My 5 blessings~

 Gotta love these girls!  I couldnt ask for more. They are a blessing to us.

 enough said~

 This is our Lidia delighting in the flowers in our backyard.

Patrizia

My old blog looked like a mans suit. I was trying to get the "coffee" look. I did not succeed. Being that im new at this & probably will NEVER figure out how to make my blog all nice & pretty, I took a big step today~ I CHANGED THE FACE OF MY BLOG PAGE!   I am happy that I could at least use a recyled template that someone has all ready used, so that I dont have to have a brown colored suit blog anymore)

To this, we added some photos. Pretty smart, huh? Thank God for my daughters who figure this sort of thing out for me. "Mom, your blog is boring, you need something."  So, they are the ones who spruce it up for me. So good to have them. And encouraging they are too!

None of my links work!  Try it! Click on them. Nothing! See~ I told you, they dont work.

Ah well, good intentions anyhow.

Enjoyed a 7 mile bike ride today. Yep, thats right, 7 miles. I took up bike riding again. Went on a few jaunts  starting last week in the 90* weather we have been having here. Not very smart! But hey, its good excercise!  So today, my husband & I went on a 7 mile excursion. For the first time, I didnt have to walk my bike at any time. Im really kind of enjoying it! 

Im not a jogger. Looks silly in a skirt anyway. I look like a runaway tent!  Skating is not for me, too embarrassing. I can walk! That I can do! 

Biking is fun though. Having to avoid many obstacles along the way is quite the challenge.  Today on our bike path I almost bumped into a chip munk. (nice little guy) A rabbit ran out in front of me! Im pretty sure it was Bugs. Havnt seen him in years, but he sure did look familiar!  Im huffing & puffing, huffing & puffing & right there in front of me was a frog! Leaping for its dear life, trying to avoid me!  I scared the poor thing to death. Cardiac arrest for sure. Hes a goner after today. If not, he is definitaly counting his blessings this evening. His life was spared! Whew.

Patrizia

Paddle boating!  Such fun! & WORK!  Here is My husband, Michaela sitting with him & behind them are Julia & Maria~ We had a great time! 

Those cuties~ Maria & Julia holding on for dear life. Not really.

Me.  Doing quite well, considering I am not liking the water.

Heres the lake we boated on. In Lorain, Ohio.

Julia, Maria & Lidia, my 3 youngest girls having fun at a different lake the same day. Lots of funnin' that day~ 

Patrizia

I cant speak French. Sorry, all I can say is oooooh-la-la & viola! Thats it!  I wish I could though. Such a beautiful language.  I have just recieved from my Uncle in France a DVD of he & his family. Its been years since Ive seen him, maybe 30 years or so.

I wrote to him a few months ago & he then sends me this DVD which is dedicated to me & I have been on an emotional roller-coaster ever since. I litteraly cried buckets the first time we watched the tape. The Lord is so good to me. After all these years, you just dont forget your loved ones. I have the memories still, I thank God for that. I also know that the Frenchies are quite liberal. I know that my family there is. How does one like this get saved?????? Oh, Im so grieved. None of them are saved. They are such wonderful people, but no one cares. How do you make them care?

How do you show them Jesus from America?  They arent too fond of Americans!  Oh my! What to do? So, today my heart is heavy for them. I need an answer. Oh Lord give me an answer.

I will write to him again to thank him for the DVD & then I plan on making one myself here & sending it off. I will take direction from the Lord as to what to do next. A mission field, no doubt.

Well, its been 85-90* each day here in beautiful Ohio. The sun is shining its beautiful face on our land these days. My garden is stunning & Ive been observing the humming bees. Have you ever seen one of those before!?  Its like a gigantic bee. At first its quite a scary picture, then when you realize what it is, its a beautiful thing to watch.

I dont do bugs very well. Why I keep rescuing them is beyond me. As if they were human or something! "Girls! Dont step on the ant! You might crush em'!"  "Careful, your about to step on a potato-bug!"  "Dont pick up the butterfly! Youll break its wings!!!!!!!"  My poor girls will never see science! I wont let them!  Great for home schooling you know!  Oh my.

