March 11th, 1944

Are the Guinea pigs teasing the cat or is the cat teasing the guinea pigs?

Another round of wringing out our clothes before they go in the dryer.

Just call us the Ingalls of the 'twenty-tens'.

Use those muscles, Lily!

Cute little baby ties!!!

They are so little.

Just adorable.

Why did I not think of making ties when my kids were little!!

Think I could get my boys to wear matching homemade ties for Easter?

They are not little anymore but would be just as adorable!!!

On a different note, today would be my dad's 70th birthday. I wonder what life would have been like if my dad had not passed away back in 1993. He was only a few months into his 49th year when he died. I was 24. If Jeff passed away next year at this time he would be the same age my dad died. That is pretty mind blowing to think about. My dad's death was not a surprise but it still was a shock, if that makes sense. Although he was so sick, I still thought up until he died that he would be like the man whose friends lowered down through the ceiling in Mark 2. I thought God would heal my dad physicaly here on earth.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 2:1-12


My dad was at the time of his death legless. He had been on kidney dialysis for close to seven years. He was blind. He was confused. He had Juvenal Diabetes since he was a teen and then years of drug and alcohol addiction ravaged his physical body. So,so,so extremely sad. So sad to watch your own father, make choices that destroyed him as well as our whole family. I would have given anything to make my dad better again. Although diabetes is not a kind disease and the long term effects of his diabetes would have eventually appeared, it was the addictions that robbed us of our dad. I also personally think it sped up his diabetes.

In the last year or so of my dad's life he accepted Jesus as his personal savior. I had prayed for years and years and years for my dad. I had a dream about a year before he died that my step mom called. In my dream she said, "your dad died but he wanted me to tell you something. I do not know what it means but he said he would see you behind the gate." I knew that that was when my dad accepted Christ into his heart.

Well, for my dad God did not do things exactly the way he did for the paralyzed man, but he did do what he did for the paralyzed man. He forgave my dad's sins and my dad was able to pick up his mat and walk carrying it right into God's kingdom for eternity.

I still sometimes wonder what things would have been like if my dad was still here. Then sometimes I am thankful he died when he did.

For those who know me well,know I am a night owl. Well, it was late at night when my dad was the most peaceful, calm, and clearheaded. My dad was not often stressed or hyper or angry or violent late at night. He was not weepy or sad. He was happy. He wanted to be with us. If we were lucky to get to spend time with my dad late at night and have a midnight snack with him, it was like being princesses in a golden city. Growing up it was the night that was filled with hope and not the morning. Mornings in our house growing up were usually unsettling, unnerving, and scary. I wonder if that is partly why I am still a night owl and wake up mornings fighting off dread and butterflies in my tummy. Isn't that interesting.

This is one of my favorite pictures. I know I showed you before but here is my mom (17)and my dad (19). This was I believe 1963/64.

For fun I dug out pictures of Grant and Alan close to my dad's age in the picture.

Grant a few months shy of 18 in this picture

Alan I believe is 16 in this picture.

My dad would have liked my kids.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

A Tie is a Tie

I could not think of anything clever to say. I am very tired and I did not do much at all today. Not a whole lot physically,anyway. I corrected some school, settled few squabbles, cleaned a bathroom, and made a tasty coffee cake. I had to do more than that...

Our wash machine works but decided to not spin! I had to hand wring out a few loads before I put them in the dryer. Thanks goes to Elena, Josh, and Joyce for helping. At at least five loads of laundry a day, wringing out the clothes by hand is going to get old very fast. But I am looking at it as a minor hick-up in life...

Yesterday, I made this adorable little boys tie.

It is about a size 4-6.

I hope to make at least one more tie out of the other three fabrics. Some fabrics I will also be making matching girl dresses. Actually, all of the fabric,with the exception of the dark blue paisley one, I bought with the intention of making girl dresses but then I thought to myself, "wouldn't it be fun to offer matching ties?" Presto! A vision is born! I wish I was not so tired this evening. My mind is swirling with sewing ideas. But to bed I will go.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Looking Back: The Dragonfrye News August 2005

Was life ever easier?

I can not remember.

Wait!

Let's dig out our first ever issue of our homeschool newspaper

The Dragonfrye News!

Before my blog.

When the family was less than half the size it is now.

When I still had my marbles...at least more of them than I seem to have now.

I do not think I ever yelled or got hyper back then...

Ok, I just choose to have a selective memory.

I did yell and did get very hyper.

But do not make me take off those rose colored glasses I am wearing.

~Sigh~

Life was good.

Life is good.

Good looks different at different times.

Ok and I am NOT listening to Alice Cooper as I write this blog post.

No. Not.

It is not a reflection of my mood right now.

All is good.

For the record I would be SO upset if the kids listened to Alice Cooper.

Kids, do as I say not as I am doing right now.

Some of the kids (Elena, Grant, Alan, Josh, and Joel) and I had a good time reading all of our old issues of The Dragonfrye News tonight.

They are so fun.

