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The King's Daughter

~ A Peek into the Life of a Wife, a Mother, and a Daughter of the King

The King's Daughter

Category Archives: Miscellaneous

A Story and a Video

13 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by thearcherfamily in Cooking/Baking, Family, Friday Favorites, Miscellaneous

≈ 4 Comments

Today is a day of “firsts” on my blog, and I couldn’t be more excited!

If you’ve seen any of my recent posts, you’ve probably read that we recently revamped our home in order to house a really large dining room table. But what I haven’t shared with you is the entire story behind our new table, and the reasoning behind this venture. So today, for the first time, I’m going to share my heart with you.

Rather than write out the entire story, I asked my very talented husband to create a video story to share with you. We’re both pretty exited about this…it combines his passion for video editing and storytelling with my passion for cooking and hospitality, and we think they meshed together pretty well. 🙂 I’m so proud of him for all of his hard work over the past few years to teach himself how to film and edit video. What a unique and powerful way to tell a story!

I want to say a HUGE thank you to the gentleman who built this amazing table for us. I hope he’s reading this! 🙂 Your work on this table, and your willingness to do it for us has already impacted lives…and we pray it will continue to do so for many, many years. We can’t thank you enough. Thank you to everyone who helped with this venture…my dad for the use of his van to haul this huge table home, and my brother for his help in strategically getting it in the house. We couldn’t have done it without you!

And the frugal side of me just has to share that when all was said and done, this entire room project cost us under $50. We sold our old table to purchase the materials for the new one, and we sold some of the old decorations from the living room as we no longer needed those in the dining room. This was a HUGE answer to prayer, as some recent financial tightness almost kept us from doing this project. I’m so happy we plowed our way through, and that everything worked out so well! Praise be to God!

Enjoy my very first video blog entry! I pray that my story might encourage your hearts!!

Blessings, friends!!!!

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Memorial to Grandpa

26 Sunday May 2013

Posted by thearcherfamily in Miscellaneous

≈ 4 Comments

ImageI’ve never known hands as thick as his. Large and aged, they held stories untold. Rather than reveal the stories they housed, those hands squeezed. They teased. Oh, how I’d shudder when those hands gripped my shoulders. When those impossibly large fingers poked my ribs.

“Stop, Grandpa!!!!!” We’d all squeal, “Seriously, Grandpa, that hurts!!”

I’m not certain that he ever realized his own hands’ strength.

Living a state apart, my visits to Grandpa were few. Time with Grandpa was spent riding through his large yard on the lawnmower, looking over his expansive garden. Sometimes, however, I wasn’t sure what to talk to Grandpa about. I don’t remember a lot of serious conversations.

Until I wrote him a letter.

Completing my fourth grade assignment to write about my hero, I needed more information from my hero…my grandpa. I wish I still had the letter I wrote. In it, I revealed to him that his service in World War 2 had not gone unappreciated by his grandchildren. I understood that he, along with thousands of other men, had been an integral part of the freedom I now had in this country I call home.

Upon receiving my letter, his large hands penned one back. Giving me bits of information with a promise to share more in person during an upcoming visit, this letter became an immediate treasure. I tucked it away in my keepsake box, knowing it was one I’d hold onto forever.
IMG_9843

Dear Emily,
I received your letter and read it and I said, that the nicest letter I ever received. I am not much in writing letters, but you are best. The ship that I was on was Heavy Cruiser No38. USS San Francisco. She weighed 10,000 tons. She carry crews above 1100 men. They call her Lady Luck. 50 years ago this Nov.12-13 we had sea battle. I will tell you more about it sometime. We will sit down. I will tell you. We will be coming down this weekend. See you then. Thank you Emily. I love you.
Your GrandDad Mauseth

I remember well the following visit. Listening intently, we sat side-by-side in the living room, pouring over several books and small boxes of photos and newspaper clippings. His now wrinkled hands held photos of his younger self. Handsomely dressed in uniform, he held his head high in the photos. I was so proud of the bravery that I saw in his young eyes. And the pride that I saw in his older eyes. He, too, knew the importance of his role.

There are things I regret from my younger years. I wish I’d held onto the report I wrote about Grandpa. I don’t remember exactly what it said. What I do remember, though, is the deeper appreciation for my grandpa that report gave. I regret not spending the little time I had with Grandpa more wisely. I wish I’d drank in the stories of his childhood like I drank in the stories of the war that afternoon when we sat on the couch.

