The Pineapple Afghan Hand Delivered to Papua New Guinea or Our Visit to Family on the Mission Field

Okay, the afghan is only a small part of our trip but I really needed an interesting title. 

 I ended up finishing the afghan while I was with our daughter and her family. The kids were very interested in how I was making it so they will definitely think of Nana when they cuddle under it. SMART! plus I just didn't get it finished in time:)  What I was working on instead of the afghan will be a post for another time.

We were on the island for 10 days and were privileged to be present for the new church's first baptism.

Brandon, our son-in-law and Wayne 

The new believers:)

Rachel amazes me with all the meal making. Homemade Cheesy Italian Bread for the next day

and  pizza dough in the background for Pizza Night:)

I was on dish duty (taking over for my granddaughter) and my goodness were there

always a lot of dirty dishes!

 Oriental noodles, homemade spring rolls and yellow watermelon.

Ladies Bible Study

Rachel and Gail helping the ladies with their study.

Sunday morning at church

This is the little boat that was used to get us to the island.  John and I sat in the back third of the boat with 4 other people and gas tanks, our luggage and supplies were in the middle and the front was empty to keep waves from flowing in. 

 The water was pretty rough and turned a four hour trip into an eight hour thoroughly wet

experience.  Completely worth every moment to get to see our Rachie and family.

Big boat-Much nicer experience on the way back, smoother, nothing got wet and there

were seats to sit on:)

Loving this!

A special moment. These two were singing to me on the boat.

Family Pictures the day before we left -

at New Tribes' base camp in Wewak

Our move is finally getting close, in fact next time I post, it should be from our new home

in Georgia. I am so excited!!

Running Away Together

A few weeks ago on a Sunday after church John and I took a drive that lasted until

Monday night. We had the most wonderful time driving the back roads of New Hampshire, Vermont including a ferry across Lake Champlain into New York. What a beautiful experience. The whole trip was so incredible and we both hope that we will run away together that way again very soon:)

This was hanging in the restaurant where we had breakfast and I loved that right in the middle

it said 'Run away together'.

We did make a few stops along the way, sampled and bought some Vermont cheese and Maple Syrup

and did a little antiquing where I found these absolutely beautiful grannys.  They are just lap sized afghans but they were so inexpensive that I couldn't have bought the yarn for their price. 

I really admire the work that went into each one - they will be treasured and have a special place

in our new home.

                       

Crochet

Well, here I am still waiting for our Atlanta house. I did go visit our oldest daughter and family for two weeks. It was nice to be with them and to help my pregnant daughter with the kids, dinners and a little bit of housework. But since I got home I have been crocheting and browsing Pinterest for fun crochet ideas. I've also been learning a little amigurumi:)

I finished the ripple blanket for my new granddaughter due to arrive in September.  Then I thought our precious little one should have a tiara for her pictures and a matching bunny rattle.

I used the pattern from here. A big thank you to Greedy for Color for the

Flora Rabbit pattern. I added a bell inside,  the lacy edging and a flower at the 

bunny's neck.

The tiara pattern is from here. 

I am sure I will do better on my second one.

I have been wanting to crochet an edging on a flannel blanket for a while. Since my sewing machine is in storage I wasn't able to sew a hem first. However my mother in law made some for my babies years ago without hemming the blanket first so I am giving it a try, too.  I first washed the material, trimmed the edges and then poked each stitch using the sharpest crochet hook I had (1.4 mm) and tried to keep my single crochets close together. I switched colors for my second row of sc's. 

The finished size is about 40x35.

I cut around a bowl to get the rounded corners. 

I love flannel and there were so many cute patterns that I could not make up my mind so I have two more blankets to make but I will wait a little while-all that poking is hard on my arm. 

I thought I would try making a cowl for Martha's (our #4 daughter) birthday.

After all the small fussy stitching this was a joy working with thick yarn and hook and

 making such a simple fast project.

Remember this-my pineapple afghan for daughter Rachel (#2 daughter). I need to have

this finished before our trip to see them in PNG in September. I am about halfway done

but for some reason I keep falling asleep when I work on it.

I have been collecting on my Pinterest Crochet Loves Board quite a few fun patterns that

are mainly free and not too difficult. Check it out here:)

I'll be back soon with the finished cowl, a couple of little monster amigurumi's, and a little bear that I am working on.

Catching Up

upheaval...

Our lives have been in a bit of upheaval for awhile as we work on this move. Our short sale in Atlanta has had its first postponement from July 31st to Aug. 15th. Most of our furniture has been in storage since February and now we are in the process of repairing and cleaning our NH house.

Our little beach house.

loss...

In the last 18 months we have had our two youngest and adopted children walk away from our family.

Adoption Day 1998

Family Vacation 2011

I have no wisdom or understanding, I just cling in faith to God's Wisdom.

"...hard pressed, but not crushed: perplexed, but not in despair: persecuted, but not abandoned:
struck down, but not destroyed."   2Corinthians 4:8-9
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that
far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2Corinthians 4:17-18

waiting...

