Random Life from Green to Changing Colors

This was posted on October 15, 2018 by Sarah Maxwell.

What an exciting last 5 weeks it’s been since I shared Random Life! The Lord’s gracious touch was very evident in my life as I hit my copyeditor deadline. Now, the book is back from our copyeditor, and we’re in the final two weeks of getting it ready for the printer. We can’t wait to introduce it next month!

Autumn is really here. Leaves twirling off trees, hillsides changing into hues of yellow, orange, and brown, rainy, cozy days, crisp temperatures–it’s beautiful.

We love seeing God’s faithfulness in every minute of our lives. He wants us to seek Him, in the hard times and in the good times. One thing we’re praising Him for is on the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson this past weekend! We’ve prayed for his freedom for the past two years, and we’re all thrilled with the news.

I’d love to hear one thing you’re blessed by today!

Love,
Sarah

Anna helped Anna Marie and girls make burritos for the freezer.

Cooking up tortillas (Costco frozen ones)

One hot Saturday (yes, we’ve literally gone back and forth from
warm front to cool front to warm to cool!),
Anna and Dad did a lot of yard work.
They verti-cut the lawn and then seeded.

The girls did balloons and face painting at a local church event, and I took pictures for the church.

Nathan and Melanie enjoyed a camping trip to Colorado!

Mom cat-sat the cats.

Jesse’s birthday–and so many happy helpers

Look at this group!

A pizza-picnic

Mom and Dad do a monthly shopping run.

Baking!

Mom reading to Calia.

Tina and Arnold

Anna took this crew on a walk.

We watched Nathan and Melanie’s crew one night.

GiGi leaving on a trip.

Anna accompanied Melanie and kids to Science City in downtown KC (Mary’s been busy with illustrations for my book).

A special aunties’ play time walk to a great field.

Jesse unloading after one of Dad and Mom’s shopping trip

Nathan had a business trip, and we had guests,
so this was the crew one night!

So blessed to be able to spend time with my friend!

We took our friends to the Deanna Rose Farmstead
along with Lidsy and Ruthie.

Bottle feeding the goats.

They liked Mary.

Family picture sneak peek! Yes! We actually got it done the end of September. So perfect. Can’t wait to share more.

Betsy and Anna eating ice cream on errands one day.
(Note: Betsy only got in the front seat while they were parked to eat the ice cream.)

Babysitting, and Mom came with Calia to take over

Little Benji loves Ellie

Calia turned three!

Nathan and kiddos campaigning.

Guests for lunch!

Caught in the rain, lol!

Life Chain day, and we made signs at the last-minute.

Anna Marie and Melanie

This had to be my closing photo. I captured this yesterday after family lunch. LOVE IT!

“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:23-24

Cherry Tart

This was posted on October 12, 2018 by Teri Maxwell.

Do remember our Austrian blog friend who sent us a cherry stoner (see this post)? She also sent us her favorite cherry tart recipe, which we wanted to try out with the cherries we stoned and froze. We usually make pies, cobblers, and crisps with fruit, but we hadn’t made a tart before so it was fun to try something new.

We served this dessert recently when we had weekend guests. We all agreed. It is delicious.

Cherry Tart

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 lb. cherries

Beat butter with hand mixer until fluffy. Then beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in sugar. Continue until everything is really fluffy. Then fold in flour with baking powder. Mix only until everything is combined.

Pour into baking dish. (I use a round one about 9 inch diameter). Then let the cherries sink in. You can use even more than 1 pound of cherries. Bake at 350° until golden brown. Serve warm or cold, with or without vanilla ice cream. It’s delicious!

“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness;
and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips” (Psalm 63:5).

Part 3: The Book Writing Process

This was posted on October 10, 2018 by Sarah Maxwell.

“I think it would be very educational (not to mention fascinating) for you to guide us blog readers through the process of writing a book. From the initial idea to the finished product, step-by-step.” A blog reader

(You can catch up on Part 1 and Part 2.)

To recap, we looked at the first steps to writing a book:

Ideas
Outline
Character Profiles
Pre-Book Trial Run
First Draft

The sixth step I will refer to as Editing. That one simple word entails so much more. Depending on my time deadlines and family availability, the way I accomplish this varies a little. One thing I plan on: editing takes at least twice as long as writing the first draft.

I jump in at the very beginning and start re-writing. Word by word, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. Some of the things I work on are making the story come alive, pacing it well, and ensuring a smooth flow.

The first edit is a rough edit round. I’m not fine-tuning yet.

