Fortitude

Fortitude: strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage

Fortitude. When I see this word, I think of my little brother. He is young, not yet old enough to know how brave he is, but almost. Then again, perhaps his fortitude will keep him from ever seeing what a trooper he really is.

He doesn't realize the courage it takes to pull off his prosthetic and hop along the edge of the public pool where people can see and stare. He just does it. He doesn't know how brave he is to hang onto his sister for balance while he puts his leg back on, even though he's eleven years old and shouldn't need help.

He didn't know how amazing he was at one year old when he learned to stand in a cast that came up to his chest.

He doesn't know the toughness of his character when he laughs about losing his leg or walking on his stub where the doctors dismantled his ankle before he ever learned to run. 

He has overcome in ways most adults have never learned. You try climbing a tree with a prosthetic that comes up to your knee. Or maybe karate. He's learning how to do that too.

He doesn't realize that even in the tears that ask, "Why am I different?" and the anger that sometimes bubbles up, he is strong. Because after the tears are shed, he laughs again. He continues, without crutch or excuse, to compete with other boys and girls who have no handicap. He continues to overcome and to excel. 

One day, he'll be a man and I'm sure that one day he will come to a crossroads where he either blames God for every difficulty he's experienced as a result of that amputation or he thanks Him for it. What he doesn't see is that every moment of fortitude now will contribute to his thanking God then. He will be able to look back and see how his "handicap" made him stronger. His limping run will carry him through to a steady race of victory. 

Homemade Laundry Soap

My employer shared this recipe and I was absolutely thrilled with the results! The laundry soap was super easy and quick to make and very cost effective. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures. But here is the recipe for you to try!

Homemade Laundry Soap

Cost: about $0.01/load of laundry
Makes: 5 gallons of laundry soap

1 bar of Fels-Naptha
1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax

Shave the bar of soap into small pieces. Heat 1 gallon of water and bring to boil. When the water boils, turn the heat down and add the soap pieces. Stir occasionally until the soap dissolves, then pour the
mixture into a clean 5-gallon bucket. Stir in the borax and washing soda. Fill the bucket the rest of the way with warm water and stir. Place a lid on the bucket and let it sit overnight. After 24 hours, you’ll have a giant gel clot of detergent. Break it up with your hands to make it easier to pour out of the bucket.

*** I added several drops of Lemon Essential Oil to my batch and it left a very mild and pleasant scent to the soap. =)

Use about 3/4 cup of detergent in a regular washing machine and about 1/4 cup in a high-efficiency machine.

Yes the Blog has Changed...Again!!

If I have any followers left, you will see that my blog has changed for the 3rd...or is it 4th?...time since it began. I am now married and living in the yellow house I worked on last summer before life changed so dramatically. Before I became a working wife, homemaker, and a very determined entrepreneur.

My goal is to be working entirely from home by the time my first child is born (which may be a long ways off). With a hubby who still has 2 years of school left to finish, this may be rather difficult to accomplish. Thanks to an AWESOME boss, I am now working from home 2x a week and working outside the home part time. I am doing my best to live frugally, cook healthy (and cheaply) and work towards ridding my home of chemical cleaners and the like. The fun part (dun da dun) will be sharing my efforts with you! Here is my first try:

Super Yummy Country White Bread

Cost: Under $3.00
Makes: 2 good sized loaves

2 T yeast
2 C warm water
1/2 C sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 C oil
1 T Salt
6 1/2 - 7 C Flour

Combine water and yeast and allow to dissolve. Add sugar, salt, eggs, oil, and 3 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Add more flour until mixture is sticky, but smooth. Not dry. Then knead on floured surface and put into greased bowl with a damp towel over top in the oven on low. Let rise 1 hour. Shape into 2 loaves and place into greased loaf pans and let rise another hour. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Now a Mrs.!

My wedding was as beautiful, romantic, memorable, and precious as I could have ever hoped for.

There were no, "oh no! We forgot..." moments. 

No feelings of agitation or frustration.

Just bliss.

My dad and I both cried as we waited to walk up the aisle together. He sang to me "Butterfly Kisses" as the song played all the way up to Jake. There, just before he gave me away, we had our father-daughter dance. Jake watched and waited patiently until my father gave him my hand as the song ended. Candles flickered while Jake and I said our vows and took our first communion. Then, all of a sudden, I was Mrs. Jacob Royer. 

Time flew on January 27th. With happy tears in my eyes, I can easily say it was the most beautiful and perfect day of my life. 

Its incredible how quickly life can change.

Nearly There...

Getting married presents such a strange dichotomy of emotions. On the one hand, you simply CANNOT wait to become one with the love of your life. You can't wait to be a part of everything in his world, to share each day with him. On the other hand, you realize you're leaving home for good.

Over this last year, I've been from my home-state to New York, to Colorado, back to my home-state, to Manitoba, Canada, and back home again. All told, I spent half the year away from home. But each trip was only weeks or months long at most. I always came home. Always unpacked. Always remained a Peterson.

But now I'm packing up for good. My last name is about to change. I'll not be returning home to live with my family. From now on nothing will be the same. So much has changed for me in the last year. A season in life comes to a close. Yet another one springs up in its place fresh and new and full of life. Its a very tender bud in need of shelter and care - that's what my first year of marriage will be about. God willing this young shoot will grow up into something sturdy and ground breaking as my lover and I cultivate what God has gifted us.

May God take the mistakes we've made and the one's we'll make and use them for His glory. May He grow us and change us into a team that will impact the world for Him.

13 more days....

Getting Married

 On

October 17th, 2011

My best friend asked me to marry him.

Of course I said YES.

That's just what you do when someone waits

faithfully for months while you travel. Who listens when you speak.

Who loves you so much you can't believe you're so

blessed as to be the recipient.

Its what you do when you're so incredibly, madly in love

that you can't imagine ever being with anyone else.

Our wedding date is

January 27th, 2012.

And the day can't come fast enough.

I love my "bandanna-dude" and I'm so thankful that

I get to spend the rest of my life as his helper.

Thank you Lord.

Where to Begin?

 

My last two posts talked about a sunrise of adventure on my horizon.

And it has truly been an adventure.

New life has sprouted in me. Though at times it is painful.

Though I've made mistakes. Though I've fought it, I've realized the old me...

Must fall away and die.

There have been glimpses of glory. Long hours of sorrow. 

And I'm still not through the struggles yet.

But I am learning. To love. To live. To adventure. 

To grieve. To hold on and to trust.

And with strength that only comes from Jesus

I know I will one day emerge

Victorious.