Week of Pictures Six-- And then Spring Came

Howdy! I'm here with my long overdo week of pictures. :) 

I'm feeling pretty excited with summer coming on! We actually broke records here in Shibetsu for hottest April-- it got to 77F here this week, which is crazy! Our summers are always mild compared to many places, so it came as a surprise to us all. :P 

Josiah's 10th Birthday!

Hello! :)

Another birthday has passed...this time it was Josiah's! He turned ten years old! 

Week of Pictures, Five-- Us and Life

Hi! How are you all doing? Sorry it has taken so long to get another installment of these posts up!

In Memory of Meme

I'm writing this post in memory of my grandma, whom we called Meme. She went to be with the Lord on March 6th, 2015. 

New Simply Sisters Photos!

 Howdy, everybody!

This post has taken us a while to write! We wanted to get new pictures for the blog since last fall, but.... let's just say it never happened. :P We finally went out and took some pictures in the woods next to our house last Sunday, ending up with both of our cameras dying on us-- (Read: we forgot to make sure the batteries were charged enough...on both!) 

Then I was having one technical difficulty after another trying to get them uploaded, and then downloaded, and then edited (Abigail's camera took them all on a blue filter, yikes! lol) ... don't ask me why I've been running into little quirks lately, because my things normally work really well. I guess it's just "When it rains, it pours" isn't it? 

Finally, I beat modern technology into submission... ha-ha! Ah, that was a good feeling when I found ways around every single one of the problems! So even though it's not like it's that important of a post, I'm thrilled to finally write this one up. :) 

Little Things, 3

**Post written February 6th, 2015-- I apologize for the delay in publishing it.**

Yesterday and today we've been busy mudding the walls in our bedroom. By supper time last night, Abigail, Daddy and I were all ready to be finished for the day to eat!

We wanted to do another Favorite Little Things post, since those are fun, and also help Abs and I to realize how many little things we really are blessed with! :) 

Week of Pictures, 2

Well, a bit more than a week, I'm afraid, lol! So I have a bunch of pictures to show you. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

I hope you've had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Increasing, Decreasing

Hello!
This is a very common verse but so powerful! I wonder if we think about what it means enough!

Little things, 2

Because the "Little Things" post turned out to be our most popular, I decided to do another one, this time with both mine and Abigail's answers to our "favorite little things" of the past few weeks.
We also decided to add five random facts about each of us at the end, and we'd like to hear five random facts about you! ;) So don't forget to comment below, or send an email. :) Also, go ahead and click the response boxes below! :D

So here are a few of our favorite little things this past few weeks.

Windy at the beach--our visit to Teshio

When most people think of going to the beach, they picture a cloudless blue sky, bright sand, and lots of sun. So it's rather funny that most of the times I've been to beaches in my life the day has been beautifully gray, to match the water, and the sand is black. And the water is frothy and cold.

Cupcakes and Books

Here is hoping you are having a lovely and wonderful day!
We have been keeping busy and enjoying life, but have quite a few posts lined up. Now to buckle down and write them.... ;)
I made cupcakes last week when we had guests over for supper. It was a last minute thing but I was so pleased how they turned out! Often simplicity is the best kind of beauty.




Lately I have been thinking about my life and what it means. The future is not always clear, and I don't always know what the upcoming years have in store for me. But it doesn't really matter. I know the One who understands my entire life and knows exactly what He wants me to do. And so I'll leave it up to Him.
I have been deeply moved by these verses the past few days:

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 40:3-5

I have read these verses many times but lately they have become so meaningful to me. It's the first part that really moves me. "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,". We do live in a spiritual wilderness, but I wonder if we are crying out enough. We do not know when Jesus will return.


On a different note, have you ever read The Headhunter's Bride? I recently read that book and really enjoyed it! It was so much different than I expected. The missionary bride was not your typical American/British etc. She was Japanese! I was thrilled to read about a Japanese missionary woman. It was a pleasant surprise. It was a very good book, (although if you are still younger than I, or have a weak stomach, perhaps you might not like it as much). The characters were nice, and it was also a very interesting setting. Although at first I couldn't think of where "Formosa" was...at the dinner table with my family, we discovered it is what is now Taiwan. :P I had never even thought about aboriginal people in Taiwan! Your learn something new every day. :)
It spans the last half of the missionary woman's life, including the Japanese invasions and then WWII. I won't tell you any more... ;) (it's not a romance though, in case you were not wanting to read that). I'm just wondering now if it's a true story or just based on real things that happened.

Well anyways, I need to go. Every one of you enjoy your wonderful day, and take time to smile!
<3
Victoria

Little Things

Hello!
Today I thought I'd do something a bit different and have a little questionnaire that I would answer about the little things that I'm really being blessed by/have been enjoying right now, recently. Let me know what you think of it. ;)
Abigail is working on a smorgasbord post, as well, so hopefully that will be forthcoming.