At Grandpa’s funeral, I couldn’t bring myself to look in his casket. Over the years, his giant hands had become plauged by arthritis. I knew this, and I had seen some of the effects during the previous years. But stories from my father about how curled and crippled his hands had become near the end of his life, I couldn’t look. I didn’t want my last sight of him to be crippled hands. Honored by the request to sing at his funeral, I stood tall…after all, Grandpa had been the one who taught me to be proud of my 6 foot-1 inch frame. And as I straightened my back and opened my lungs to sing Amazing Grace, I knew I had to find that letter.

Now, sometime later, that letter from Grandpa hangs framed next to my writing desk.

IMG_9844

I sometimes imagine his hands, strong and large, penning the words on that paper. Those hands. My brother inherited those hands, and sometimes I wish Grandpa could have met my son, who although still very young, shows signs of those same thick hands.

And so this Memorial Day weekend, I remember Grandpa. I remember his service to this country so long ago. I was proud of him then, and I’m still proud of him now. I can still hear the trumpeter loudly sounding the infamous taps at Grandpa’s gravesite. My jewelry box houses the shell from the rifles fired at his burial. And this weekend I remember. And I am thankful. Love you, Grandpa!
Jayda 161

Odds and Ends

08 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by thearcherfamily in Miscellaneous

≈ 11 Comments

Hmmm…where to start?

The lack of blogging last week was due to my very grumpy mood for much of the week. I just didn’t feel like blogging…quite honestly because I was overcome by emotions that would not have been pretty to write about. Someone said something that hurt my feelings, and I chewed on it all week. I’ll tell you what…chewing on something that long leaves a really bitter aftertaste. Just as mouthwash clears an aftertaste, I used heartwash (also known as lots of prayer and Scripture reading) to rid the aftertaste.

And then I sat down Monday to blog deep thoughts…only to turn around to a kitchen floor deep in water.

And so I continue to learn. Learn that things don’t always go my way, and I need to roll with the punches a little better.

Due to aforementioned flooded kitchen floor, we bit the bullet and purchased a new refrigerator last night. I’ll tell you what, those things are NOT cheap! Who spends $3,000 or more on a refrigerator?!?! We chose one of the least expensive ones…not my top choice necessarily, but one that will suite our needs just fine. And still, it cost an arm and a leg. Honestly. Ridiculous.

I smiled when I got the mail today. This arrived.
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A new subscription to Bon Appetit Magazine. I can’t wait to take in all the beautifully photographed recipes, and experiment with them.

The two other items were FREE, and I couldn’t be more excited! The top is an assortment of seeds for growing culinary herbs. I’ve had a few herbs in the past, but nothing to this extent. I can’t wait to figure out how to grow them, hopefully keep them alive, and cook with them.

The small box on the bottom right is a sourdough bread starter I received for free. I’ve been wanting to learn to bake sourdough bread and other baked goods for a while. Excited to start! I think it’s maybe a bit tricky to grow and sustain the starter, so hopefully I don’t kill it.

I’ve been doing lots of reading, thinking, and praying about health and wellness lately. That is for another blog post entirely (or maybe six or eight)! These items that came today…they’ll certainly help in my somewhat new culinary thoughts and aspirations. 🙂

Can I tell you all something? Thanks for reading my words. Thanks to those of you who leave comments on my blog. Thanks to those who encourage me to keep it up. While I often flounder to keep in going and interesting, this blog for some reason really does mean a lot to me. More importantly, each of my readers means a lot to me. So thank you. I appreciate you!

Special Request

15 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by thearcherfamily in Miscellaneous

≈ 4 Comments

This man right here…he’s pretty much amazing! IMG_2769He scheduled a day off work yesterday, and I was instructed to leave the house for the whole day. Instructions for my day included no errand running…I was to just enjoy a day to myself, doing whatever my heart desired. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

*While he chauffeured kids to school, I sipped a dark chocolate mocha with my nose in a good book.

*While he swept the kitchen floor, I shopped for new clothes (at a 70% off rack…the practical girl in me couldn’t buy full price!).

*While he changed diapers, I spontaneously got my ears double-pierced.

*While he prepared lunch for hungry little ones, I enjoyed soup and salad at a restaurant…again, with my nose in a good book.

I am a refreshed momma this morning, ready to conquer life in a new way. Thank you, Tanner, for a wonderful day! You spoiled me, and I felt guilty about it for like two seconds…then I got over it and reveled in my day! 🙂

Okay, back to reality…I have a question/favor for my readers. This will sound vague and you’ll wonder what I’m up to, but bear with me. I’ve had an idea rolling around my noggin for a while, and I’m starting to think I should run with the idea. I’ll reveal that idea at a later time; for now, I’m needing some materials for this idea. I picked up a few of these items while I shopped yesterday, but I could use more….

