Please Pray!

Tracy and Dennis Siler have been such an encouragement to us on our adoption journey. Tracy and Dennis have 2 boys, and just welcomed home beautiful Ellie Grace from Ethiopia this summer. On Monday, Dennis totally unexpectedly passed away. Please pray for Tracy and the kids.....you can see more of this beautiful family and leave Tracy some encouragement HERE.

7 Years Ago Today......

I became a Momma.

God, in His great mercy, entrusted us with a precious little life.

Sweet Evangeline has lived up to her name thus far....

"one who brings good news."

Her tender heart is a joy and delight to watch unfold.

With each passing year I am reminded what a gift....a treasured gift she is.

I also become more aware, more in awe of the great responsibility and privilege the gift of Motherhood is. Oh, that He has chosen to put little lives in our hands......loaned these little souls to us for a time,

to teach, to correct, to instruct and to train in righteousness.

Little Evangeline Betsy, I am so proud of you, and so grateful to be your Moma.

My prayer for you is this: That you would know Him, that you would trust Him...that you would know His grace, forgiveness and redeeming love in your life. Oh, that you would act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with your God. Little one, I prayerfully await the day when we journey this life as sisters in Christ, and it is my single and foremost desire,

that I spend all of eternity with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVANGELINE! WE LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

A year ago, we purchased our first dishwasher.

I L.O.V.E. it.

I do not, however, like shelling out for dishwasher detergent. With sales and a coupon, liquid soap to hand wash dishes is easy to find for free....but not so with the dishwasher stuff! After many sleepless hours swagbucks-ing the internet....I finally found a homemade recipe that works. The ingredients cost just under $12 total. This should make enough to last us for several months.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent:

~1Cup Borax

~1 Cup Baking Soda (or washing soda....find in the laundry detergent isle. Some ladies find the Washing soda works better....Baking soda has worked great for us!)

~1/2 Cup Kosher Salt

~1/2 Cup Citric Acid

(I use "Fresh Fruit" produce protector...which is basically citric acid. You can find it in the canning isle...or use 15 packets of unsweetened Lemon flavored Kool Aid...which has lots of citric acid! Guess that is why most detergents are lemon scented, the citric acid keeps the dishes from building up a cloudy residue)

*Put all ingredients into a container with a tight fitting lid, and shake up!

*Use about 1 TB per load

*****DON'T SKIP THIS STEP- Pour some white vinegar into the "rinse aid" compartment of your dishwasher. This will help to keep your dishes...especially plastic...from having a "cloudy" look!

Wa-Lah! Your own Detergent!

We have been using this for some time now, and love it!

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If you do a bit of research on homemade detergent, you will find lots of "controversy" as to how well it works. Apparently, much of this has to do with what type of water you have. Also, it is debated as to whether or not borax is "good" for the dishwasher, as it can build up in your plumbing. Dig a little deeper, and you will find that all commercial dishwashing detergents have a borax-like ingredient....they just also have a chemical to keep the plumbing clear. It is a good idea to every month or so use a regular detergent for just one cycle to clean out the buildup.

Enjoy!

Win A Flitterbug!

Would you like to win a Long Sleeved Flitterbug Dress?!?!?!

Once we reach 500 Flitterbug Followers on Facebook.......we will have the next giveaway. There are 384 fans so far.

Head on over to Flitterbugs on Facebook and invite your friends to follow!

I occasionally post sales and giveaways on FB that I do not post here.....so pop on over to join!

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Thank you for being a part of our adoption journey.....we are so eager to meet the baby and birthmother the Lord has for us...and can't wait to one day share pictures of our peanut in our arms. "To everything there is a season".....we are in the season of striving to wait patiently and confidently....knowing one day the phone will ring and that season will change to one of great joy!

One day......cool will come:)

The pumpkin candle is burning, and the fall wreath is on the door....but our afternoons are still sprinkler filled. The Johnston family is eager for the cool to come.

And hoping it will bring the stork with it:)

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How about a Long Sleeve Flitterbug for when autumn does arrive?!?!?!?!

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

Elastic sleeves with a little ruffle.....
A contrasting band on the hem........ choose two of your favorite fabrics here!

The Long Sleeve Flitterbug
Sizes 1 to 6....... $38
Sizes 7 and 8......$42

Just email me with your fabric choices..... I'll make your peanut's dress....and send you some wishful thinking on that cool weather!

Yummy for the Fall

I just posted several new fabrics......all yummy for the fall.

Perfect for both little girl's clothes and aprons for the ladies......

Pop on over to the fabrics page.....dream up something fun!

Stash of Flitterbugs.....anyone?

Little Evangeline is about to turn 7.....but she's a tiny one! She is finally outgrowing her size 5's.

I have her stash of size 5 Flitterbugs....wondering if any of you would like them.

Included are 11 Flitterbug items total.

I am just asking $75 for the whole stash.....shipping is included in that price!

First come first serve......just email me or leave a comment if you would like to buy them....I will mail them out immediately!

SOLD....THANK YOU! More sales to come!

On my heart today....

Sin, forgiveness, redemption....a pure heart....all on my heart today.

"I need thee, precious Jesus, for I am full of sin. My soul is dark and guilty, my heart is dead within. I need the cleansing fountain where I can always flee, the blood of Christ most precious, the sinner's perfect plea."

"Jesus! What a strength in weakness! Let me hide myself in Him; tempted, tried and sometimes failing, he my strength, my victory wins. Hallelujah! What a Saviour! Hallelujah! What a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end!"

"I am trusting thee for pardon; at they feet I bow, for they grace and tender mercy, trusting now."

"We will never fully appeciate what a deep and awesome thing conversion is until we own up to the fact that it is a miracle. It is a gft of God...we not only sin, but we are sinful- blind, hard, dead, unable to submit to the law of God. And so when we hear the gospel, we will never respond positively unless God performs the miracle of redemption." (John Piper)

"For it is by grce you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:5

"....let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our harts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. " Hebrews 10:18

What a mighty God we serve! One who holds out free, cleansing grace. One who rejoices in our repentance and seeks only the redemption of our hearts and purity of our lives. One who searches after us, pursues us at all costs and to every end. One whose blood can cover our sins, and immediately make a heart bound by sin pure....in an instant!

What a mighty, gracious, forgiving, patient and joyful God we serve!

Last day......just a few hours left!

Today is the last day to purchase the "Isabelle" dress at just $25.

Just send me an email (jubug231 @ aol.com) and let me know which fabric you would like.

I can make the sleeves out of the same fabric as the dress...or out of a contrast for a more "whimiscal' style!

Scroll down to see more pictures and a bit more info.