~To the Sea....Just the Two Of Us~

There's a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Fingerprints", that goes:

"I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God."

God's fingerprints continue to show themselves throughout our lives. For Jim and I, we started out "just the two of us", and after raising two boys, it's "just the two of us" again.

Some people think this 'empty nesting' is sad. There are parts that are. But now, it's time for us again....just the way God had us start out. Here we are again like we were in the beginning.....full circle.

Today we head to our place at the ocean....no kids, no 'friends' of kids, no moms, no grandchildren. Will we miss them? You bet! We'll miss the sandcastles, the banana pancakes, eating chinese food around the coffee table, board games, piles of wet beach towels, little sandy toes and bottoms. Yes....we'll miss them. Will we still enjoy ourselves?? OH yeah!!

We've been taking these trips to the island for 18 years. And whenever we were about to cross the bridge to the island, we listened to Carly Simon's "Never Been Gone":

The wind is coming up strong and fast
And the moon is smiling on me
Miles from nowhere so small at last
In between the sky and the sea

I'm bound for the island
The tide is with me
I think I can make it before dawn
It's night on the ocean
I'm going home
And it feels like I've never
I've never been gone

Seagulls cry and the hills are green
And my friends are waiting for me
Great ambition is all a dream
Let me drown my pride in the sea -

I'm bound for the ocean
The tide is with me
I think I can make it by dawn
It's night on the ocean
I'm going home
And it feels like I've never
I've never been gone
Oh it feels like I've never
I've never been gone

And that is just the way it always feels: like we’ve never been gone.

After watching the sun rise and set over the ocean, long walks on the beach, lots of talking, bike rides, shopping, lots of fresh lobster and crab.....many margaritas and pina coladas later……just the two of us....we’ll be ready to ‘rejoin’ the hustle-bustle of life back home once again.

After leaving our island retreat, we’re headed to meet our new grand-daughter, who is due to arrive (via caesarean section) on April 29th. Talk about Fingerprints!! Life doesn’t get much better than this~

Have a beautiful week….wherever you are in this world~

Stop over to Beki’s blog to read more Fingerprints.

~Monday Blessings~

Our Ella Layne at 20 mos.....she's now 5, and will soon be a Big Sister not only to her 2-year-old brother, Jackson, but to her new sister.


~Spring has finally arrived here in Ohio. Daffodils, tulips and flowering trees are everywhere.

~Our 3rd Grandbaby is scheduled to arrive on April 3oth. We can't wait to welcome this new little girl to our family.

~Putting the final touches on my new line of jewelry.

~Working on lots of TuTu Cute Cheeky Monkeys for my fall shows.

~Just had the outside of the house painted....it looks 'new' again.

~Making final arrangements for Amy's Bridal Shower.

~Listening to all the exciting plans Tom and Amy are making for their upcoming July wedding.

~Adjusting to the new medication (Victoza) for my insulin resistance. My stomach hurts terribly. I can't eat. ugh.

~Can hardly wait to stick my toes into the ocean come Saturday~

~Hoping that each of you are counting the many Monday Blessings in your lives~

~FingerPrint Friday: My Sweet Daughter-In-Law~

There's a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Fingerprints", that goes:

"I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God."

This FingerPrint Friday is dedicated to my sweet Daughter-In-Law, Jackie. I first met Jackie when she was just 14. She was dating my son, 2 years her senior. I thought her parents were nuts....after all, I never had a daughter, but was certain that I would have her tethered to the bedpost at 14.....til at least 30! (probably one of the reasons why God sent me boys!)

So....I invited Jackie's parents over for coffee. I was going to get to the bottom of this. Jackie's mother assured me that her daughter had a crush on a different boy every week. I replied: "When my son makes up his mind about something....that's it. I suggest you start planning the wedding".

I then hired Jackie to work for me. Through summers and vacations during her high school and college years, we worked side-by-side. By the end of her 'career' with Ragamuffins, she was single-handedly designing my wholesale jewelry line.

She has been my 'daughter' now for eight years. Not only does she make my son smile like no one on this earth....but she has given us two beautiful grand-children. The third baby is due the end of this month.

And Jackie....there aren't words to express all she means to me. We've shared tears and lots and lots of joy and laughter over the past 18 years. She is beautiful inside-and-out, straight-forward, honest, dependable. She's a phenomenal mother, and an intelligent, caring young woman. With Jackie...what you see is what you get. No games. No nonsense. Those are just some of the reasons I love her so much.

So....Jackie....you ARE covered with the Fingerprints of God. We are so blessed to have you in our family~

Stop over at Beki's blog to read about more Fingerprints~

~Some Things Are Worth Repeating~

I know it's not Fingerprint Friday. And I know this post is a "Repeat"....but it's a post that can't be written too many times. Sorry if I am boring some of my blog readers. I know all the mothers out there will understand that there are some things in your heart that you can't "repeat" too many times. It was first posted February 2009. C.

There's a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Fingerprints", that goes:

"I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God."