As I’m in the midst of the rough edit, we begin a family read-aloud in the evenings, reading what I just edited. In the fiction/non-fiction authors’ world, they have critique partners, because one can’t possibly brainstorm all the possibilities by one’s self. I’ve been blessed to have all that in house!

I track changes while the family gives feedback, and then I implement their suggestions. From there, I continue to edit, rewrite, polish, edit, dream, and edit some more.

When I am down to the finish line with the text, Anna does an edit. She makes notes and comments about things I can improve and helps me on specific areas. In my current book, she’s responsible for adding quite the sparkle to different sections.

Mom also edits. Her fresh ideas are amazing. In addition, I ask Dad to do a paper read-through. He’s the practical, analytical mind, so if something doesn’t make sense, he’ll catch it.

Beyond this, I do more editing, bringing in the fine-tuning part. These rounds are on paper.

It’s thrilling for me to see the story become what I’ve dreamed. I can’t wait to introduce you to my newest book next month!

But there’s more to this book journey, so stay tuned.

Love,
Sarah

My little nephew, Benji, and myself recently

“And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
1 John 1:4

Grandma Teaches Swimming Lessons

This was posted on October 8, 2018 by Teri Maxwell.

The past two summers a friend offered the use of her above-ground pool to Nathan and Melanie for me to give their children swimming lessons. While we don’t go to public pools anymore because of modesty concerns, I was a lifeguard and swimming instructor in my teen years.

We set up a schedule to have two lessons a week for five weeks. I worked individually with each of the four older children for a 1/4 hour lesson every lesson day. The children were cooperative, worked hard, practiced between lessons, and made great progress.

Another friend with a big, inground pool allowed us to do our last two lessons there. That gave the children the opportunity to swim in deep water and for longer stretches.

I gave the children home-made certificates for their accomplishments as they passed various swimming levels, and I documented their progress for Nathan and Melanie. This year my friend with the inground pool offered to let us use it for an extra session where each child could show Nathan and Melanie what they learned.

I love working with my grandchildren, teaching them to swim and helping them with skills that could be lifesaving in an emergency.

Nathan and Melanie put on a family pizza party as a thank you and gave me a gift card for a haircut and another one for the coffee shop next to the hair salon. The children gave me a best-swimming teacher certificate and thank you notes. Doesn’t that melt a Grandma’s heart?

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

“Children’s children are the crown of old men;
and the glory of children are their fathers.” Proverbs 17:6

A Practical Way to Show Love

This was posted on October 6, 2018 by Sarah Maxwell.

This Sunday afternoon, October 7th, is an opportunity for you to join others around the nation, showing love for the unborn children, through LifeChain.

Abortion not only destroys the child’s life but the mother’s as well. LifeChain is a way to share truth and love! People hold signs and pray along public roads.

To find a LifeChain in your area, see this link. Once you go to the site, you can see a state listing to the left. You might have to right-click and choose to open the state in a New Tab. That’s the way I was able to view Kansas.

Invite your friends, and show your love and support for your unborn neighbor. After all, they are our littlest neighbors. “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:39

“Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer,
and he that formed thee from the womb,
I am the LORD that maketh all things;
that stretcheth forth the heavens alone;
that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.”
Isaiah 44:24

Gigi

This was posted on October 5, 2018 by Teri Maxwell.

Many of you greeted GiGi, my mom, on her birthday when we posted about that. I thought you might like to know a little more about how her life is impacted with so many Maxwells living close to her. She is a greatly-beloved mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Even at 86, she invests in her family, and they invest in her.

She enjoys family fellowship time:

Taco Tuesday at Nathan and Melanie’s
Lunch out with me on Wednesday and then grocery shopping together.
Dinner at Christopher and Anna Marie’s Wednesday evening.
Dinner here on Saturdays.

On weekdays, Melanie and her children go over to GiGi’s house to put her American flag up outside and say the Pledge of Allegiance with her. After flag time, she walks with Anna Marie and her children in the morning.

During the school year, Abby and Bethany each had an afternoon a week when they went to GiGi’s house to work a puzzle for 3/4 hour.

This summer GiGi helped Abby, Bethany, and Christina on their Bible Bee study having a girl over for 1/2 hour a week on different days. She listens to Joshua read aloud for 45 minutes once a week.

On Fridays, most of the great-grandchildren come over, with Aunt Anna and Aunt Mary to help oversee them, for an hour of playtime and reading time.

GiGi is often included in outings that Nathan and Melanie or Christopher and Anna Marie make with their children.

If someone’s washing machine is broken, they do laundry at her house, and the clothes are folded when they return to pick them up.

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri