The girls first traced the pattern that was provided onto a piece of muslin.

Every girl was given their own green skein of embroidery floss and then there were several other colors the girls could choose from to complete their project.

Basics like how to use the embroidery floss had to be taught because you never know what kids will conjure up in their imaginations of how to use it.

It’s good to expose the girls to all types of creative projects. Now they won’t feel so intimidated if they should wish to tackle more embroidery patterns.

The kids were so motivated to finish their project after the class that many of them went home and completed them that very night…. even the young ones.

And here is a finished project.

My 12 year old did this.

I’m not sure why I was so surprised to see how well she took to it but I was.

Have you ever embroidered?

We first obtained permission from the home owners and then we got to picking. It’s been wonderful having fresh squeezed grapefruit and orange juice every morning for the past several weeks.

Besides juicing the fruit, I sliced oranges and lemons and flash froze them before placing them in plastic bags. When I want to use them I cut them in half and add them to glasses of water. The other way I will use them is in drink dispensers. I’ve never tried this idea before of freezing slices but I’m liking it.

It was so nice having my nephew visit for a few days.

Wesley captivating this sweet little girl with his juggling skills.

We even wrangled a few guys that were staying at our house to come along. What a great help they were!

A little time at the park for a picnic, Ultimate Frisbee and volleyball.

The boys figured we brought home 400-500 pounds of citrus. Wowza! I knew I had a lot but that much?! It’s all been juiced with the exception of a bit more grapefruits. It’s amazing how much a few families can use.

Lots of Vitamin C and yummy goodness we’ve been enjoying.

I’m curious. In the state you live in, is there any fresh citrus available for you to juice and drink?

It was such a fun evening with lots of laughs.

The menu was:

4 different soups

breadsticks

2 salads

and a variety of Christmas time desserts

For activities they planned:

a mixer where you had to get signatures from different ones according to whether they had ever did what was listed on the paper

decorating gingerbread houses

Christmas carol charades

As you know by now, I like putting together slide shows, so here is one of our evening. I’m definitely not a professional. I need some skills, people. haha But here it is anyways. Hope you enjoy.

Tip:  One thing I would encourage all ladies who are wanting to learn to sew is be sure you have a good working machine. Many get discouraged with sewing if their machines continually give them problems. Bobbins can be a big issue. So if you or your daughter wants to learn, find a good working machine.

13 girls; 13 quilts

My two.

Another mom taught this class and she brought in a special lady who quilts every day to teach the girls two different ways they could complete their quilt.

A mom and her daughters.

Adding the batting and trimming it.

CK girls helping each other out.

Learning how to bind the quilt.

Serenity got tendonitis over Thanksgiving in her foot. So since she was on crutches, I have been her legs and nurse. It’s a big job I tell you. A homemaker wears many different hats doesn’t she?

I don’t know exactly how it happened but Miss Serenity was the last one sewing. She was the lonely only at her table for all the others had packed up.

I was so impressed with all the beautiful quilts. Some made doll size quilts and others made crib size but each ones fabrics were expressions of themselves. Bold, bright colors, southwestern prints, softer flowery prints, muted hues. They were all there and it was fun to see how it came together in the end.

The CK girls don’t have a class in December but they love to host a Winter Party each year. This Friday will be the occasion of another one. It was such a fun night last year and we’re looking forward to it once again. Here’s the link to 2016’s Winter Party.

It was our monthly class for Castle Keepers and it was my turn to teach.

10 Castle Keeper girls and most with little experience on a sewing machine. That, however, wasn’t the problem.  The problem was trying to teach them all the proper way to cut fabric and that took so much time and all my attention.

The girls decided they learned more than how to cut fabric. They learned patience as well.

They worked for quite a long time cutting fabric.

Serenity was a big blessing – volunteering to help the girls cut. This saved everyone a lot of time.

We sat up outside under the pergola. It was so nice… even with the wind conditions that occasionally caught the material and sent it flying.

I loved seeing the girls help each other.