We Fryes are just a family of goofs...

And proud of it.

Wasn't that sweet!

Yes, we did hand The Dragonfrye News out to our family and friends.

At the time this was written Elena was 11, Grant was 10, Alan was 8, Nolan was 5, Josh was 4, Anya was 2, and Joel was not quite a year old.

We had just hit our 12 year wedding anniversary.

We had been living in Waseca 2 years.

We had just made the transition from Evergreen Community church in the cities,which had been our church home for over 19 years, to Christ Community church here in Waseca.

And the thought of adoption was just in it's infancy.

Wow!

How things have changed in these past nine years!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Not So Fine But Yet Still Ok

I have been pretty stressed lately.

There has been quite a bit of conflict here.

It is not just particular people but a little of everyone chimes in with issues.

It is important for teens to practice stretching their wings but so many at once?

I am in the same boat as most of you and I should not fuss too much about it. It is what it is.

Time moves on and the kids grow.

And I am growing. Becoming a better Tina. I hope so, anyway. I kind of feel I am moving backwards.

The difficult toddler years are a distant memory and so will the teen years be soon enough.

Oh,peace.

I long for peace.

So what do I do?

Sew!!!

I mean sew like crazy.

Super crazy.

I did sew some very beautiful dresses,though.

I did not fully edit these pictures yet but I wanted to let you see what I have been pouring my stress into. My model was playing Barbies and could not seem to fit taking pictures into her schedule today. Understandable. And I would have had to comb her hair. Not in the mood for that,anyway.

I can not decide which one I like the best.

This first one is eyelet fabric. So dainty and feminine.

Bright and bold zinnias.

I just love owls!!

This is a very unique dress. Not every child would care to wear bird cages on their dress but the colors are SO bright and happy.

This fabric reminds me of the french countryside. It is so dreamy, elegant, and pretty.

I do wish I could wear a-line dresses as well as little girls do. My caboose is just a bit big.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Pancakes: Good Eating

8 cups of milk
8 eggs
2 sticks melted butter
8 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
a few tbs lemon juice

makes enough of these for the whole crew.

Nothing better than a sneak taste hot off the griddle

I tried to jazz some pancakes up by making grapefruit syrup.

Why grapefruit?

It was the one and only piece of fruit we had in the fridge and I was feeling adventurous.

Have you ever tried to squeeze juice out of an almost frozen grapefruit?

Not easy.

All in all, the process of making the syrup was fun but it did not have much taste.

Good thing we also had maple syrup.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Vintage Valentine's Trip to Paris

Lily is just a little spunky model!

We had fun taking pictures of the two dresses I finished this evening.

Grant's Ghana hat and Nolan's old cowboy boots are a must as our shoot props.

Here is one I will call A Trip to Paris.

This one is Vintage Valentine It turned out very pretty.

I added some vintage looking buttons to the front as well as a last minute impulse I added the ecru cotton lace over the red hem band. It is so pretty. Too bad I missed Valentine's this year! I put it in my Etsy shop anyway.

Jeff and Elena went to a Love Out Loud concert in Minneapolis tonight and look what they brought home for me!!! So kind!!! Yummy almond bark. It is one of my all time favorite treats! They bought this at the Minneapolis store but I grew up in Stillwater and remember a candy store in downtown Stillwater. I wonder if it is was called Candyland store back then.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Thursday, February 27th, 2014

A candid shot of Elena with her new Family Force 5 hat

A sneak peek at two almost finished dresses for my Etsy shop.

A day in Paris

and My Funny Valentine

A long ago memory that warms my heart

Elena (3) and Grant (2) in 1997

Two peas in a pod

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

A Blustery Wednesday

I called our utility company this morning to double check our high bill. She did indeed confirm that it was NOT a typo nor was it a meter mistake.

~Sigh~

Large families, drafty old houses, extreme cold, and chilly feet are not a good mix. It makes for a high bill. She said we will have one more rather high bill this next month and then it should lower. Gee, our house is heated by gas primarily but because of the cold we had turned on the supplemental electric wall heaters. That must have been what added that extra to the bill. I am very nervous to get the gas bill.

On a very sweet note Joel made me a Night Rhymes book. He added this original night rhyme. This is going to be a keeper!

I finished the dress that matches the skirt I made last night. The dress turned out wonderful!

I putzed around taking pictures of it with the help of my model. The pictures turned out pretty good but would have been that much better in day light.

Stay warm Thursday. It is going to be another cold day in this now Dome-less state.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Just Having Fun

I have been looking forward to using this fabric all week.

Isn't it so pretty? The skirt turned out very good.

I have an a-line dress cut out that I hope to make today if I have time.

Maybe I will put them in my Etsy shop as a sibling set. I have seen other shops do that.

Cute teeny tiny Golden Books. I ♥heart♥ you teeny tiny Golden Books.

I quadrupole ♥♥♥♥heart♥♥♥♥ you sweet Lily.

I do NOT ♥ heart ♥ you utility bill.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy