Restless Heart

So many people in my life are struggling and going through trials they never thought they would ever have to face. Breast Cancer, brain aneurysms, divorce, rotten relationships, pain-physical and emotional, stress, financial stress, confusion and sadness. I am reminded this evening of the scripture in Exodus 14:14

"The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still."

There are so many things that I wish I could fix, make right, heal, etc and the Lord is telling me that my heart being bowed down, in total surrender to Him in the place of these hurting parents, confused children, sick family members, stressed out friends, etc is right where He wants me. I am best used on my knees, pleading for them. Sometimes it feels like there is nothing we can do for people, BUT pray. Really? BUT pray? I truly pray that my heart turns from thinking the only thing I can do is pray and it change to the first and best thing I can do is pray.

So Lord, we ask for your healing hand, by the power of Jesus Christ's blood that was shed, be over these hurting ones. I pray for William tonight...I pray that in your name, the 2 aneurysms disappear. I ask that in your name and by the power of your blood, they are gone, no traces of them or symptoms of them being there. We ask that of you in total faith, trusting that you know best. We know you are using this for good, you are covering Roland, Jenny and all 4 boys with your peace, your grace and your strength. We thank you, praise you and honor you for being constant, sustaining and powerful. I thank you for loving them and pouring over them, your Spirit. We plead with you for health and wholeness for William.

God I praise you for Nick's Mamaw and her successful surgery today, to remove breast cancer spot. Lord we praise you for your covering and ask for complete recovery and healing. She is a pillar for you in her family and we thank you that she is so faithful to you and to the ministry of her family. Thank you for your testimony of love.

Father I lift up the families hurting by drought, fires, and the destruction it has caused. You can and will rebuild. Give your children hope and peace as you guide them through the the process of trusting you and rebuilding their lives, both here in Texas as far away as Africa. Lord, rescue and save the weary.

I ask for true leaders to stand up and lead our country and our state. I am burdened in many ways that there is such a loss of truth, pride and faith in all facets of government now. Lord make yourself known, but help us that know you and love you to stand up for you more and more.

I trust you with all the things on my heart and mind this evening and know that you ARE in CONTROL. Daddy always says, God IS and all is WELL. So, I trust you Lord, I lay them all in your hands and rest in you. In your name, by your blood and for your glory,

amen.

Bran Bread and Snuggles

Tuesday is a good day at the Weisgerber house. Ava and I are home all day and we get caught up on snuggling, naps, staying in our jammies, watching food network (not much longer, details later), a few chores here and there and then an evening at home with our hubby/daddy. We like Tuesdays a lot! Today we are making 7 Grain bread, zucchini bread, doing laundry, snuggling, napping and enjoying the clouds.

My sweet Mimi taught me to cook. I remember always being in the kitchen with her and helping her make dough, learning to knead dough, making meatloaf with our hands, frying chicken in a cast iron skillet, oh and cornbread from scratch, mickey mouse pancakes and that half a grapefruit she always had for breakfast on the weekends we would spend the night. She knew how to cut out the fruit pieces perfectly. I want to introduce Ava to all those fun things and joys of the kitchen that I am remembering and falling in love with all over again. Now that I am home with Ava, I have found this new love for home making that I have never really had before or maybe I've just suppressed it for a long time. Either way, I am loving the desire to get back into the kitchen and pull out the old recipe books. Instead of a pancake mix, why not make a pancake batter? Instead of buying pre-made dinners and heating them up, why not make a meatloaf from scratch? Instead of throwing out old bananas or zucchini, make bread! I guess my point is that lately I have needed to be frugal and creative, yet we are enjoying the tastes and flavors of farmer's market produce, fresh breads, home cooked meals and I love making my kitchen feel like my mimi's. used. :)

My Mimi gave me her cookbooks when the downsized living spaces and I love them so much. Simple recipes, from a simple time in history. She has two boxes of recipes that are mine when she is done with them. Someday, hopefully not soon, Lord willing, they will find their new home in my kitchen, but I think they'll feel right at home. Out of mimi's daughters, and 4 grandchildren, (yes 2 are boys), I got that cooking gene and I'm forever thankful!

So, today is baking day. Ava sleeps in her little lamb chair right by the kitchen door, I bake, work on laundry, listen to pandora and enjoy the easy going day...soaking up this time and savoring it for all it's worth. Ava doesn't realize it, but someday she'll get to help mommy cook like her mommy helped Great Mimi a long time ago. Is this what is was like for Mary to "ponder these things in her heart"? Perhaps... either way, this is what it means, in our life, to really live. The hustle and bustle happens regularly, hard to get away from it, but most of the time, we strive to live simply, richly and thankfully. I pray Ava grows up knowing that "the stuff" of the world is just that, "stuff" and that this home has been built upon generations of the same people, living simply, richly and thankfully...with Lots and Lots of love!