I’m looking for old, primitive, and vintage kitchen items. Specifically, I’m needing old bread pans, cake pans, cutting boards, mixing bowls, utensils, ect. I’d love to find a set of matching old bread pans like these. Anything cast iron would be fantastic, too! UnknownI’m also in the market for old books. Children’s classics, music books, educational books, pretty much anything old.

Are you curious yet?! There’s got to be some of this stuff out there that someone thinks is junk, but that I’d happily use. If you have anything like this (or know of anyone who might have anything like this) that you’d like to donate I could buy, would you let me know? 😉 I’d appreciate it ever so much!

 

Happy New Year! My 2013 Goals

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by thearcherfamily in Miscellaneous

≈ 2 Comments

Happy New Year, everyone!!! 2013 is here, and it’s going to be a big year. I’m certain the upcoming year holds all sorts of excitement and happenings, not the least of which are…
*I’m turning 30. Yikes!
*Tanner and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.
*My sister is getting married. WooHoo!!
*I will have two children in school full-time…all day. Am I ready for that?

As I’ve thought toward the upcoming year, I have all sorts of goals. I’ll list a few of my goals, but really…they can all be wrapped up in one verse that I’m claiming for this year.

John 3:30 “He must become greater; I must become less.”

Sometimes I wonder if I’ve unintentionally given a false impression on my blog. I don’t ever want to hide behind the computer, giving the impression I’m someone that I’m not. While I’d like to think that I am a patient woman all the time who cooks wonderfully healthy meals for her family and keeps an immaculate house…organizedmom_thumb…the truth is, I’m too often impatient, selfish, unorganized, and easily frustrated.Frazzled momI’m being real and transparent with you…sometimes my heart is a dark place, and it needs an overhaul. And so today begins a fresh journey toward a more spirit-filled life. A life radiating the love and peace of Christ, even when there’s chaos around me. I want to lay aside my selfish ambition and make less of myself, while giving all the glory to God and making more of Him.

Tangibly, I hope that involves some of these goals…
*Read my Bible every day, and spend more specific times in prayer.
*Read more books. Reading refreshes me, and I love it!
*Read more books to my children…good, classic books.
*Try one new recipe a week.
*Exercise more often…not because I “have to,” but because I enjoy it.
*Lose that 10-15 pounds I wanted to lose in 2012. Trying again! 🙂
*Spend more quality time talking with my family members. Turn off the TV.
*Play more games with my kids.
*Laugh more often. Life need not be as serious as I often make it.
*Start a garden in my backyard.
*Learn to cut Tanner and Titus’ hair.
*Faithfully keep a hand-written gratitude journal.

I look forward to blogging in 2013 and sharing my journey along the way. Happy New Year to each of you! Thank you for reading my blog…keep reading and commenting! 🙂 Blessings to you!

2012 Review

31 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by thearcherfamily in Miscellaneous

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Happy New Year’s Eve! What are your plans for tonight? Our super exciting plans involve snuggling our three kids who are recovering from a nasty case of influenza, and sanitizing the ENTIRE house from this sickness. Exciting, huh?!

It’s been a long 9 days of caring for sick little ones…hence the reason for the lack of blogging the last couple weeks. One sick child requires a lot of care, attention, and patience…but three at the same time? That requires lots of prayer each day for extra care and patience!

As I think back on 2012, my heart overflows with thanks. God is so good! Today, I plan to try and snatch a few quiet moments to write down some goals and resolutions for 2013. Maybe I’ll share some of those with you tomorrow? IMG_0796_pp

For today, I wanted to re-cap my blog in 2012. My blog is something very important to me, and God has used it in great ways in my life. While I do not blog as regularly as I’d like to, the times that I do get to write are encouraging and uplifting. I have a love for words and writing, and expressing my heart through them has been fantastic! Thank you to each and every one of you who read my blog, and thank you to those of you who leave comments. I LOVE hearing from you!

In fact, I’d love to hear if there’s a specific topic you like reading about on my blog. What would you like to read more about in 2013?

In 2012, my blog received 9,700 views! Cool!!

Surprisingly, my most popular blog post was one that wasn’t even written this year…it was written in 2011, and showcased my baby boy’s vintage car nursery. Apparently, lots of readers have found my blog via searching for photos of vintage car nurseries. Who knew?! You can view that post here.

My second most popular post of 2012 was my very first blog giveaway. I didn’t know it would be so popular! Maybe I should give away more items on my blog?! That giveaway featured my most favorite book of 2012, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Although I have no more copies to give away, you can still read about this fantastic book here if you haven’t already done so.