I have stopped needle felting for now and closed my Etsy shop. Maybe I was putting too much of my

focus into it but I am still keeping my hands busy. 

Crocheted Rocks-I have never done this before but for some reason it was
therapeutic, maybe because there was no pattern and I am always a little
surprised that it works. I've made nine so far-not sure what I'm going to do with
nine crocheted rocks:)

A baby blanket-our oldest daughter Sarah is expecting
her #4, a baby girl in September. I chose the ripple
pattern since chevrons are so popular right now.
I must not ever forget that single crochets with a small
hook can make for a slow and tedious project however I can
now count to eleven up and eleven down while doing lots
of other things.

travel...

Michigan

It has been good for me to get away-away from my disrupted home and empty nest.

I have made several trips since May. The first one I had been planning for awhile. A trip down

Memory Lane with my Mother, back to Michigan, to her birth place. We stayed with one of my

Grandmother's cousins and visited with several other cousins and got to see my

 great, great grandfather's Birch Run Farm.

My Mother, Cousin Louise and me.

Chicken dinner at Frankenmuth with the cousins:)
I wish we could have done this with my Grandmother.

My Mother and Louise at the Farm.
It is in a sad state of disrepair.

Birch Run Farm mid 1940's

My great grandmother is in the striped dress standing behind her father
at Birch Run Farm around 1893. There were eventually nine children.

I love this picture of my grandmother's 96 year old cousin telling family stories.
The binder in his lap is full of family history and pictures.
Notice, too his Bible on the table by his chair.
What an inspiration to me.

 In a way, it was good to spend time learning the stories about my family's past. 

We each have a story and we each leave a legacy.

Jamaica

I took a chance and flew standby to spend two nights and a day in Montego Bay with John on one

of his layovers.  A lot of stress to get there but once there it was incredibly relaxing.

Me-relaxing on a wonderfuly comfortable lounge chair on the beach
in Montego Bay.

Real Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Pork.

Sweet potato, rice and beans and chicken with a frosty Coke.

The view from our balcony.
Time seemed to stand still for us that day:)

Wilmington, NC

A week in Wilmington with our daughter Liz and her husband Steve and the added bonus of a

visit with our forever friends the McGreers.

Bakersfield, Ca.

From NC we headed to California to visit my Mom and go to a wedding.

The youngest daughter of John's friend from childhood was getting married.

Sweet table settings.  Outdoor wedding reception.
Catered dinner from Coconut Joes.

We also got to take our daughters Martha and Hannah to LAX as they started their

trip to visit Rachel and Brandon in Papua New Guinea.

Hannah and Martha at LAX
No, all those suitcases are not because they are clothesaholics:)
The four big ones are full of supplies for Rachel and Brandon.

Martha, Rachel and Hannah
Three beautiful daughters on an island off the coast of PNG.
I posted about our PNG family here.

bittersweet...

So as I look to the future, I see so many wonderful events to look forward to, a new

home closer to daughters and grandchildren, a trip to PNG in September, once again 

needle felting and reopening my Etsy shop, a new granddaughter, more time to spend 

with John and yet sadness as I leave our two lost sheep here in NH and I think of 

all the experiences and time I will not be able to have with them. They have always

been in God's care and I will trust them to Him...again and again.

The NH Sheep and Wool Festival

I have had a bad case of blogger's block but I think I am recovering and can finally

share my trip to the NH Sheep and Wool Festival.

We arrived just as they started a Sheep Dog Demonstration, which was something I really wanted to see and I know so little about.  Here are a few sheep facts:   Sheep are pretty helpless. Their only real defense is being in a group and having a shepherd. If they fall over they need someone to pick them back up. If they do not get their wool shorn then it will eventually kill them by making them immobile. They need to be led to water and to food. 

Hmmm...and so God tells me that I am one of His sheep. Yup!! That sounds like me.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down
in green pastures,  He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
Psalm 23

The Shepherd trains and commands his dogs, they make an amazing team.

         

All we like sheep have gone astray...Isaiah 53:6

The Lord says "I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a

shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after

my sheep".  Ezekiel 34:11&12

Fascinating to watch those dogs move the sheep just by looking at them (intensely look at them). As soon as the dog gets a certain distance to the sheep, the sheep move. I'd always heard about sheep being followers but these girls did not want to be separated from each other at all. In fact they would lean into each other as they ran around in a group.

Jesus said... "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life
for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me..."
John 10:11, 14.

And so this once lost sheep is very grateful for my Good Shepherd!

                                                     

************

And now on to all this wonderful WOOLY goodness.

  

Beautiful Colors:)

I had to touch (almost) everything!

Lots of wooly crafts-I don't have a picture but I was really

interested in rug hooking and so got a few tips and maybe 

someday I will try it.

There were all kinds of spinning wheels and happy spinners. 

Sending to you lots of wooly blessings:)