Bury My Heart

Love this song..."Bury My Heart on the Mission field, Lord"

New Products!!

Kali and I are very pleased to add two new items to our shop!!

With the winter season coming to a close (hats are not so popular in the summer!), we were weighing our options on what else we could make. Totes were first on the list, as well as a few other items. These 'other items' will hopefully be coming in the not-so-distant future!

So...without further ado...Far Above Rubies presents....

The Vine Tote

and

The Nautical Tote

Hope ya'll love them!!

To check out the new totes, you can click our "Far Above Rubies" button on the side bar to lead you right to our shop! 

Big day!

I can't write this post without telling ya'll that our little boy, Braxton turned 2 today!! I cannot even believe that he is two already. TWO!!! He is such a sweetheart and I am so thankful we get to watch him!

His mom bought him chocolate milk from a coffee shop on their way over, he even got to watch "Blue's Clues" while drinking it. Spoiled boy :)

We are going to his birthday party on Saturday, complete with a bouncy house and cupcakes! Hmm.....I wonder if there is an age limit for the bouncy house.... hehe!

The other 'big event' of the day was that dad went to the eye doctor, revealing his need for glasses! We all met him there to help him pick them out. (Hey, it's a family thing to do right?!) 

He was such a good sport through the picking process. With three women with him, you can imagine all the glasses we were throwing his way! haha! 

We might have had a little fun while picking some out :)

The 'official pick'....doesn't he look so studious?! 

Are you the right kind of woman?

God has really been working on my heart recently about this topic.

When single women get together, sometimes we will discuss what we desire in a future husband. A man of God, strong in his faith and beliefs, good provider, a courageous man willing to stand up for what is right....ect...

The Lord began to work in my life about me. Am I the right kind of woman?  

I pray for my future husband, that the Lord will work in his life spiritually and help him to be the man I need him to be. That the Lord will bring us together in His timing.

Side Note--There is no reason we can't pray for our future husband's, even if we do not know them yet. Actually, it will make it all that much sweeter, knowing that you have prayed for this man for years.

I recently finished a book entitled, "For Women Only".....

I have read this book before, several years ago. I wanted to read this again, as a single adult waiting for God to bring the right man into my life. Sincerely desiring to gain something from this book, to use and apply it to my life now.

Even though I am single, I still have men in my life that I can apply this to. Even so much more, to already have a understanding what I need to be, as a wife, when God does bring the right man along.

I have gained so much from this book.

I had developed such a greater understanding of men, their thought process, and what they need in a relationship. One of the chapters was about respect, how MUCH he needs to feel respected from his wife. Even little things that we may do, to us doesn't seem like we are 'disrespecting' him, but to him it is very disrespectful. It has opened my eyes so much to things and made me reconsider how I respond and talk to the men in my life.

I would HIGHLY, highly recommend this book to any woman, single or married.

I want to be ready when God brings the man into my life. I don't want to make our relationship strained because I don't know how to respect him or make him feel appreciated.

This thought has really gotten me motivated to learn these things now, before I am married, so I can be a better, Godly help meet to my husband. Prayerfully, making our marriage go that much smoother, especially in the beginning stages.

Without going into the entire book, oh and believe me, I could go on and on! I will just encourage you to read the book yourself, if truly desiring to change your thinking, I believe the Lord will open your eyes about men. Prayerfully, not only just hearing and reading more about it, but changing the way we act and think.

This book has been a tremendous blessing to me and I hope it will be to you, as well!

Granola

Just as promised, I want to share with you all the delicious granola recipe I have found!

Earlier this week, I was thinking how delicious granola on yogurt sounded. Mmm! So, on pinterest I went to find a good recipe.

Side note: Pinterest is a great place to go for crafting ideas, recipes, and everything in between!

There was one recipe I based my granola off of, yet I kinda tweaked it a little to our tastes. :)

You can find the original recipe here.

For my first batch, I did 1/2 c. of maple syrup (no honey) and added cinnamon to the mix. Also, for both the batches, I used sliced almonds instead of pecans. It turned out wonderfully and got rave reviews from the fam. The only thing I would do next time is add some more maple syrup (maybe 1 c. instead of 1/2) to make more of those delicious clusters! The maple and cinnamon give it a very warm and yummy taste, plain or on top of yogurt, this is delicious!

The second batch I did today was a little different from the basic recipe, but generally the same idea. I added craisins to the mix this time and added more sticky liquid for more clusters! Tasty!

Honey Craisin Granola

2 c. oats

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. honey

1/4 c. syrup

1 c. coconut

3 T. cooking oil

1 t. vanilla

3/4 c sliced almonds

1 c. craisins

Mix all the ingredients, except the craisins. Pour it into a baking sheet at cook on 300* for 27 minutes. Cool for a little bit, then toss in the craisins!

*Tip*--To keep from any of the granola from browning, its a good idea to stir the mixture half-way in the baking process.

For the craisin granola I did a half batch (above recipe is the half batch) and this is what I got...

Just so you know how much it makes ;)

Let me know if you all try it! My family and I are lovin' the granola on yogurt, in the mornings for breakfast. Healthy and delicious!

P.S. I have changed a few things on my blog, switching things up a bit. Adding, subtracting, and altering....whatcha think?

Favorite Things

A sign resting happily on my bookshelf, a constant reminder to trust in Him.

Beautiful sunshine, with the hopes for spring to be coming soon!

Delicious homemade granola....recipe to come soon :)

Ok, so don't laugh...

BUT....

I am totally in love with my new "puma" socks I bought in AZ. I put them on and was like, "Wow, they are so soft and thick!" I don't think I can ever go back to the "No-nonsense" or whatever off-brands they have out there. I'm tellin' ya people....these are fantastic!

Just to prove it's not just me, and my sometimes weird thinking.

Josh bought some too, and, no joke, he said pretty much the exact same thing I did when he put them on! I was like....."I KNOW! AREN'T THEY JUST AWESOME?!" He was just as pleased and obsessing about them as I was.

It's the small things in life that make your day extra special :)

In my Absence

For the remaining month of February, after this post, I was pretty silent on my blog which can be normal sometimes for me. :) Yet, I did have a good reason for it this time! I was helping my brother move down to AZ and spent some time down there!

We had a great time! Liz (Josh's girlfriend) came up to help him get things all packed up and assist in the moving process as well. Mom, Josh, Liz, Gauge and I piled in Josh's car, then Tony (Josh's friend moving down to be his roommate/for a change) was in his car, with his dog. The trip took two FULL days, but it was fun! Lots of laughter, games, eating, and sleeping.

Beatiful scenery in Utah

Mom and I spent several days in Tucson, AZ, helping Josh get settled in and spending time visiting with him, as well as the Anderson family. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and getting to know each other more. All to soon it was time to say goodbye to Josh, for the time being....

My aunt lives about 2 hours from Josh's new home, so we were able to spend several days with her! We had such a fun time going to the 'Arabian Horse Show', thrifting, and lots, and LOTS of laughter!

Uncle Charlie and cousin Christopher

We were even able to spend some time with our friends, the Dunnam family! Mom and I spent most of Sunday with them, going to their wonderful church and having sweet fellowship with dear friends.

Far, far too quickly it was time for mom and I to fly home. We had a wonderful time spent with family, new friends, old friends, and lets not forget the BEAUTIFUL weather we were enjoying! Yet, we were happy to come back home, even if it was in the 30's :)

~I didn't want to overload ya'll with pictures, but if you would like to see more I have about 1,001 (mayyyybe a stretch on the number) on facebook~

Quarter of a Century!

Happy 25th Birthday to Kali today!!

My sister, my friend

Love you lots and can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for you this year!

“Sister. She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.”

~Barbara Alpert~

Love this quote! Except, I totally do not wish I was an only child :)