Virtuous Girlhood

Attention Moms! Money Saving Mom Sale!

Here is a link to somthing we bought yesterday… it is a BLOWOUT sale!  Being held by Crystal Paine here is the link!

But hurry in because after today the price is upped three dollars so hurry and get your ebook download package for $8.97!

Enjoy!

R.J.

Mattsen’s House

Hello!

 Last Friday we went down to the Mattsen’s house! We had a lot of fun! First, when we went down there, we went inside the garden and helped S.R. weed,  as she is going to Maryland for three weeks with her grandmother.   They have such a big garden! I wish we had a big one! They have, corn, broccoli, peas, carrots, brussels sprouts, Kohlrabi, lettuce, spinach, beets, onions, squash, watermelon, tomatoes, and I cannot remember what else!  After about 15 minutes, we went in and talked for a little bit while the little ones played then we headed down to the basement and played dress-up with the our little ones and C, and J, 2  and 3 year old boys. ( SR’s brothers!) We played little woman! They have the most perfect dress-up clothes! After that we went outside and picked mulberries and weeded some more. Then we went in for a snack. And then  we said goodbye to their baby chickens , and them.

It was a fun day!

Thanks, Mattsens! Hope  your trip goes well, S.R.

His Handmaiden,

R.J.

Ice Cream And Construction Site

Mom and Dad decided to treat us to icecream at the McDonald’s right behind our subdivision.  After we ate our treat, Mom and Dad said we could ride around on our bikes in a field that had been plowed by bulldozers. JR thought that was fun! (I am sure any 6 1/2 year old boy would!) But it was kind of hard to ride on. They have built a Walgreen’s (that is doing quite well) and are now building an Auto Zone & Ace Hardware. I do not know why they are building those things when we have 2 hardware places and 2 auto places in Wauconda! Makes no sense to me……. Then Mom and Dad let us drive down a big, big, big (dirt) hill. And, yes, I did it, to. It was quite fun! (grin) Just JA did not do it. But he walked on it.

Well, reading time awaits me,

R.J.

StRaWbErRy PiCkInG!

On Tuesday the 8th of July 2008 we went strawberry picking! Unfortunately Mom, A, and Noah could not go because our big van is STILL not working! So the rest of us went; we picked 4 baskets of delicious strawberries! But, that was easier than when we came home (as our clothes were full of red stains because we kept kneeling on mushy strawberries in the rows……) The girls washed them, then N and I started cutting off the berry tops. After that we put them on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets and froze them about 20-30 minutes, then took them off, bagged them, and popped them inside our freezer. We repeated the process till it was all done (about mid-afternoon ). Our clothes were even more full of red stuff than before; thankfully, Shout! saved the day!) :O

The younger children got into the strawberries and were eating them, which made it difficult for us to work! Oh, well! I guess they are made to be eaten

I had better go!

Blessings,

R.J.

P.S. This is a little late as well… our van is working!

ICHE

Well, ICHE is over so here are some bullet points about what I enjoyed and what I did (a little belated but…)

• I loved looking at all the booths! There are so many good books; unfortunately I had spent my money - to by a sewing machine, which was a good investment. So I just got Mom’s things in between vendor responsibilities.
• I liked it that the Bentz’s and Giberts provided snacks and drinks for the vendors! Thank you; they were much appreciated! (They were free, too.)
• I also liked it that we were able to bring our own food this time. Yea!
• I love talking to people and being able to further the family mission
• I liked this building better than the St. Charles Resort because it is easier to get around and faster getting back to the booth! :O
• I loved getting the chance to talk about one of my favorite series! The Lamplighter Classics.
• Oh, and please pray for the Bob Schultz family as Mr. Schultz passed away; read the following or follow this link HERE: www.iche.org/blog

To everyone who has stood with us…Honestly, I can’t stop smiling - my daddy is in the presence of His Master and Lord. His passage was easy and peaceful; he fought well and finished strong. I am so privileged to be his daughter and to have really come to know his heart and share in his passions: his love for his God, for everyday living, for relationships and for work. I’ve said it before, and I am proud to say it again, he was a great man of God and he is leaving behind a family who is grateful for his towering presence that will remain in our lives forever. My family and I are so grateful for each of you and for all your support, service and prayers during this time. May God richly bless every one of you.Beginning a new adventure with joy,
Betsy Schultz.

Many of you have expressed interest in helping the Schultz family cover expenses. They would deeply appreciate any help. Please make your check to Betsy Schultz and mail it to:

Great Expectations Book Company
Att.: Betsy Schultz
PO Box 2067
Eugene, Oregon 97402

Thanks for walking alongside the Schultz family during this difficult time.

Blessings,
ICHE Board

Wow, what a beautiful testimony. We love his books. Please continue to pray for the Schultz family!

Blessings,

R.J.

Facing The Giants

We absolutely love this movie! It is a family favorite! Here are some parts of the movie that spoke to me:

• I love how Mr. Bridges came into Coach Taylor’s office, encouraging him to trust in the Lord, not to look to his circumstances.
• I love how Coach Taylor and his team learned to depend on God and saw Him use them to impact others.
• I love how it inspired us as a family to work together as a team.
• I love how funny the Kendrick Brothers made the movie.

Even if you are not a football fan, this is one movie you have to watch! The movie is filled with examples of trusting in the Lord, honoring Him, and much more! I like the fact that this is one movie that we do not have to fast-forward or move to the next chapter because of little eyes. It is/has been such a blessing to watch!

Blessings,

R.J.

Sewing & Bread Making Classes

Well, today I am going to tell you about Mom’s bread-making classes and sewing classes at the Long Grove Rec Department.

We are starting the sewing classes in September on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, ending in late October. We are still doing the lessons with Miss Sandy and Miss Cindy, two moms with their daughters.

The bread-making classes start on October 21st, so we have a bread-making class the day before a sewing class! Talk about busy :O We have another bread-making class on November 18th. So that should keep us on our toes for the fall!

Well, I had better run!

Blessings,

R.J.M.

5 Favorite TV Series

Here are 5 of my favorite TV series:

1. Road To Avonlea: 10 star rating, as they portray family life at its best!
2. The Waltons: A 9 star rating, not a 10, only because of the dating aspect.
3. The Andy Griffith show: A 10 star rating!
4. Laura And Mary: A 9 star rating.
5. Christy :A 9 star rating (only because she chooses an unmarried man and finds out later that he is married.)

Blessings,

R.J.

Success

To most modern girls the meaning of success is this: Success means to go to college get a degree, have wealth, fame and power.

But is that the right meaning??? No. I would much rather be able to say to God: I was a faithful daughter, sister and friend, than say: I have wealth, fame, power, and a college degree. These girls are being duped into thinking that they NEED all of these things. They don’t. A girl’s life should be focused at home. Now, I am not saying that they need to stay locked up in the home. No. Their main focus should be to honor and obey their parents. If their parents have a business, they can help them in that. But even if they cannot help with the business, they can help with the home. Now, you may think,”Ugh! I want to do something fun! Why do they always have to make me help with my younger siblings or clean up after them?” I struggle with this too. I know what it is like. Like my mom says, “Life is not a bed of roses and fairy tales. It’s hard!” It’s very tiring to bring up the laundry and find drawers (that you just straightened) all a mess….. But when we do our jobs without grumbling and complaining, we are blessing our parents and God. So girls, choose this day which term of success you will follow. I, for one, pick being a faithful daughter.

Keep looking up, for He is sovereign!

His Handmaiden,

R.J.

Entrepreneurity

My sisters and I have had a few entrepreneurial ventures … such as selling cookies during our village garage sales, when we were 7 & 5 or 8 & 6. Then we sold Christmas cookies at the front of our Dad’s work at 9 & 7. Also, we have sold cookies in front of a Wal-Mart at 9 & 7 - that was a failure! Then this year we sold chocolate chip cookies and muffins two times at a different Wal-Mart. One of those was a disaster as the weather kept people from stopping by but the second time was not bad.

One other thing we tried with cookies was by passing out a flyer to our neighbors, but we did not get one sale. We also tried to sell bonnets at Liberty Day, but that was another flop.

I hope to get a sewing business, plus a web hosting business up when I’m a little older. If you want to start your own business, go ahead! My suggestion would be to first get a blog and go from there, if you want an online business, that is. That’s the main reason why I got this one!

For example, if you wanted a sewing business: First get a blog, start advertising on it, then get someone to do your web-hosting. Mr. & Mrs. DeCourcey, of Bellweather Webhosting are really good! Hint…hint. They have done all of ours. Then add the information onto your website.

Of course, you will need to go to the bank to open a checking account, if you are an adult or young adult. But I believe children can make up to a certain dollar amount without having these additional responsibilities. If they go over that, then have to set it up like an adult’s business. To do that, you have to research what your village or county laws are concerning starting a business. My parents had to come up with a business name, fill out paper work, get that notarized and take it to the County Clerk’s office, and pay a $5.00 fee. Then they took that information to one of the newspapers the County recommended, to announce the business name, and paid another $70.00 for three weeks of publication. They are still waiting for their certificate for their new business, but it should be here soon.