From the first moment you feel a little life growing inside you, you love him. Deeply. You raise him as best you can. You nurture him physically. You teach him the necessary tools he will need to travel life's paths. You give him a strong foundation of values. And hopefully, you place him on the right spiritual path. And then.....you give him wings to fly on his own....much like a mother bird gently, encouragingly, pushing her little ones out of the nest. And then.....you pray that what you did was enough.

Tom.....I couldn't be more proud of you. You have been our rock these past few weeks. Always there. Steadfast. Through the tears. The fears. You reversed the role of child/parent so fearlessly. With great strength. I love you for that. You are the perfect example of the Fingerprints of God in action.

I thank God each day of my life for making me your Mom. I am so very blessed.

xoxoxoxox

Your Mom

~FingerPrint Friday~

There's a song by Stephen Curtis Chapman that goes:

I can see the fingerprints of God

When I look at you.

I can see the fingerprints of God

And I know it's true.

You're a masterpiece

That all creation quietly applauds

And you're covered with the fingerprints of God.

I see God's fingerprints on many signs of spring. Two of my favorite are in this photo: pussywillows and birds. When I was a little girl, the first time I saw pussywillows in the yard of our childhood home.....I was smitten. I was fascinated by their look....their feel....and of course, their name!!

According to an old Polish legend, many springtimes ago a mother cat was crying at the bank of the river in which her kittens were drowning. The willows at the river's edge longed to help her, so they swept their long graceful branches into the waters to rescue the tiny kittens who had fallen into the river while chasing butterflies. The kittens gripped on tightly to their branches and were safely brought to shore. Each springtime since, in Spring, the willow-without-a-flower decks itself out in gentle velvet buds that feel to the fingers like the silky coat of a small cat. These buds are known today as catkins and remarkably, in every country, these soft willow trees are named after cats.

No one but God could make these tiny little puffs of the softest gray come out of teeny buds. Miraculous!!!

Stop by Beki's blog for more fingerprints.


Then take a peak here for some great blogs!

~Easter Blessings~

Matthew 28:6 He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said.

~Holy Saturday~

Holy Saturday is a traditional day of baking at RoseCreekCottage.
This year, one of the desserts we're working on is Carrot Cake. Here is the recipe:

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
2-1/2 c. grated carrots
2 c. granulated sugar
1-1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
3 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts
1-8 oz.- can crushed pineapple

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
1 stick of butter, room temp
2 t. vanilla

Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves.

Slowly beat the flour into the liquid mixture until combined, scraping the sides. Add your grated carrots.

Next, drain the pineapple well. With your hands, pick up the pineapple mush and give it a good squeeze. You want the extra juice, but not too much because you're getting quite a bit from the carrots as well. Add in the pineapple and walnuts.

Pour into the greased pans and bake for about an hour, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Carefully remove from pan and onto wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until creamy and well combined. Add in the vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, until smooth and creamy. Frost your cake rounds and enjoy! (* I added grated orange rind to the icing this year*)

~Good Friday~

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

Good Friday is the day that Christians focus especially on the cross and Jesus' sacrifice for the sins of the world. The cross is a central symbol of the Christian faith. Christians believe that Jesus, son of God, died to save all believers from sin, all that separates human beings from God. The cross reminds Christians of Jesus' death and their salvation, how Jesus saved them from death by dying in their place.

Jesus' crucifixion, death on the cross, is the source of eternal life for all who believe according to Christian teaching. Jesus put himself in the place of every believer's sins as he suffered for the whole world by sacrificing his own life.

Atonement, Jesus giving himself for the sins of Christians, saves all Christians from hell and suffering. Good Friday is a time for Christians to remember Jesus' sacrifice and reflect on how the cross has saved them from their sins.

On Good Friday, Christians attend a church service where believers will focus on the cross and Jesus' suffering there with prayers, reflection, and ritual.

In some denominations, believers will focus on the last words that the Bible, or Holy Scripture, records Jesus to have said.

In others, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, believers will revere the cross, a ritual called the Adoration of the Cross, where believers literally kiss and bow before a cross, in honor of Jesus. It is truly one of the Catholic rituals that touches me to the core, always bringing me to tears.

Dear Jesus...Thank you for your sacrifice. Heaven can be ours because of it.

Mary.....My heart breaks for you each Easter. I cannot imagine the grief you felt for the Son you bore. (see "A Mother's Grief")

Stop by Sew Gracious to hear, "Worthy Is the Lamb", by Hillsong.

May this day be one of reflection and thanksgiving for all christians throughout the world.

Stop by Beki's blog to read more FingerPrints of God.

~What A Difference A Year Makes~

One year later, and Mom is unable to come to our house to celebrate Easter. Last year, she really wanted to help make the Lemon Meringue Pies and Bunny Cakes....and help she did. Read about it here.

This year....she is unable to stand and walk. She's totally wheel-chair bound. It's hard for her to move. She is unable to do anything for herself. It's heartbreaking to watch. She no longer has the ability to make choices for herself.

So this year, I'll make the lemon pies myself....and take her some. And this year, I'll get on my knees and thank the Lord that at this point in my life, I am still able to do so. We take SO much for granted.

This Easter Weekend, thank our Lord for the blessings in your life. And thank Him for dying on the cross for us.