Trusses for Martin Lakota Chapel

Last week was exciting at Martin, SD, where a big truck load of trusses and other lumber was delivered to Lakota Chapel.

Jonathan was there to make sure everything was there as ordered, and it appeared that all was in order--which was unusual. It seems that so often something is broken or not the correct item or an item is missing!

The trucker brought his own machine to unload the trusses. 

Boards had been laid on the ground on which to lay the trusses.

The Poffs are the ones spearheading this project and trying to raise the money for it.  

Jonathan measured and marked the corners for the building, and the next step is to put in corner posts before putting up the metal building.

Here is Jonathan in the foreground. Poffs sent me some pictures.

I love the Poffs. The Lord is using them there in Martin. They have made friends with so many people and are serving so lovingly and faithfully despite their own physical issues. 

Pray that God will provide work teams to help put up the metal building and pour the concrete floor. 

Wedding Dress Shopping

  It was hard to believe last Thursday that my daughter was heading into the very same store to shop for wedding dress accessories where I had bought my own wedding dress fabric thirty years ago!

I had to take a picture of my daughter with three sisters and three cousins heading into the store.  

A dream come true.

A daughter getting married, a daughter with loving sisters and Christian cousins...

all enjoying helping Rose find heart buttons (well, they didn't find those after all, but decided to order them online), a white zipper,  

yards and yards of white fabric, and appliques--well, the applique will have to be ordered online, too. 

Rose invited me to go along just for the fun--I'm sure, because I wasn't much help.  

 But I sure had fun watching everyone looking for lace and trying different things.

Trying lace against the tulle.  

The girls and cousins were very patient with me being along and offering opinions that weren't always the greatest since Rose already pretty much knew what she wanted.

While the girls were in Hobby Lobby, Hannah and I hurried into Mardels, and I couldn't help noticing this shirt. 

Because that is just what this mother of the bride is doing right now as I wait for my daughter's upcoming wedding two months from now. 

Day after tomorrow I'm scheduled to fly to Arizona for more herceptin all over again--the first of four recommended by the clinic--after an all-day trip to Sioux Falls, SD, today, for a special blood test.

And in the middle of it all, I'm hanging onto the hem of His garment. 

Bridal Shower--Behind the Scenes

 You know me--I like to post behind-the-scene pictures as much as the scene, so here are a few pictures I got before Rose's bridal shower.

 

  Crystal sewed Rose a clothespin apron.

While Rose was away doing horses that afternoon, Crystal finished the apron. 

She had stitched these horseshoes onto the apron.

Crystal had this clothes basket with various laundry-related items in it, especially ingredients for homemade laundry soap.

While the girls' cousin Candace was in Colorado with Crystal for the week, she sewed on one bridesmaid skirt after another. Rose wanted denim skirts for all the six bridesmaids along with western blouses the girls already ordered. Everyone's blouse has arrived and I believe they all fit! Rose wanted the girls to have an outfit they could wear many times over rather than some gown that, after many hours of sewing, could only be worn once.

Rose is thrifty that way! 

One of those days, Crystal had a little time, and I begged her to play something for me, so she played a couple arrangements on the piano while I sang. What bliss!

I feel so blessed to have Rose's future mother-in-law as a personal friend! God is so good to me! She invited me to stay in their home since Carrie and Rose were going to have several cousins and sisters in their little cabin! Tommy's sister Shelby moved out of her bedroom for me and let me have it for three days and nights! Bless her heart, soul, and gizzard!

She had these pink tulips on the bathroom sink for me to enjoy!

Shelby is a jewel. 

I had to get a picture of the sheep where Rose and Tommy were working with their sawmill down at the lower end of Tommy's family's property. 

 What a happy time we had there last week!

Rosie's Bridal Shower-More than one Bride!

At Rose's bridal shower last week, there were more than one bride! But I digress.

First there was a huge surprise for Rose!

Sisters and cousins, here out in the parking lot before the shower, had something up their sleeve that included Sam, a trip to the airport, and a lot of coordination.

The surprise was sneaked inside and hidden inside this U-Haul wardrobe box Carrie had gotten from U-Haul that morning and then wrapped (Standing in the background with a huge red bow.)

 

The girls told Rose that because this gift had come special order, it was to be opened first, even before the bridal shower was technically begun.

So Rose began peeling off the wrapping, then slitting down the corner of the cardboard with her knife while I was holding my breath--hoping the knife wouldn't hit something it shouldn't!

After slitting the corner, Rose decided to take a peek inside, and when she did, you should have heard her scream!

It was the best scream in the whole world!

She absolutely had no idea what was in that box! See her mouth. I caught her scream on camera!