All but one are making a crib size quilt.

Audrey is making a doll size quilt.

We finally got the girls to sewing but next class they’ll have to continue it. I hope that seeing the fruit of all their labors (a completed quilt top) will inspire them to continue on.

I love quilting. You don’t have to be an expert seamstress to quilt. You just need to be able to cut fabric and sew a straight line. MY kind of sewing!

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Mmmm, yes, that is my favorite, too, actually.

It took several hours from beginning to end.

Strawberries were washed and sliced.

Girls whose lives are intertwined at this point of their lives. Making memories that will go with them always.

Getting those berries heated.

Busy bees in the kitchen

Jars to fill with delicious goodness

More than 1 jar of jam was canned in the making of this but… they were still in the canner cooking.

I haven’t canned much since I don’t have a garden but maybe I should consider it for some food items. Are you an avid canner?

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I can honestly say it’s been a wonderful 4 years. The mothers have been excellent to work with, the girls are delightful to have around and I have been amazed at watching the talents of these girls blossom.

I have thought of this quote of Hudson Taylor’s so many times.

God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. –Hudson Taylor

I feel that way about Castle Keepers. God has always provided the means for which to operate the club with parents and friends that are so supportive. I feel He is well pleased with the mission of Castle Keepers and that is to raise girls who value home and desire to fulfill the calling he has given all girls – to be a Godly girl and keeper of the home.

I’ve seen it argued that this is an archaic idea but by whose standards? God’s Word never changes, He said many wonderful things about ladies being the keeper of their homes and that should be our goal – not to excel at a career first and then move on when you feel you have accomplished that.

A keeper of the home is honorable. It’s a great calling and every boy or girl that has a mother that places her children above an outside career knows it and appreciates it to their very core or will when they get older! I understand there are many times a mom must work outside of the home but oh, so often it’s due to the lack of vision for family. I feel strongly every family must have a vision for family life and I’ve written on the subject a few times.

The Importance of a Family Vision

A Home Life that Nourishes – Taking the Road Less Traveled

So Castle Keepers has begun and I’m excited to see what challenges we will do this year. I don’t even know what the challenges will be and I pick one each month! haha I depend upon the Lord to inspire me because I figure He’s very creative! Wouldn’t you agree? Just look at His creation to get a glimpse of His creativity. It’s pretty amazing.

What’s your thoughts about focusing on raising girls to be homemakers more than having them focus on an outside career?

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So instead of our first plan of a canoe trip, we went to the big city – Phoenix.

First stop was glow in the dark golf which isn’t as fun as regular mini golf but it’s a good thing to do when it’s hot and humid outside and since we had never did it it was fun to give it a try. If you decide to do this, check Groupon because I found a really good deal there.

Then we went to an escape room. Now that was a lot of fun!

We went into a small decorated room and were given 1 hour to solve the mystery. One wall was faux books and the other walls had miscellaneous decorations and some pieces of furniture. We had to “tear” apart the room to look for clues. There were locks that we had to figure out the combination to get them to open. In the control room, the man could watch us on a security camera and would type some instructions occasionally on the monitor. If we needed a clue, we could call him up for a hint. We were allowed 5 hints in all for the game.

Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside the room and unfortunately, we didn’t solve the mystery in the hour we were given. We needed about 5-10 minutes more. Truthfully.

We would totally do an escape room again. Very fun and there are different challenge levels you can choose. Ours was an beginner/intermediate level.

Then it was time to head to the resort – Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch.

We’ve stayed at this resort a few times and decided to take the girls there. They loved it.

We didn’t know when we purchased our rooms that we got a great package that came with it, but we did.

The package involved food and more food and we enjoyed that aspect oh, so very much!

First off we enjoyed the free h’ordeuvres that were offered in the Regency lounge.

Orange chicken, shrimp pasta salad, specialty cheeses and meats, crackers and other items. It was very good.

We were already full by the time we left the lounge area but we wanted to treat the girls to a nice dinner, so after about an hour we headed to the Alto Ristorante which was located at the resort.