These poor girls are scared to death of spiders! When I say, SCARED TO DEATH~ I mean it!  I always know when I hear a curdling scream that one of the girls has encountered a spider. Whos fault is this, you dare ask?  MINE!  No denial here. I know it, I AM GUILTY! 

When we first moved in to this home a gigantic, black bug with huge teeth, bug-eyes & 25 million legs flew into our home!  The size of a dragon! IT WAS UGLY!  The scariest thing you ever saw!  AND IT WANTED TO HURT US!  Flying all around, not caring at all about the screaming that was going on. Just antagonizing us & wanting harm done to us!

I tried to be brave & look for it. Before you know it I had moved furniture all around the living room & things were knocked down. I mean this thing was going to hurt us bad!

Finally, after much screaming & running around in total panic, I came up with a great idea. Get the girls out of harms way & get them outside where this thing wont kill them. So, I did what any other mother would do, I took my brood & put them outside where they would be free from any anguish.

Then another good move on my part, I went to go get my neighbor! Good thinking, huh? Surly this woman would come & rescue us from this evil thing lurking in our home. Sure enough, she was kind enough to come & help! After all, what are neighbors for?????  Now mind you, I just moved in a few months earlier, so this was quite the ice-breaker for us.

This brave woman, who since then I have the upmost respect for comes in with what she called a "fly-swaRter. Now Ive heard of fly-swatters, but this was new to me~ a fly- swaRter?  It looked like my fly-swatter, but nope, she insisted it was a fly-swaRter. Okay, whatever. Fly-swaRter it is!

She's in my house, we are all outside. She is so brave. She should have been a fire-fighter.

A few minutes later, she comes out with the beast RIGHT ON HER FLY-SWARTER!  AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!Then you know what she did?  She picked that big, black thing  off of the fly-swaRter by its wings & shows it to us!  God love er', she is so, so brave. Ill never forget what she did for us.

It turns out it wasnt exactly as big as I thought it was. Actually, it was only about maybe half the size. Well, really it was maybe only about an inch big. However, at the time it seemed a lot bigger than it was!  You know what Im talking about, youve probably had one of those nasty, lookin' bug-eyed things invading your home too at some time or another. If she wasnt home to protect us, good neighbor that she is, I would have called the fire department. Im so glad to have neighbors like this. Always willing to give a helping hand. Just like the days of old.

Just the other day, we had an enormous dragon-fly sitting right there on our family room sofa!  BIG OLD EYES STARING RIGHT AT ME, wanting to eat me for supper!  It was lookin' at me not in a nice way!  So we did our screaming ritual & all left the house. You know, because I am wanting to protect my children as any mother would have done in my position.

Oh, I did leave my oldest Michaela in the house to try to catch it with the colander. Good thing my husband just pulled up the driveway just in time. Whew, that was a close call. We ran to the car & told him about this huge, mamoth sized dragon fly that was trying to whisk  us away & probably bring us back to its hide-away & we would have never seen the light of day again, so  he ran in right away & soon enough came out to let us back in from outside. Close call! What a brave soul he is. Great timing. It could have been a disaster. I shudder just to think what could have happend to us.

Im glad Im not a bug & Im glad I dont beleive in reincarnation.  Id hate to come back as a dragonfly or that black thing that was flying around our heads & caused havoc on our home. Life is good.

 Patrizia

Yesterday we went to what we call Amish Country. Actually, we go to Holmes county where the Amish live. Their are also Mennonite, Hutterite & Apostolics with various other groups in between. It is only 45 min. from here & it is just beautiful. My cousin & her husband were in from Italy a couple of years ago & we took them to Amish Country. Pietro likened it to Tuscany. Its really quite majestic. Get on the web & take a peek!  Oh, its just beautiful. Also, you may have heard of Lehmans Hardware. Well, most people I know hate that we live so close to it. It is just  a wonderful, wonderful store. The best.