My third most popular post of 2012 included a special request for my readers to join me in supporting a ministry called “Mary’s Meals.” A friend of mine was trying to raise $11,500 in order to build a school kitchen in Africa to feed those much less fortunate than us. You can read about that here. My family, friends, and blog readers pulled through, and we were able to contribute a good sum of money to this wonderful cause! In fact, the total pledges for this cause came in $1,000 over what was needed. That money will go toward feeding those children in the kitchen we’ve helped to fund. Such a beautiful gift this Christmas!

Thank you to my readers for actually reading what I had to say this last year. 🙂 I appreciate each one of you! Happy New Years Eve, and here’s to a fantastic 2013!!!!IMG_0809-4

Beauty

21 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by thearcherfamily in Miscellaneous, Thoughts

≈ 2 Comments

Not quite 4 months postpartum, and I’m head over heels in love with this little man.

Unfortunately, postpartum days have also brought feelings of inadequacy and quite frankly, ugliness.

Four months postpartum, and I’m still hanging onto 25 pounds that desperately need to leave my body.

Four months postpartum, and my hair has not quit falling out in large handfuls each morning and evening (and I didn’t have much hair to begin with!) Thank you, hormones!

Four months postpartum, and my body just isn’t like it used to be.

Then God leads me to this verse, and I’m instantly convicted.

1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Reminding myself today that my definition of beauty needs to be re-vamped. God is working on my heart, and even though it hurts sometimes, I’m slowly learning. In the meantime, I’ll keep wearing those same ‘ol outfits (the only ones that fit), I’ll throw on a hat to hide my thinning hair, and I’ll continue to pray that God will fashion within me a heart and a spirit that honors Him. This hasn’t been an easy lesson so far, but I know it’s one worth learning.

Wedding Day

18 Sunday Jul 2010

Posted by thearcherfamily in Miscellaneous, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Congratulations to my brother, Tony, and new sister-in-law, Ashely! Their wedding was gorgeous, and it all went so well. Aren’t they a great couple?! Tony looked so handsome, and Ashley was a stunning bride. It made me want to get married all over again (to the same man, of course!) 🙂

I LOVE weddings! They are such a great reminder to Tanner and I of our special day over seven years ago. I was so privileged to sing in Tony and Ashley’s wedding. They asked me to sing “If You Could See What I See” which is actually the same song I sang to Tanner when we got married. It was very emotional to sing that song again and be reminded of our wedding day, as well as the journey we’ve been through these last seven years. It was so amazing to look at our two beautiful children and re-cap all the many, many blessings God has bestowed on us since that special day.

Speaking of our little girls, they did AMAZING! I was really nervous about little Nadia…she was not so thrilled about the whole flower girl thing at rehearsal. But once the wedding started, she walked down the aisle beautifully! They looked so grown-up!

So, this post is just mainly pictures…enjoy! 🙂

A Failed Attempt

21 Sunday Feb 2010

Posted by thearcherfamily in Miscellaneous

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Two things on the list of failures for the day…and it’s only 8:30 AM! 🙂

Tanner went to open the garage door so we can all head out to church-only to find out that our garage door springs broke in the night and we cannot get the door open to get the car out. We even tried to manually open the door, to no avail. So, we are literally STUCK inside our house today. I was looking forward to worshiping the Lord this morning at church, and I was looking forward to my big couponing trip to Walgreens later this afternoon. Wonder how much it’ll cost to have a garage door company come out on a Sunday afternoon? Probably far more than I would have saved on my trip to Walgreens….:-)

Second failed attempt was my girls’ first taste ever of a Pop Tart-they HATED it! What kind of kid hates Pop Tarts?! I have never, in the 6 1/2 years we’ve been married, bought a box of Pop Tarts. I loved them when I was little, but was not overly thrilled about feeding my kids high fructose corn syrup for breakfast! Well, I was able to snag a box of them for 75 cents at HyVee yesterday, so I thought I would just give it  a whirl. My kids looked at me like I was an alien for giving them something so strange for breakfast! Maybe it was the fact that I bought the new kind that’s whole grain and high fiber-can Pop Tarts really be whole grain?! 🙂 Nevertheless, I can’t say I’m too heartbroken that they don’t like Pop Tarts!

Hope you all have a great Sunday! If I’m going to be stuck inside all day, I might as well do something useful…I think I might start tackling the painting job in our family room. After all, my life isn’t normal without a painting project at all times!

MY FAMILY

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On My Mind

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