And then(!)…. we went back to the lounge and enjoyed ate the free desserts. I was so full at this point, I only had about a bite of each thing and can’t say I really enjoyed. I would have to say I definitely overindulged.

Because we had eaten at the Alto Ristorante, we were given tickets for a free 10 minute gondola ride. That was very pleasant. The gondolier who paddles you around has to be auditioned before he is hired and must be a classically trained singer. Our gondolier had lived in Germany for several years singing classical.

We enjoyed this activity.

The next morning we headed back to the Regency lounge for a free breakfast. It was marvelous. It was kind of a combination of American and European breakfast’s. Scrambled eggs, oatmeal, breads, pastries, specialty cheeses and meats. After indulging so much the night before, I thought I wouldn’t be very hungry but I didn’t have too much of a problem eating the scrumptious offerings. (not a good sign for me, is it? haha)

We enjoyed our breakfast outside since it was cool enough. We ate in a garden area that we called the “secret garden” and we had it all to ourselves.

Russell was practicing his own opera skills, being inspired by our gondolier from the night before.

…. and this little birdie seemed quite mesmerized by it all.

Room Service!

Hair Stylin’

These girls have such beautiful, long hair.

Sisters

We had to do some fun pictures, too.

Can you guess what they’re signing?

My hubby and me along with our two CK girls.

So proud of these lovely girls and their heart for home.

Our outing was a success. The girls absolutely loved the hotel and wanted to stay there all day. After staying at the hotel half of the afternoon, we finally left. We had one more activity to do and we finished up the outing going swimming at a friend’s house. From the elegant we went to the humble for I made them plain bean and cheese burritos for their lunch!

Congratulations to these girls for working so hard through the year. To achieve the Proverbs 31 award, they had to attend at least 7 of the 8 monthly meetings and complete all 18 challenges that were given. Good work, girls!

Our 5th year of Castle Keeper’s year is about to begin and we’re looking forward to it!

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(CK is for Castle Keepers)

Each year as we start to organize the party, we post a list of things that need to be done and each mother signs up for the responsibility they want to take on. The lady who signs up for the menu, plans the menu and also makes the main dish. The rest of us pitch in and bring the sides.

One of the mothers organized the drinks – lemonade, lemon water, lime water and cucumber water.

The lovely Castle Keeper girls.

A delicious meal of enchiladas, rice, beans and salad was served along with fresh homemade salsa and chips. So yummy!

Some of the beautiful pies made by the CK girls.

The girls make 2 of the same pie – one for the guests to eat and the second one to auction off later in the evening.

We had leftover blocks of wood from when we built the pergola and my husband cut them down to different heights for me. I loved the pie display. It came together so nicely.

There was an Amelia Bedilia skit that the girls did. I only have video of it – no pictures. Then we presented the certificates and gifts to the girls.

One of the mothers put together a slide show that showed a sampling of what the girls did this year.

Wesley was our announcer for the pie auction – announcing each girl’s pie as well as announcing who purchased the pie. He did a great job and was very humorous.

Justus, for the 4th year in a row, was our auctioneer. He did sooo good. He’s really learned a lot from his early days. He’s watched some You Tube videos and he’s learned from observing our auctioneer at our 4-H auctions.

Very funny! One buyer wrote this on the pie he purchased.

“Matt’s Pie – Hands Off! – But you can have a bite for $50”

The buyers were such a blessing. Relatives, friends and even those who didn’t know each other purchased pies.

Grandparents with their granddaughter.

Justus likes to purchase a pie every year. This year he bought his cousin’s.

Castle Keeper girls feeling happy.

Ring leaders, the announcer, auctioneer and friends all gathered together.

It was a great evening and with the support of family and friends our club raised over $2,400. We are so thankful for everyone’s generosity.

And just like that, another year of CK has come to an end.

My married son, Zachary wrote a special poem just for the CK girls that we read. In the poem, he references the different challenges and meetings the girls had.

