr ride down and back 6 hours in the car makes for a long day for sure, but we actually got pictures of all the brothers and sister for a change that doesn't happen often I think last time they were all together was at least 5 years ago. 
Getting excited about next week, going camping with a friend of mine for 3 days, and we are camping at a christian music festival, it's called The Big Ticket Festival and they are going to have 110 bands, very excited, this is my first year going very, very excited.  3 days of praising and worshiping my Heavenly Father!
Just got another lotion order  YAY!!  It's really going well, I have to get myself some business cards or so I have been told, so I think I might work on that tonight too. The weather is supposed to be nicer tomorrow and through the weekend so I'll do my inside and computer stuff tonight and then I can be outside when its nice, I have to get the trailer ready too, probably have a few hours worth of work out there but I have another week so it will happen!

Steve's family, he is the tall one in the back

I am on the right of Steve's mom, sis-n-law to the left

my purse, I have since corrected the handles

made the girls a blanket tent on the clothesline.

they really had a good time in it.

Jazzy at the pool.

Jazzy and Kamilah after swimming. my two fish!