After that, all you have to do is get your customers to come. That may take awhile though, depending on your keywords, how you enter your website into search engines, how much time you have to invest in visiting other blogs etc. to get your website known.

Another example of a business is a jewelry business, if you like making jewelry.

So, if you want to start a business, first ask your parents, then pray about it and may God bless your efforts!!!!!!!

Blessings,

His Handmaiden,

R.J.

Check out my parent’s businesses and blog at:

www.faithandfamilybooks.com

www.robntbusinesssolutions.com

www.faithandfamilybooks.com/faithandfamilyblog

How Hard Is It???

• How hard is it to eat a brownie with an almost 5 month old trying to eat it??
• How hard is it to take a shower with a two year old threatening to pull the curtain down (that has been known to fall down while the boys have been in the tub) while she is on the potty?
• How hard is it to cook, keep the 5 year old out of the sugar plus watch a two year old who’s trying to steal a cookie???
• How hard is it to shuck corn while the 5 year old and 2 year old are eating it????
• How hard is it to hang out laundry while the two year old and 5 year old are sneaking outside??
• How hard is it to get a grumpy two year old dressed and and her hair done?
• How hard is it to keep a hungry 6 year old boy from asking the question: “When is supper going to be ready?” and without blowing your top???
• How hard is it to keep your room clean when there are four people living in your room who think your desk & dresser are catch-alls??
• How hard is it to keep the dishes out of the sink when you have almost 100+ dishes per day for a family of nine??

The answer to all these is: Drum roll, please…..

VERY HARD!

Hope that brings a to your day!

Keep looking up,

H.H,

R.J.

P.S. All of this is true!!

7 Favorite Movies

These are some of my favorite movies. Enjoy!

• The Return Of The Daughters: A ten star rating!
• Facing The Giants: Also a ten star rating!
• Anne Of Green Gables: A 9 star rating.
• Swiss Family Robinson (old version): An 8 star rating.
• A Little Princess (old version): A 10 star rating.
• Chariots Of Fire (Eric Liddell) An 8 star rating.
• Sara, Plain And Tall: A 9 star rating.

I consider Facing The Giants & Return Of The Daughters well worth watching; you can gain a lot from these two films. “A job well done,” to both the Kendricks and Botkins!

Blessings,

R.J.

Sewing Lessons

Well, Mom started sewing lessons with two moms and their daughters. So there are10  extra people coming here every Tuesday afternoon! It’s a lot of fun. We will be making doll dresses.

We went to  Jo-Ann Fabrics last Tuesday, June 24 (that was the first lesson) and they picked out some really, really nice fabrics. The doll dress is a sundress with a jacket. I have a link HERE: It is the bottom left dress.

Then for the next lesson we had them cut out squares, pin them together and then sew them together. This was for practice. We all had a lot of fun! I cannot wait for the next lesson! The girls did really well! Even one of the 5-year-olds did it!!!!!!!!! Good job, girls!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I must go.

Blessings,

R.J.

HaPpY 4th Of JuLy!

Yesterday, we went to the Yen family’s house for a Fourth of July party. We had a lot of fun! Besides our family, there was the Chidlow family, the Erber family, and the Webb family.

Our big van broke down so Dad drove B, N, A and me down first in our 7 passenger and went back for the rest of the family. Meanwhile, we played a game of badminton ( I am horrible at it!). Thank goodness S , B, And Tara were better than me! The Yens had a fun game called Sjolen - a Dutch game, in which you slide wooden puck-like things into slots and try to score the highest points. I think Josiah Erber won. No, Mom just told me Joanna did!

While waiting for our turns at Sjolen, Tara, E Chidlow, her younger sister S, B, and I played a game of croquet. Then, right before dinner they had an egg toss. I did not participate, as I am not fond of getting egg on me. Poor Mrs. Erber got the worst of it! Jonathan Erber & Seth Webb won one round and Joseph Erber & Ethan Webb won the other one, but Joseph and Ethan won the final round! Then we ate dinner.

After dinner, Tara Yen rowed (some of the boys did, as well) on their pond. We finished with dessert and singing and talked some more. We had a fun time Yens! Thanks for having us. Oh, and I almost forgot that Mr. Yen drove us girls home! Thanks for the ride in your fun car!

I have included a recipe that we like:

Cupcakes

White cake cupcakes (a mix or homemade)

Cool whip

Strawberries (washed and hulled) or blueberries.

First make the cupcakes, then when cool, top with cool whip and strawberries!

This is so easy to make! And everyone likes them

Well, that’s all for now!

R.J.