The Last Summer Fling

September 29, 2013November 1, 2019 Anita Hochstetler3 Comments

We discovered a lovely huge park in Lancaster City the other day. Since Autumn keeps steadily creeping in, we wanted to go on a little family picnic. It was a perfect day to be out. We took a walk through a small wooded area, then relaxed at the picnic tables, and ate “Our First” –apple wood pulled pork sub– from Subway. I saw that commercial a few times too often in the hospital and just HAD to try one 🙂 It IS VERY GOOD!!!

Kierra was feeling so sunny and happy. I can’t get enough of her smiles and sparkling eyes!!!!! Even if she wiggles so much her oxygen is constantly going crooked or coming off and her cheeks get too sore to tape up all the time .I was afraid she would never feel this well again. Now LOOK AT HER!!! God is SO MERCIFULLY GOOD!

She LOVES when you nuzzle her cheek and give her kisses. She closes her eyes and snuggles into your neck and makes the most adorable sounds ever 🙂

Kobe was so happy to have lots of space to run and bubbles to blow and Daddy to play with.

He wasn’t in the mood to pose with Kierra but he DID want to push her 🙂 Their love reaches around the words and ‘impossibles’ in life…right down into their hearts. Isn’t that the kind of love we should all have for others!

Then I caught her in a wave. And my heart melted all over again 🙂

A special prayer request for our little Wild flower. Steve and Kobe both had a really ugly cold this week. We tried to keep Kierra away from the germs but there’s only so much you can do in a small house:) So would you mind saying a prayer that she would stay healthy? She would say “Thank you” if she could 🙂 And I WILL say “Thankyou!!”

Thoughts On Life

Tupperware Beyond My Dreams

September 26, 2013November 1, 2019 Anita Hochstetler2 Comments

Literally. I never in my lie dreamed I would have so much Tupperware or that my pantry be more organized the any other spot in my house. When Rachel posted that she was having a Tupperware book party for me, I was excited 🙂 I figured I would get a few nice pieces. Like maybe MAYBE ten things.

I have never been to Tupperware Party before although I knew they had wonderfully life time quality products. Maybe it had something to do with living in Montana where any money you make is spent on keeping food on the table, elk in the freezer, and the heater running in your car. Yeah… I know. That makes Montana sound a bit hickish when it’s actually one of the most wonderful beautiful places God created on this planet!

When Rachel told me to make a list of things I could use or wanted, I didn’t know where to start since I only had a few pieces and a canister set my sister got me for my last birthday. I decided to dream big and literally made a wish/need/would be nice to have / list. I had just found mice in our big huge old pantry. I’m guessing this was never intended for a pantry but more for a closet since there are no closets in our house. It dates back to the 1700s. Did they even have hangers back then?

So here is a before shot of my pantry. It suffered over the summer since it was rather neglected while we kept the hospital rooms from getting lonely.

i was totally amazed. There are no words to describe the feelings when Rachel brought in 4 BIG HUGE boxes of Tupperware! This was the result…..

I can actually walk to my cabinet, and pick up exactly what I need without emptying half of it to find the bag in the far rear and discover it’s been the mouses’s favorite new crush. Then, I got all these fun gadgets…like little containers and a salad spinner and just SO MANY WONDERFUL things!! I have knives that ACTUALLY CUT now!!!

I think the most beautiful thing of all is the love and generosity that overwhelms me whenever I use my things. I did NOTHING to receive all these wonderful pieces. The kindness of friends reaches out and overwhelms me and wraps me in a hug when I roll out dough on the pastry mat or decorate a cake or toss salad . All I can say is THANKYOU!!!!! I hope I can pass on the kindness and love poured out on our lives to others! God bless each of you….And God bless each of you that prays for us. I now how it is not to have the funds available to give ‘expensive’ things to people. Then I try to remember that the POWER of prayer is even stronger and better then any thing money can buy or express.

Now hopefully there won’t be anymore of these to throw out 🙂 and no more chewed open chocolate chip bags 🙂

One more thing 🙂 Don’t you LOVE the old, green pantry doors!!? Rachel had a brilliant idea.

Paint inside of doors with chalkboard paint.

Chalk up your grocery list as you run low on things.

Shoot a pic with your phone.

Go shopping 🙂 (and you won’t forget your list if you don’t forget your phone 🙂

DIY Projects

Burlap Placemats

September 23, 2013November 1, 2019 Anita Hochstetler5 Comments

Golden Miss Summer is slipping away and rustic Autumn is ushered in with pumpkins and sheaves of drying corn dotting the countryside.

It seems the perfect time to break out the burlap and do a little crafting for the local benefit auction to support the Clinic For Special Children. They have done so much for us and Kierra. It was the tiniest way I could show my appreciation.

I know..burlap has been around for ‘forever’ but I seriously hadn’t gotten into the wonders of it until I tried this. Now I’m hooked 🙂

This is the finished project. It’s one of the most fun simple projects I have ever done.

I made my place mats about 16×19 in. There’s the coolest little trick to getting a nice straight edge without having your eyes go batty.

Measure your desired size of burlap. make a small snip at all four corners. Then pick a strand of burlap and pull gently and firmly. The fabric will gather as you pull. As long as the opposite end of your string of burlap is free from the large piece of fabric, it should pull all the way out.

