It's Here...post for a friend

Below is a post from an amazing and precious friend of mine. 

It's been nearly three years since we began seriously talking about and pursuing adoption as a way to grow our family.  After a lot of research, training, reading, talking, homestudy visits, a surprise blessing and a lot of growth we are once again beginning our adoption journey.  In March we will, Lord willing, be having our homestudy update and we are looking to pursue whatever avenue the Lord has for us!
  In New Brunswick, private adoption is through word of mouth and so we are writing this note for people to see, read, share and make connections.  Private adoptions need not be limited to the province of New Brunswick, either, (in fact, we can privately adopt from the USA as well!) so please tag others and spread our story far and wide!!

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  We are Andrew and Abigail Barnard.  We have married for 6 1/2 years and have been blessed with three wonderful children.  We live in Woodstock, NB on a hobby farm of 5 acres where we have two goats and some chickens.  We have a spacious house and yard that we have completely renovated to be a family focused home.  Abigail (27)is a stay at home mom first and foremost.  She loves photography, music, gardening and cooking.  Andrew (28) is a mechanical engineer, who works in project management and sales.  He enjoys tinkering with engines and doing carpentry projects.  Together, we like to bike, hike, read, garden and bake together with our children.  Landon, Layla and Micaiah are very excited to be big brothers and a big sister someday.  They love to run around and play outside, ride their bikes and pick apples in our orchard.
  Our families and friends are an amazing support system.  They are very excited that we are expanding our family in this way.  Our church family is very important to us, as well, as faith plays a huge role in our marriage and family.  We raise our children with lots of love and encouragement and believe that these things are key when nurturing children to be positive and successful men and women.
  We recognise that adoption is a beautiful, but difficult thing for everyone involved and we also, as parents,  recognise that the decisions a birth mother must face for the future of herself and her child must be incredible.  We thank you so much for considering our family!

  We can be reached through email at andrew.abi@gmail.com
  As well as phone (506)328-2815.

  Blessings!
  Andrew and Abigail Barnard

Home School Curriculum For Sale

ALL SOLD! Thank you www.thehappyhousewife.com for your help!!

Abeka Readers for FIRST GRADE:

Animals in the Great Outoors
TipToes
Stepping Stones
Kind and Brave
Strong and True
Secrets and Surprises
Down By the Sea
Aesop's Fables
The Bridge Book

Science Reader: Discovering God's World
All are in excellent condition!
I will accept Paypal and price does not include shipping.
Contact me via email at amanda_jane15@yahoo.com 

These retail at $10.75 each or $107.50 for all
MY PRICE: $50

ALSO up for sale:

WEAVER Interlock curriculum by Alpha Omega
Great shape
Retail is $99
MY PRICE: $40

I will accept Paypal and price does not include shipping.
Contact me via email at amanda_jane15@yahoo.com

A New Job and Whole Wheat Flour

Up to this point in my life cooking/baking has really been more of a hobby, not an every day occurrence. Yes it is true, sadly, that I previously have relied on the microwave and eating out meet our dietary needs daily. Well as you might guess that can become quite expensive and not very nutritious either!

As many of you know I am new to this career of Stay at Home Mom and have been learning slowly how to best fulfill this role. I'm trying to cut myself some slack here because like with any new job, there is a learning curve, right? Anyway, I've found myself with more time on my hands, not much motivation and allowing boredom to set in! GASP! Lucky for me, I have this friend. See my friend, she was born to do this job...she knows the ins and outs like nobody's business. It is from her, a couple of good blogs, the help of a few others and the good Lord himself, that I continue making progress in this endeavor. In the past few months I have made great strides in the culinary department.

Here is a list of my small accomplishments:
- I can make buttermilk to use in baking, yes make it!
- I can bake bread, like real rolls with real yeast!
- I can make cinnamon rolls, breakfast bars, oatmeal pancakes, pizza dough!
- I can (sometimes with a bit of prodding from said friend) throw a meal together if I'm at a loss and low on groceries
- I can use things that I didn't know existed: spelt flour, flax seed meal, whole wheat flour (ok I knew it existed but didn't know people really used it)!
- I use onions and tomatoes even though I don't like them!

I'm very proud of my accomplishments but more so than that I want to share with you some "easier than you think" things that you can do! You can do it too. Below I've listed a couple of websites I really enjoy getting recipes from.

The Happy Housewife
The Pioneer Woman

Check these out and maybe, just maybe, someday I will be helping others out like they do! Oh and thanks to said friend for being my cheerleader and never (well not often anyways) laughing when I say "What the heck is that and where do you buy it?" <3