 The surprise was two cousins who flew in from Missouri that morning. The shorter one, Pearl, will be one of Rose's bridesmaids, and Natasha is the cousin sewing Rose's wedding gown.

 

 The surprise, long in the making, was a smashing success!

So were the cake and cupcakes. 

Rose's fiance's sister Shelby baked and decorated them, practicing for the wedding cake she is going to make for Rose's wedding. 

I got a picture of her the day before as she was tracing round shapes onto parchment paper with which to line the round cake pans.

Shelby made these chocolate stand-up hearts herself. 

Shelby also put together a childhood and youth slideshow of both Rose and Tommy, which they will probably also use at the wedding in June.

Jonathan's stepmother came and is sitting beside me. Tommy's mother is on the other side of Rose, with Crystal writing down gifts so Rose can send thank yous. Crystal was able to drive over to CO from Missouri during her spring break from school. 

Carrie was master of ceremonies, doing a quiz on matching Bible couples to each other and then trying to come up with what marriage advice each couple might give to Rose and Tommy! (I will paste in these advices at the bottom of the post.)

Carrie decided to do the Toilet Paper Bride contest. There were enough attendees to make four teams to decorate four "brides." Each team had ten minutes and four rolls of toilet paper! 

I loved the creativity, using the toilet paper for dresses, hair pieces, trains, bows, rose bouquets, and other! The bride I helped decorate used the toilet paper cardboard roll for the bouquet holder!

Others tied them onto the bottom of the dress. 

The head decorations were so cute! Rose picked her favorite, which I think happened to be Hannah's outfit with its puffy sleeves!

Then there was gift opening. This roaster with herbs and horse thank you cards inside was from my mother.

These handmade dishcloths (with heart shape knitted into them) and pot holder were from Hannah.  

There were few doubles. So many useful things for  Rose who is starting out with very little for her kitchen and home, since she's been living with Carrie in a little cabin and saving for a down payment on a home with Tommy.  One gift was a glass cutting board with a horse scene behind it. There were baking dishes, kitchen utensils, towels, pig salt and pepper shakers, a baby blanket! 

 

This group of ladies is fully supportive of young couples beginning a family and valuing life. 

One lady, a dear friend at church  who hails from the Netherlands, sewed this gorgeous quilt for Rose with her favorite colors! 

This basket came from Rose's aunt Anita--a basket full of "Pairs," in honor of this new pair, Rose and Tommy.  There were peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper shaker, rags and riches (bills of money wrapped inside rags) and I don't know what all. What a delight! 

I hope to write more about behind the scenes last week later. 

Here are the promised marriage advices some of the ladies came up with and turned in for Rose and Tommy!

 

Marriage advice from Adam and Eve--"Be fruitful and multiply."

     "Treat your spouse as if they are the only other person in the whole world."

 

Rebekah and Isaac-- "Don't be deceitful, and don't have favorite kids."

Aquila and Priscilla-- "Enjoy tent camping and living life for the Lord."

Moses and Zipporah-- "Obey what God says. Follow Him even when it seems like no one wants to."

Rahab and Salmon-- "Keep each other close with a scarlet cord."

Mary and Joseph--"Trust your significant other."

    "Don't be afraid of roughing it even when expecting a baby."

Hannah and Elkanah--"Please have only one wife! You'll be happier."

  "Wait on God's timing for your family, and when God blesses you with children, dedicate them to God."

Sarah and Abraham--"Always be faithful to the Lord."

    "Don't give up. God is faithful."

Amram and Jochebed--"Protect your children at all cost, and when it's time to send them out on their own (say, on a boat, like on a river maybe) do it with your blessing, and trust God to take care of them when you can't."

Esther and Xerxes-"Be honest and stand up for what's right. Trust that God has put you where you are!"

From Pallet to Door--Repurposing Useless Things

 Recently our son Danny asked Jonathan to bring him home some free pallets for a project.

 Since we are about out of money to finish our house, Danny is coming up with ways to do a rustic finish on the little doorways into the storage areas under the eaves where Hannah stores her books and games, and he stores his boy things.

 

He used special tools to tear the pallets apart and then sanded the lumber a bit.

Of course, the dog and even goats must be curious about how this boy is turning a now-useless pallet into something beautiful.

Here is what he turned those pallets into--a rustic door with hinges, and a rustic wainscoting! We are so proud of Danny's work. If you look up close, the top piece above the door is live edge with the prettiest knots. 

I never cease to get over how seemingly useless things--like pallets--can be repurposed into something beautiful and useful. 

Never think yourself too useless or unnecessary.

You are a work of art in the making!