Buckeyes

Buckeyes... ah buckeyes. How I love thee.

And I have passed my love for you down to my mini-me.

I did a quick search and ended up using this buckeye recipe.

We enjoyed rolling the peanut butter mix

And eating the balls that were just a little too small :)

We also thoroughly enjoyed dipping them in the chocolate but it was a little too chaotic to take pics.

This recipe, in spite of our constant nibbling, made a million buckeyes. Good thing because we wanted to give some to our neighbors and still have plenty for ourselves.

As I write this, we have yet to catch our neighbors home while we're all together (including Derek) to drop off their little gifts. Good thing buckeyes last a good long time!

This is one of the traditions we are implementing... giving baked goods to the neighbors. We've done it in the past so I guess it's already a tradition. We're just making it more of an outreach effort. (We did give some to neighbors that are close, godly friends, too. Just because we love them!)

What are some ways you are reaching out to your neighbors this time of year? Please share in the comments! I'd love to highlight some of your great ideas!

How God Provides

Way back in the day, my dad was the president of Lifeline in Elkhart. I remember loving that he worked there because we spent so much time there. It was fun.

But, if my memory serves me right (which would be a nice change), my dad finally had to leave because it just wasn't possible to raise 4 babies on such a meager income. It was sad.

Derek made the comment the other night about how he really appreciates Lifeline and how it is so similar to the Crossing.

That's when it hit me... when will it be our turn to admit that we just cannot survive on such a meager income? Will it be 2 more kids down the road? Sooner? Or at all?

I wasn't stressing or even worrying. (I know, it's a miracle). But I had been thinking about it on and off throughout the day on Monday.

Then I got the mail...

I was pumped to see what looked like our first Christmas card. But it didn't have a return address. I kinda skimmed through the words on the front and opened it to find, not a picture of a family that I had expected, but a gift card for a significant amount of money.

I started to cry.

Inside the card was hand written the verse:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

 After spending time praying for these amazing friends who were sensitive to the Spirit and so generous in heart, I took the time to actually read the card itself and was brought to tears again. The words were so personal and humbling.

The most amazing thing about all of this wasn't just the money (that came the day after Derek said money was going to be super tight until next payday - dec. 16 - and cupboards were looking very bare already).

What really struck me was how God seemed to be directly answering my prayers of that day. Would we ever come to the point where we just can't afford to be in full time ministry anymore?

He said, I work all things together for your good because I have called you.

Whatever He has planned for our future has absolutely no dependance on finances. He is the Provider. He's got us covered.

A couple more things I took away from this sweet gift...

1. Even though it's been an entire year since we were last in PA, someone out there still loves us enough to minister to us in such a sacrificial and exact way. We're feeling so loved.
2. God has grown me since moving out here to good ol' IN. I think of the time we finally received our loan money. Or the last time God sent us a random check. Praise God, all these trials we've been fighting through have been doing their job.

And finally, as if this could even begin to be enough...

Thank you.

The Candymaker's Gift

Before naptime one day, I read this book to Marie...

The Candymaker's Gift by David and Helen Haidle

I initially was just going to read half or so and save the rest for another time, but I didn't want to put it down!

It's about a legend of the candy cane. We've all heard one legend or another, but this book actually nearly had me in tears.

In other words... I highly recommend it!

It's beautifully illustrated.

And it presents the Gospel so clearly, I was blown away.

After the story, there's a few pages of ideas for using the Candy Cane to share Christ. It also lists the details of what the candy cane means.

And the very last page shares how to receive Christ with Scripture!

I just love it! Maybe a new little tradition for Christmastime? I'm planning on getting some candy canes and reading this book together as a family and then discussing it... as much as a 3.5 yr old and 17 month old can :)

What are some of your favorite Christmas books? Please share!

The Meaning of the Candy Cane (directly from the book by David and Helen Haidle)

Hard Candy: Reminds us that Jesus is like a "rock," strong and dependable. Psalm 31:3

Peppermint Flavor: Reminds us of the gift of spices from the wise men. Matthew 2:11

White Candy: Stands for Jesus as the holy, sinless Son of God. 1 John 1:7

Cane: Is like a staff used by shepherds in caring for sheep. Jesus is our "Good Shepherd." John 10:1-18, 27-30

The Letter J: Is the first letter in the Name of Jesus, our Savior. Matthew 1:21

The Color Red: Reminds us of God's love that sent Jesus, and of Jesus shedding His blood for us. John 3:16, Revelation 1:5

The Stripes: A large stripe reminds us of the cross on which Jesus died. Three small red stripes reminds us of His suffering - the crown of thorns, the stripes from the whip on His back, the nail wounds in His hands and feet. John 19:1-30

Thanksgiving '11 Recap

Out of the blue we decided to start a new tradition for Thanksgiving morning - running a race! With no training on either of our parts, we kicked out a 10k at the Turkey Stampede in Elkhart. Derek and I both significantly surpassed our goal times!

I love this running thing.

Everyone should do it.

Then Derek took me 4-wheeling!

I haven't been on a 4-wheeler in at least a decade. I'm pretty sure I've never driven one... definitely not a manual, at least! It took me a while to warm up to it, but when I finally did... woohoo!

I actually much preferred the trail in the woods to the huge, empty bean field. Kinda backwards, probably.

A couple hours later... windblown and happy :)

It was very muddy, which just added to the fun! The muddy quads...

And my very muddy hubs...

The turkey and potatoes (and lots lots more) came the day after Thanksgiving. It's our tradition. My parents rented out this huge lodge so our huge family could all fit comfortably.

The amounts of food was out of control. A-mazing.

I kinda forgot to get my camera out til we were all done eating and winding down... then I got distracted when I found some of my cousins playing "Disney's Scene It." So I missed out on a lot of potentially awesome shots. You'll have to live with these...

Wedding planning.

This is where I got distracted. Love playing games!

Derek took this shot. Isn't it amazing?? Yeah, that bathroom is, too.

The whole weekend was such an amazing blessing.

So now that you're caught up on the life of the Jacobs', come to the Old Bag Factory in Goshen for one incredible all-handmade craft show!! I mean it, right now. And bring your kids because there's free bounce houses! Woot!

Little Hands Wreath

I know, I'm a little obsessed with hand-print crafts. What momma doesn't find them a little bit irresistible?

This one we did last year so enjoy looking at pics of my baby girl a whole year ago pre-Canon days.

What you'll need...
1. Red and green construction paper
2. Paper plate
3. Glue
4. Ribbon

First trace the babies hands and cut them out. I traced each of the kids hands a couple times then just doubled up the paper when cutting them out. It was hard keeping a 2.5 yr old and a 6 month old sitting still to have their hands traced!

Marie attempting to trace her own hand.

Cut the center out of the paper plate and glue the hands around the plate.

Glue or staple on a ribbon for hanging.

Then, as usual, take pictures with the adorable model!

Linking up!