A castle is made of sticks and stone

But only a Castle Keeper can make it a home.

When hunger assails at high noon

they meet it with spatula pan and spoon.

Soon there is spread out upon the table

A sail boat sandwich and maybe a bagel.

And if hunger still lingers and refuses to leave,

Out come the sprouts and a lollipop with leaves.

And if you stumble and get a bump or bruise

CPR and First-Aid they might know how to use.

If your castle needs keeping, food or cheer

They have practiced and worked on it this very year.

Keeping the castle and preparing a banquet

or making a bird feeder and sewing a blanket

Various tasks for a young Castle Keeper,

Some easy, some hard for the young housekeeper.

But through what is done both great and small,

There is a common thread running through it all.

Your honoring God and finding your purpose,

not seeking the world and things that are worthless

So be a Castle Keeper kind and bright

Helping others and living life right.

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I can’t help it. I feel very passionate about the home and the importance of it. If you’re a homemaker I’m sure you also realize how important the home life is. There is nothing that can compare with the influence and shaping that our homes can have on our children.

Home Life is Vital to Our Children

Home is so important but yet it’s so easy to lose sight of how necessary, how vital home is when we get tired and worn down from the multiple duties we mom’s have to accomplish each day.

Home is more than just a place for our children to lay their heads at night as they go to sleep, more than just a place to stop over to shower and change clothes as they run from one activity to another or from one friend’s house to another’s. Home is so much more.

Home is where we disciple our children – where we teach them the ways of the Lord, where we share our values, learn together, work together. Home is a place where our children’s souls can be fed in this too busy life we find ourselves caught in. A place where they can find rest from the hurts and pains they may experience from others as they grow into young adulthood and then later into adults.

It’s not easy but it’s so worth it

Having a homelife that nourishes is not easy. Life wants to grab us up and whirl around as if we were on a merry-go-round. We have to stop and consider what it is we want for our family.

Do we want this hurry, hurry, hurry pace?

Do we want our kids to have their own life hidden in their bedroom doing their own thing?

Do we want our children more connected to social media than they are to their family?

Do we want others values to have more sway over our children than we do?

If our answer is no to any of these questions than we have to take responsibility for the turning around of our homes. We must fight for the home life that we desire. Anything worth having comes with a price. It may not be easy but it’s worth it, my friend.

Being a homemaker is more than just keeping a clean home.

Don’t lose sight of what being a homemaker is all about. It is so much more than keeping a clean home, although that is an integral part of it. It’s all about nurturing souls for the Kingdom and at the right time releasing those arrows. But how can we nurture if our children are not around? How can we share values in the everyday walk of life if our children are not with us?

And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. –Deut. 11:19

Although I’m a huge proponent of homeschooling – even if there are Christian school options, or you have a very small school, etc. – I realize that maybe you have children in a school setting. If so, you have even less time than those of us that homeschool to make the moments being at home count, so you will have to choose wisely how you spend those hours.

Ways to Nurture the Home Life

Here are some ways we have tried to nurture the home life.

• eating meals together (so very important)
• evening time read-aloud
• devotions (most usually done at breakfast time)
• family fun night together but this has been harder to implement
• very few extracurricular activities outside the home
• family trips
• traditions (holidays, etc.)
• construction projects (my husband likes doing projects with the boys now that they’re older)

Maybe you are familiar with this poem written by Robert Frost called “The Road Not Taken”? When you read it this time around, think of the two roads as one being the picture of home life that is so common today – a road that takes parents down a path where they spend minimal time with their children and maybe even have the attitude that they’re a bother and that kids going their own way is perfectly normal.

The other road is less popular. It is the one less traveled but it is the one where we spend time with our children, mentoring, nourishing, encouraging them and even having fun. It takes something out of us momma’s because sometimes we just want to lay it all aside and have some time to ourselves. But remember anything worth having is worth fighting for and your children are always worth it.

The Road Not Taken  by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

What are some things you do to nurture the family life? I would be delighted to read them. Let’s encourage one another!