In Him,

Shaina

I'll leave you with a recent picture as well:

Ava Renee'

Here are some recent pictures of our sweet Ava for your viewing pleasure!

new project...

I will post pictures when I'm done with it. :) so exciting! A freebie picnic table for our backyard!! Can't wait to put it to use...maybe when we have some cooler days/evenings.

shaina

whew!

So it has been a few weeks since I have posted and lots has happened in that time. Ava had a urinary tract infection and high fever and was admitted to the hospital for 3 days. She is doing better, but will have to have a procedure done on her bladder in order for her "reflux" or urine backing up into her kidneys to stop. It is a common procedure and is not invasive. No cutting or anything. I am not sure when it will be scheduled but I'm sure dr.medford's office will call us today or monday to figure that out.

Nick got a large raise at work and we are so very very thankful because he no longer has to work at united on the weekends and in the evenings. PRAISE GOD! we are so thankful.

I am craving fall. All things fall. I posted about it last time. I am so ready for cool mornings, cool evenings, crock pot wonders, baking, crafts, pumpkins, decorating the house (13 days til decorating day) haha! yay!! I am going to be crafting and making gifts this year for christmas! I am trying to stay on a one income budget gift plan this year and seeing that I have an art degree, I'm sure I can think of something. If I didn't have a degree I'm sure I could still muster something up. haha I'm excited though, to get things going and when the evenings cool down I'd love to go out to the garage studio and get working while nick watches our sweet Ava inside. (they like to watch old spiderman cartoons) hehe

I've also decided that pintrest is one amazing website and a treasure trove of inspiration and ideas!! I love it and I feel so inspired every time I get on and see all the pins other people pin and then finding pins as well. I am excited to try some things out this fall!

It is entirely too hot to do anything else this summer. I just keep the curtains and blinds closed most all the time now, to keep the cool air in the house and I am even keeping the lights off half the time too. depressing. I'm ready for natural light, breeze and taking Ava to the park in the mornings for walks! (and evenings to daddy can go too).

Overall, loving life, loving my Ava, getting inspired to be creative, and all around happy, blessed and just down right spoiled. :)

love you all,

shaina

This Fall...

Can it come soon enough?! NO I don't think it can come soon enough. I am so so tired of this heat! With that being said, not only am I ready for cooler weather, but I am ready for all that is going on this fall! Here is my list of fall things that I am excited about!

Anything below 100 for the high

soups, stews, anything crock pot cooking can make

baking

layers

football

thanksgiving

trip to the mountains

fires in the fireplace

art lessons (The gallery is starting to offer art lessons for kids) yay!!

painting in my garage studio

pumpkins

family

friends

blankets

snuggling without sweating...hahahahha

Here are some of our family pictures Lauren Paris took! She is amazing! We love her for many reasons, this is just a perk!

So many amazing pictures! So little frames! :)

A small sidenote:

The G@llery- Fine Art & Design is going to be offering ART lessons for kids this fall! We will introduce young adult/adult lessons after we see how the kid lessons turn out! We are excited to offer this and will be getting details out soon!

Aunt Staci comes home today! We are all excited and since it is mom's first day back at work, Nick's work has been crazy today and Dad is soo wishing he was retired today, we are all in need of some EXCITEMENT! :) yay sissy!

love...

shaina

craftiness...

So my mother has been an amazing helper the last few weeks. She has been off of work for the summer and I am so thankful she has been able to come and help me get my house in order now that I am a stay at home mommy. :)

We decided to do some decorative stuff to the walls, windows, put the mantle up, mom made decorative pillows, we organized closets, the kitchen, hung up things around the house, etc. etc.

Here is one of my favorite things we have done.

The empty frames that are hung diagonally will have family pictures in them soon. :)

Here is part of the process...starting with a blank wall. the blankness has been there since the day we moved in...finally corrected! :)

mom stenciling the background....

finished stencil background...

i took a cheap frame and painted it like the w's I painted. easy!

Overall the project cost around 30 dollars. I did not get any close up pictures of the "bookshelf". There are some easy DYI tutorials online for making them though!

Thanks to mom for her help and craftiness! and pintrest for so much inspiration!

enjoy!

shaina