"What has been your favorite ---- recently??"

1. Song?
But I have Prayed for Thee
2. Color?
I've been drawn to bright summer teal a lot this last week. Everywhere I look I'll see it and be like, "Oh that's my favorite color!" ;)
3. flower?
Not sure what type it is, but it looks like this:



They come in varying shades of orange to deep coral. Sadly most of them are gone now. (They're wildflower around here).
4. Bible verse?
Habbakuk 3:10-13 has really caught me the past few days.



5. snack?
Chocolate cookies with m'n'm's and coconut. :D
6. drink?
Green tea (Not sweet, for you American readers information ;P)
7. projects?
I've been redrawing my dress designs on paper and coloring them in with pencils. I also have been working on my book a lot. This week I'm going to be sewing up some skirts. ... Might be a post. ;) Other than that and cooking/baking not much.

8. looking forward to?
The missionary summer picnic, July 21st!! So excited. ;)
9. game?
Played tag in the rain outside with some missionary friends the other day. Epic. :D haha, not really. Just fun. I enjoyed it a lot.

10. book?
I just finished reading these two books today by the same author. There are a couple words you'd have to mark out, but I really enjoyed them. They were different from the books I normally read, but I was fascinated by the culture in the two books. Inspired me to share cultures more in my books. ;) They were both by Joan Hiatt Harlow... book one was Star in the Storm, and book two was Thunder from the Sea.
They are both about the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, the first in the 1910's and the second in the late 1920's. They both involve a Newfoundland dog. The stories are not related however. I had never read about the people of Newfoundland and found it very interesting. I never imagined that Celtic culture was so strong (at least back then). Or that they mixed believing in The Lord with old wive's superstitions. As an American, I tend to link that idea with the Ozarks. However, since many people in the Ozarks were Irish and Scottish, it makes sense, because I found out that a lot of Irish and Scottish settled in Newfoundland. The stories are based on many true happenings and the real way they lived, so that said--I don't agree with everything (for example their folklore--it's just silly. It does say so in the book too, at least) but if you want to find out about how Newfoundlanders lived, they're very interesting.

Well that's all for now! Hope you are all having lovely days, enjoy all the little blessings and happy things that come every day. :)
In fact, you could pick a couple of the questions above and give your answers in a comment below. We are so happy to get comments. ;)
If you like our blog, let us know, and tell us what you would like to see more of. :)
Also... pardon if there's little hiccoughs in the blog format right now. We are in the middle of giving the blog a makeover. ;) It's taking a little bit of time, but hopefully it will be a little more professional looking and easier to navigate soon. :)

See you around! <3
Victoria

Healthy Shortcake Dessert

Hello!
Today I'm going to be sharing a recipe we have been enjoying frequently. We have used it for dessert, (with company or when just our family) and we have even used it for breakfast once and as part of a supper.
We really like it, and I'm looking forward to trying even more variations of it!

Healthy shortcake dessert:

Oven: 450
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time:15-18 minutes
Servings: dessert sized for 14 (or large servings for 8)

Ingredients:
Fruit (see below for variations)

For the shortcake-
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup butter/margarine
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup milk

For the whipped cream-
2 cups whipping cream
Brown sugar to taste....about 4 tablespoons, maybe.
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

For shortcake-
1. Stir together sugar, flour, and baking powder
2. Cut in butter/margarine till mixture resembles course crumbs
3. Combine egg and milk in a separate bowl
4. Add all at once to dry ingredients
5. Stir just till all of it is moistened
6. Spread in greased pan --we have used square cupcake pans, (26 squares), or a large rectangle cake pan--
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean

For whipped cream-
1. Mix ingredients together
2. Beat till peaks form


We have done mixed berries (blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)




We have also tried peaches.


A normal recipe of shortcake calls for sugar to be added to the fruit, but we feel it doesn't need it at all! :) This dessert's sweetness is subtle but delicious.


Of course you can use strawberries, and we are wanting to try pineapple with coconut added into the shortcake.
Here are some random pictures... :)
Playing baseball as a family....


Playing 3Times Kickball with some missionary friends (such a blast!!)


I would also like to showcase a LEGO creation of my brothers. The other night, they brought this out and started playing with it. I was tickled by it and told them it was blog worthy! ;)
LEGO checkerboard with heads for one sides pieces and cones for the other side. When a piece becomes a King they get to put a cap on.








I thought it was pretty creative of the boys to make this so they could play it! :)

I hope y'all are having a lovely day, and if you try the shortcake, write a comment below and let us know what you thought of it!

Victoria

O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. Isaiah 25:1