Anyhow, I do a lot of my shopping there. I get all of my staples. This  is how I can cook nutritionally for my family. I normally buy my wheat berries there for grinding, but they are so, so expensive now. I have been buying whole wheat flour from Bobs Red Mill, it is less expensive that way. (all ready ground)

I get everything down there. My cupboards are full & plentiful today! I love that feeling. I made Macaroons today. MMMMM,MMMMMMM!  DOUBLE, TRIPLED!  Now these are not healthy. Not at all. You see why Im so excited now.

My oldest is our bread maker. So, now that we have ingredients again, we will have fresh bread. She makes wonderful bread. So pretty. Michaela makes abot 6loaves a week when we do have the stuff. Anna is my baker too, she likes to make coffe cakes. The girls are wonderful cooks & tend to make more gourmet things. Our house hold is eatin' great!

We enjoyed the countryside yesterday. We enjoy the people too. Have made some friends down there, but havnt visited with any this time. Got some wonderful bargains on books & we love going to the Mennonite Thrift shop, always come home with goodies from there. SO fun! 

Today the house smells so good. I love it!  Gotta go~ my dough is calling me : )

Patrizia

I take such pleasure in my flower gardens. You know, when I get good at this bloggin stuff, I will have my older girls put up photos of our beautiful yard. Oh, its so, so pretty.

Their are daisys everywhere. They line the back of the fence & I have Shastas too. I have been stuck in the house since driving has been taken away from me by the ER Doctor. I am wanting to spend more time in the yard now.

You must know, I DO NOT LIKE TO SWEAT! Is anyone out there like me?  I dont understand how anyone can just sit & bake in the sun & just pour down sweat. Yik.  

Years ago, I would lay out in the sun & just bake. I would even slather on olive oil instead of sun tan lotion just to get  a deep-dark tan! WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME?   Come to me cancer! My~I still cant believe it.

I did end up looking as if I came off of some Carribean Island, in this I did succeed. To think it was so important to me back then! On top of it all, I would go to the tanning booths. OH MY! Leathered skin!

You couldnt pay me to do something like that now. I cant even stand being out in the sun! And then sweat on top of it? 

I went from daisys to tanning. Makes perfect sense, eh? 

So, I think Ill go back out & spend time with my daisys again. Just me & them.

For Michaelas graduation party I bought 3 dozen dyed daisies. Pink, purple, yellow. blue & green. Oh my, so, so beautiful. We put them in small vases, 2 next to eachother in the center of the tables. We tied white & lavender ribbon on each vase. So, so pretty.

I get such peace from my little bit of heaven out back. The flower beds are breath-taking!  Such joy! I put in a bit over $200.00 in flowers out front & in pots, some veggies. Its stunning.

I figure, I dont have any bad habits. I dont buy anything, so the money goes into flowers once a year. I will get those photos up soon. Somehow I dont think photos will do them justice though.

Im headed toward my window again~ Isnt it so pretty? You are missing out! Oh, I wish you could be here.

Patrizia

I want my prayers answered NOW! TODAY!  Oh, I have had to learn over & over again to wait on the Lord. He is God, He can take His time. He knows whats best for us. Why do we rush Him?  Who do we think we are? Its hard isnt it?  I know I struggle with this at times, especially when I need an answer right now, this second! 

My reading today:

If your prayers are not answered immediately, "wait patiently for the Lord" for His timing.  Also, look to see if anything is wrong in your life that would hinder His answer such as:

1. disobedience: (Deut. 1:43-45)

2. unconfessed sin (Ps. 66:18)

3. indifference (Prov. 1:24-33)

4. neglect of mercy (Prov. 1:21-13;   1 Pet. 3:7)

5. turning from the commandments (Prov. 28:9)

6. stubborness (Zech. 7:11-13)

7. instability (James 1:6-7)

8. self indulgence (lusts) (James 4:3)

We should never forget what a GREAT PRIVILEGE  we have to take EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER!

Thank you Jesus for this great privilege, forgive us Lord for not taking it to heart. We scream when we need you & we use you. You are there for us to reach out to only when we need you, forgive us. Help us to take you mor seriousely. You are God, let us humble ourselves before you Lord & remember you want us to talk with you & spend time with you.

Patrizia

We had a nice graduation party for Michaela. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. there were around 60 people, 5 short of what we thought~ not bad.  The decorations were nice, the food fabulous (we had it catered) the Italian Polka music, the beautiful, gigantic Casata cake was just breath-taking.  Friends, family, fun! What a day to remember.

We were just exhausted when it was all over. The day before we set up all the tables, chairs & tents. Whew!  When the party was over, we had good friends stay & tear everything down for us without us even asking them to. What  a blessing. The Lord knows what we need & its wonderful to see the saints that are in tune to our needs.Thank you Jesus!  We are still eating left-overs & I have much of it frozen now. Everything was just tremendous.

Long story very short, I spent the day in ER the Thursday before the party. 6 hours~ Oh my.  It was tough. That morning, I went to Borders book store to get a gift for a friends daughter. I began feeling funny, sort of heavy with a very strange feeling going through my body. I staggered a bit, this happend twice. I was afraid to walk over to the cashiers to pay for my stuff before Id get to the van. I found a chair & plopped down to get myself in order. I prayed.  Still feeling funny, I tried to get control of my legs to get moving. I felt very wobbly.

Ended up in the van, called my husband & the side of my face was very heavy & my speech was slurred. (not a good thing)  He calls 911 & they come to get me. Everything they did to me in the ambulance turned out fine, I forgot my street name, but then it came back to me. I was alert & all of that, just a bit dingy that moment.

Ended up in ER. Had an MRI & CT & numerous other tests. PRAYED, PRAYED, PRAYED. all came back negative. Whew.  I thought I had a stroke, the ER doctore thinks I did too, a TIA.  He doesnt see any proof of it, but is not discounting it. The Neurologist wants me to see him. I will be getting more head tests & an ultrasound on my neck which will show any blockage or bleeding in the brain or anywhere. WHAT A DAY! Also checking into seizures. Never a dull moment in my life.

Im doing great! I am not worried at all. I faced some hard issues that day, but I realize we have no control over what happens to us, this was a reality for me that day. I am peaceful today. The Lord is my helper. Im not trying to sound like a martyr, but I know I can trust Him with me.

The Doctor made me laugh (he was NOT trying to be funny) He said, "I dont think you are getting enough oxygen to your brain." I looked at him & said, "Ive finally been diagnosed after all these years!"  This would explain my ditzy moments that I have forever lurking over me. That Ziggy cloud that follows me EVERYWHERE!  HA! I had a ball with that one. I did get a chuckle out of him thankfully. Livin' up everyone!  Oh my, it was a hoot!

So life goes on............................................

Ps. 139:14    I will praise thee; for I am fearfully & wonderfully made.

James 4:10  HUMBLE YOURSELVES in teh sight of teh Lord, & he shall lift you up.

Oh, the Word is so, so good. He is so good to me. I thank Him for the trials, He is the lifter of my head. How do people do it without Him?  I cant understand it!  Its so simple! He is the giver of life, He is in control, He is dependable, He is all powerful, He is our God! How can we not have a relationship with Him?  Im baffled.

1. Giving God praise & thanks for His grace, mercy &love; showing our fiath in His Diety & ability.

Heb. 11:6 He that cometh to God must believe that he is, & that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2. Confessing sins & recieving forgiveness through Jesus as personal Savior.

Isa. 1:18 Come now, & let us reason together, saith the lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.

3. Petitioning for the needs & desires for ourselves & others.

Jms. 5:16-18 Pray one for another...... the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.....

4. Recieving help, peace, joy & revelation from Him.

5. Praying "for them wich despitefully use you & persecute you." Mat. 5:44

I love that I can go directly to the Father, I dont need a mediator like I was taught growing up. What did He die for if I need to go through another man?  A MAN????????  He died for us. He answers prayers, not a man. He is our helper in time of need, not a man. He has given us the privilage to communicate with Him through personal prayer. He hears us, HE IS GOD!  I dont need to go through someone else. He is God!

Thank you Jesus for this, that I can come to you with no one between us. Just you & me. What a blessed relationship that is! I thank you for dying on the cross for me, that I can come to you & you hear me & care for me. I love that you have given us that gift.

Today is a new day!  Ive messed up many times all ready~ BUT.................... Ive acknowledged it! It is 12:28, there is a lot of time left in the day. Now that I realized that I have all ready made plenty of mistakes today, I go to the Father who is my helper. I will pray now. Ill get through my day with His help. I repent right now & life goes on.

To be oh so careful NOT to repeat this again tomorow. His mercies are new daily. Whew!

Patrizia

Most of my blogging is about me as a mom & how I choose to work on myself daily, so that I can be a blessing onto my family. The Lord has blessed us with 5 daughters, so theres much work to be done. Each & every day I pray for their protection, whether it is when I leave the house or their character or their future mates, even their relationship with the Lord. There is so much to pray for that it would take days to type it all out. Weve all heard the saying, "prayer changes things." IT DOES! Most of the time.

He doesnt always have to answer yes, He can answer no! He can also answer, "wait."  I used to struggle with this. Today, I accept it more & know going into praying that I may not get an answer right away, or that maybe He just needs time with me. He just wants to hear from me. Prayer is communication with Him!  If we dont pray, we dont have a relationship. I believe this.

In my little study I had today, this is what I read:

Jesus instructs us to go directly to God,   whom we may address "Our Father."  making our petitions in His name (Jn. 14:13) & "Use not vain repetitions,  as the heathen do."

WHOA!  I used to do this! I was taught this in the Catholic tradition growing up! Why would they teach me such heresy if God himself says NOT TO DO THIS!   That I should go directly to God! I would have never known this, if I never picked up my Bible. The Word of God~ His love story to us. He speaks to us through His Word. Yet, we are told to obey man. "It is better to obey God rather than men."  The Word teaches.

God forgive me. The Word is so true. I am grateful for His hand book to me.

We should NEVER forget what a GREAT PRIVILEGE we have to take EVERYTHING to GOD in PRAYER!

Well, it is finished.  Our oldest has graduated on Saturday. I just gave birth! How did this happen?  Where is my life going? Life is just flying by. Love my girls, but I know I have them but for a season.

The Lord is teaching me much. I am really appreicating my girls these days. So many  years of hussle & bussle, being so busy & not realizing what I have. God forgive me. He is truly showing me much these days. Thank you Jesus. Its never too late, never.

As I listend to the piano playing, "Pomp & Circumstance" at our daughters graduation ceremony, I thought, "Lord Jesus, how did this happen, why are we here?" I could not beleive my eyes. There was our little girl all grown up. Its beyond what I can bare. Hes given me peace today. I feel peaceful. To put my trust in Jesus is peaceful.

Col. 3:15    Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.  Be of good courage today~

Tomorow our oldest daughter will be graduating at CHEO in Colombus, Ohio. Whew! Where has all the time went?  So many prayers going up. So much to do. We have almost everything we need for the graduation party next week. It will be fun!  Have many friends coming to celebrate & good friends at that. We sure are blessed.

Colombus is a 2 hour drive for us. It seems like it takes days to get there. Its a very long, boring ride. Oh my. We will get through it, right?

Happy Graduation day to Michaela!

Well, today was weeding time!  We have had a lot of rain here in Ohio the past couple of weeks. Heavy rains I might add!  Each morning Id wake up & see my grass growing longer & longer. Almost lost the children in there once!  : )    Each time Id want to go out there & cut it, it would rain again! Oh my!

My husband has been on vacation this week & this morning looked like a good time to get out there & mow the lawn. YAHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love clean, cut grass, so pretty, so refreshing. Its like new life to me.  As the grass was getting cut we noticed weeds! LOTS & LOTS OF THEM! GIGANTIC ONES! LIKE BIG CORN STALKS!  BIG CABBAGES!  ENORMOUS!  AND EVERYWHERE!  They were beginning to grow arms & legs! I am sure if Id kept them there they would have swallowed up the whole family! 

So we took to weedin'. I pulled out a bizillion weeds today. The girls were in the house cleaning & doing their chores, so just my husband & I took on this great project.  It seemed like it would be impossible to get every weed. Little by little I began to pull & clear the areas around me. IT WAS HOT TODAY! My hair stuck to my head~ I mean humid-hot!

Each area that was getting cleared out would bring satisfaction to my soul. I knew then the flowers I had planted would grow nicely now that the weeds were gone. Weeds suck up space & take nutrients away from growing flowers. My Patunias were screaming, " I CANT BREATH!'  So, I helped them out a bit by yanking the weeds.

I began to think as I was pulling each one, this is  what I try to do each & every day with me. I struggle to grow, & maybe I do here & there, but I have so many weeds to get rid of inside me. The weeds I have strangle the fruit that needs to grow at times. I am aware of that & now I will be working diligently to keep the weed out. Weeds choke. I cannot be the person Christ wants me to be if Im not getting rid of the weeds. HOW NEAT!  What a great lesson that is for me! 

Imagine the Lord using my gigantic, ugly weeds in my flower beds to teach me a lesson. Isnt that wonderful?  I was also thinking, He allows those weeds to be there, those that I live with also. Its to shape me & mold me, He is teaching me & showing me how to get rid of them. Wow.

Prov. 6:16  These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an obomination unto him:

1. A proud look.

2. A lying tongue.

3. Hands that shed innocent blood.

4. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations.

5. Feet that be swift in running to mischief.

6. A false witness that speaketh lies.

7. He that soweth discord among the brethren.

These are all weeds if you think about it a bit.

We have been cleaning the house inside & out! I dont mind cleaning, its getting it good is what takes time. So today I had all the girls working. Buckets & rags, the whole thing!  I did get a lot done & with the girls help the house is looking good.  We are pretty clean here & I expect chores & cleaning to be done daily, I get much satisfaction having a nice place. Im not obsessed by it, just expect cleanliness. I want to be able to come into a room & enjoy being there. I think also that it is of benefit to my daughters.

Now the hope is to do it joyfully, delightfully & with grace. Im talking about me, not just my children. I had to learn to do this through the years. Without grumbling & murmmering. UNTO THE LORD!  Its taken me a long time to get this one right. trying to instill that in my girls also. DO IT UNTO THE LORD!  I do hope they learn this from me. Its definitly character training in progress. Cleaning anything as a family or just any activity is an opportunity for character training.

GOD DEMANDS YOUR OBEDIENCE. TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE! What a lesson indeed!  Forever embedding this in my wee brain. I know the Lord gave me a brain, its just weak & needs tuning as my heart does. LOTS & LOTS OF WORK TO DO!  And you know, this is what my blogging has been all about as of late.

My reading today:

The learning process starts early by copying the actions & repeating the words of those around, as well as taking on their thinking patterns. Is it any wonder there is a juvenile deliquency problem when so many parents have been careless of their words & actions & have delegated the raising of their children ot babysitters, schools & television.

No child will every respect a parent who either in word or deed says: "Do as I say, not as I do." Smoking, drinking, swearing parents who argue & are disrespectful to each other, gender argumentive & disrespectful children who will smoke, drink & swear. It is IMPOSSIBLE to go against God's law.

For us its not the obvious sins of smoking, drinking or swearing, because we are Christians & do not choose to live this way. Its deeper for us, not the outward sins. For us as Christians we have to die daily. Its every idle word, every wrong motive, every ungodly reaction to any situation, every wrong heart intent. Its character flaws. Its sinning against God, sinning toward the God who created us & died for us. It is He we sin against by word & deed. I really do examine myself daily. I have much to do! So much to work on. I thank the Lord for His mercy & grace, He knows what we need.

Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, & lose his own soul?

This is serious. Are we living for Him, not just speaking it, Amen-ing it! Really living for Him. Repenting. Do we enjoy being part of the world?  Walking a fake walk?  A luke-warm walk?A walk that does not represent Christ?  Have we decieved ourselves?  I know I have in the past. I am carefully watching & learning these days. I am tired of decieving myeself. I want to walk with Him & glorify Him. I know I will never attain perfection while here on this earth, but I do know that this is real. He is real. He is a holy & just God. We cannot mock Him by our weak walk.