Now you will have this….A nice straight gap down the burlap to cut through.

Cut down the middle, and remove extra burlap threads to create a nice rustic fringe. If you remove the same amount on all sides you will keep your symmetrical shape.

I used fabric paint for the letters, but I’m guessing acrylic paint would work as well. I was planning to sell these, so I wanted something that would not wash or smudge off. I picked up a big bag of foam letters at a yardsale this summer and have been dying to try to make my own stamps with them. It worked great! Especially after I realized you have to create them all backwards so your wording comes out frontwards on your project 🙂

And before I forget I need to show you how my little guy was driving me happily crazy while I did this project (i’ll mark the low quality photography up to him too since I had to hurry. LOL!!!)

Thankfully his paints were very washable 🙂 He painted his high chair, his ear, and his hair. I let him to his own creations 🙂 until he informed me that he was “DONE paint” Love him so much 🙂

I zig zagged the edges of the burlap with my sewing machine since I planned to sell them and didn’t want them to fray uncontrollably for folks. I think it would be fine to leave them raw for myself 🙂

Then I pressed them with a dry hot iron with parchment paper covering the lettering and burlap. That helped set the lettering, and smoothed out the wrinkles.

Just for fun i made coffee mug coasters to go with them.

I get all excited just thinking of all the fun things to do with this cool stuff:)

*monogrammed burlap

*foody words

*Christmas joy lettering

*kids drawings turned into stamps or

* kids hand painting pictures or

*kids hand prints

*personalized place settings

*party memories (with sharpie markers)

talk bout wide open possibilities!

Happy Autumn to you!

And just to give you an idea of the vastness and wonderfulness of the auction…

There were 7 auctioneers going at one time in the afternoon. Everything was donated. Including minibarn sheds, rabbit hutches, 70 quilts, wall hangings, tons of crafts and household items, farm and outdoor items, flowers, lawn furniture, park benches, swingsets, and food beyond imagination 🙂 salad bar, bbq chicken, pizza, soft pretzels, icecream, chili fries, bbq sandwiches, pies galore, doughnuts, vegetable trays and dip, fresh fruit cups, smoothies, coffee drinks, root beer floats,whoopie pies, and I’m not sure what all else i missed. Oh yes! breakfast. Scrambled eggs and pancakes, sausage links, fried potatoes, omelets, and toast.

It was totally amazing and overwhelming at the support and vast amounts of money and people that came out to make this day happen. These auctions are what help keep the Clinic running. They sold a special wooden bowl for $27,000 with all proceeds going to starting a new clinic in Big Valley. Also, a model tractor that actually runs and is the one in America that they know of. It brought around $20,000, I think.

this was only part of the crowd 🙂

We are so thankful for the support that makes it possible for the kind, knowledgeable and compassionate care Kierra has received! I think the thing that really makes a difference is how Dr. Strauss and Dr. Mortan care about each individual patient as a real person! You can’t beat that:)

Mom Life

The Family I Want To Be

September 9, 2013November 1, 2019 Anita Hochstetler2 Comments

It’s a place to come home to. A love that engulfs. The familiar comfortable bindings from years of growing and learning and laughing and hard times. The forgiveness for mistakes and misunderstandings. It’s what makes family special and loved and irreplaceable. It’s what makes us homesick for Heaven and that destination that will actually and truly resonate with our inner most being and we will know we are actually, truly, forever HOME with our Father, and the family of saints.

We took a quick trip to West Virginia last weekend for my cousin’s wedding. I hadn’t seen most of my cousins in a very long time, so I was very excited. It made it even more wonderful to visit the old ‘stomping grounds’ of my girlhood best friend, and “partner in crime”. That old farm-house is literally saturated with memories. From totally embarrassing to hysterically funny to teenage heart breaks. I could write a whole series of books on our stupendous and epic moments. Maybe another day I will begin that project 🙂

Now we are supposedly ‘all grown up’ with husbands and little girls and boys with happy or sad faces 🙂

Our girls are actually close in age, and just like us, they can wear each others dresses and hair bows.

Carly wore Kierra’s dress and we watched her quietly as she scooted all over the house on a trike, munching an apple.

Isn’t she just beautiful! My heart was all mixed up watching her. Thinking of how Kierra would look doing the same things she did. It was special. sweet. inspiring. and heartbreaking all together.

Two adorable little girls. Two totally different paths in life. Two mommys that love them fiercely and tenderly and wholly. Isn’t life just incredible?

Aunt Betty held Kierra for a long while. They got along very well 🙂

Everyone needs an Aunt Betty. She’s got a kind, thoughtful lovely heart that reaches out and makes you feel comfortable in your own skin…whatever type of ‘skin’ that is in life at the moment 🙂

The wedding day was lovely and the happy couple literally beaming with love and hopes and dreams.

The day after the wedding, we slept as late as our children did 🙂 then we ate steaming delicately crisp waffles smothered in favorite toppings, mine being peanut butter and syrup. (See, I still have part of that little girl in me somewhere 🙂

It was so refreshing to see happy faces and brave smiles and family warmth. To feel that we are loved and cared for. No matter what comes our way in life. That’s how family is meant to be. That’s the kind of family I want to raise. The kind of person I want to be.

Love your family today. They really do need it. And so do you!