Friday's Fixin's

Bread from the second-hand bread machine.....

So as many of you know from reading about my yard sale finds.... I got a much wanted breadmachine. However, it did not come with a manual. So I found a great simple to follow article about breadmachines on the Hillbilly Housewife. I made a small loaf to just see if the machine worked properly the other day (and it does) so now for a good loaf of bread..... yippeee! The HBHW also has several good recipes for bread in the breadmachine..... the basic is what I started with the other day.

I do not have bread flour on hand so I used the all-purpose flour instead..... I think my next big shopping day will include some bread flour to see how the difference is. I'll post pics later in the day!





I lost all of the Pics...... hit the wrong button and they are deleted! Ughhh! will try next time!

Dwelling in the shadow....a prayer.

Psa 91:1 (ESV) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Lord, let me rest in Your secret place, let me find comfort there. Father, let me find protection under Your shadow and let me continually dwell in You. Lord, grant me blessings today, so that I may be a blessing to others. Let me remember that I am safe from evil while You watch over me. Help me today to ever trust in You, Lord. Open my heart to Your will for my life. Father, God, grant me more understanding of Your Word so that I may be a better witness of Your wonderous grace. Today, Lord, let my day be filled with opportunities to share YOU with others. To be a better servant in Your Name. Lord, let me give voice to the precious gift of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You ,Lord, for the love You have for me, that You would send Your Son to die for me. Lord, help me to be all that I am in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Wednesday's Word

Col 3:12-16 (ESV) Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Tuesdays IOW ~ Living

"If you'll live like no one else, then later you can live like no one else."
Dave Ramsey

A few years ago we were given the opportunity to take the course from Dave Ramsey, and it really opened our eyes to see just how we were living and how we really wanted to live. Not just from a financial viewpoint, but from a Christian viewpoint as well. It was shortly after we had finished the course that Eric an myself started to really have conversations about me not working. We started putting all of our money into that goal. We also started feeling that our family was not complete..... so we started trying to get pregnant again.... after 8 years. Most of our family thought we had gone nuts! But we felt certain God wanted us to go down this path that few trod....


Pro 4:26 (ESV) Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.


Then Satan started throwing disasters in our path..... the leadership at the congregation we had attended for so long was changing and teaching things that were contrary to what we read in the Bible.... and after many talks, questions being unanswered by the leadership, and lots of prayers we left to look for a new church home. (And that is when we placed membership at Lomax.) A few months thereafter, we also found out we were expecting and withing a few weeks of making the announcement, I lost the baby. Let's just say we were taking some heavy spiritual losses during that time. The pain of our loss was so very hard to bear..... and it was taking its toll on our marriage. We sought help.

It was during this time (just about 3 months after losing our baby) that Eric decided he did not want me to work any longer. He asked me to put in my notice. ....... and I did. The next year was a great adjustment to me.... I had never stayed at home before.... I had always had a job.... since my junior year of high school I had worked outside the home. I even went back to work part time during that year as a substitute teacher. But I soon lost interest in working even part time because ........ I became an expectant mother again!

Then during my last few months of pregnancy, Eric felt the need to move. He needed to be away from here. So we put the house on the market and sought out places to move to...... We found a good place just one county over (about an hours drive away) and packed up all of our things and left. We felt it was a good move.... felt we were on the right path once more.... found a new church home and brought Jed home shortly after......

Satan once more thought to jar us........ Eric lost his job. We were away from family, now had 4 children (one, just a baby) and now we were looking at no income.

But for every setback we have endured, GOD has provided. How wonderful are HIS blessings and how wonderful it is to see HIM work in our lives!

Jas 1:12 (ESV) Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.



Over a year later we are back and attending Lomax once more...... involved more than ever and joyful in our service. God has provided Eric a job and we are in a new home. I am still at home and we have been blessed with such wonderful children.

The lessons learned over the last few years have been at times difficult, at times humbling, and at times joyful. Our family has grown closer and our lives have been greatly enriched by opportunities God has set before us. We have learned that God will do whatever it takes to teach better understanding and true wisdom..... and that as long as we stay dependent on HIM..... He will see us through each trial of life.

Today we live a more simple life than what we did a few short years ago.... we look to the simple pleasures of life rather than the need for material gratification. We have learned that true joy in life comes from serving God.

2Ch 26:5 (ESV) He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.



We have learned that truly living like no one else, really causes you to live like no one else.



Thanks to Amy for hosting this week's IOW.

Getting More Accomplished....

Good morning all, just wanted to share what we worked on over the long weekend ........



Here Eric is putting the final touches on the bookcases.

We decided that the best option was to buy the "put together yourself" bookcases and anchor them to the wall..... the wall that has bookcases to the ceiling has a set of tall bookcases and then a set of shorter bookcaes on top of them.... all anchored to the walls. It has been 5 years or better since we have been able to unpack all of our books.... we were so excited about being able to do so again!



Here are the completed bookcases. I was thinking ..... wow that's a lot of space!



And here is daddy's little helper.... Jed wanted to help put together the bookcases all weekend....


Once the bookcases were set.... we started to unpack the books.... all we did was put them on the shelves for now.... we plan on getting them in order over the next couple of months.

It was soon clear.... we need more bookcases.....




The bookcases are full and not all the books are up.....

We do have 2 other bookcases to put together for Eric's office. They will house Eric's computer books and some of his personal books. However, we have several boxes filled with children's books as well as the kid's personal books they want in their rooms.... so we still have work for us to do.

We do have room on the wall with the bookcases that go up to the ceiling for one more set, so we will be heading back to get more bookcases very soon.

Remebering Heroes...

Today is Memorial Day here in the States. And is also a reminder for all of those serving even today to ensure our freedom. God Bless you.





Rev 21:4 (ESV) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

A night out...

Last night we took the older 3 kids out to watch the new Indiana Jones movie. It was kinda the end of the school year treat for them. Our good friends David and Heather watched Jed for us. (Thanks again!) We left as soon as Eric got home and caught the early evening showing. We enjoyed the movie.... I won't give any spoilers for those that want to see it but have not.... but I will say.... action packed. With us going early we got home early. So we let Jed watch one of the DVD's he has become attached to, while we enjoyed a quiet night. We got out the chess boards ..... (Travis beat me) and took turns playing. It was a good night with the kids.

Wednesday's Word

Rom 6:8-18 (ESV)Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Tuesdays IOW ~ Hospitality

"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it."
Ralph Waldo Emerson


Our house growing up was always filled with family and friends.... I can remember having upwards to 50 people (yes, Denita, in that house) over on days it snowed and crews could not work so everyone would end up at our house ..... you could hear the laughter from every corner as the adults gathered round the dinner table for a big bowl of chili and a game of Uno or Spoons. We kids would be everywhere.... and as the grown-ups played into the night you could walk through the house and find that mommies had put their kids to sleep everywhere, our bedrooms, in the livingroom, down the hall.... little pallets made of pillows and blankets strowed all over the floors and you had to step between them..... the adults would play games, talk, fellowship, discuss the Bible, and laugh all night long and in the morning we kids would wake to a huge breakfast of chocolate gravy with homemade drop biscuits, eggs, bacon and sausage,the adults would have set up all night long and still possibly have a game of cards still going in the morning when we kids would wake. Those are some of my most precious memories.... that is when I first learned to play Chess.... playing many hours with my mother, cousins, aunts, uncles.... its where I learned to play Uno sitting in dad's lap and getting to put down the cards for him. Its where I heard many a sermon or at least the beginning of a sermon from my uncle and cousins. Its where I learned a practical joke played on someone is for EVERYONE to laugh, including the person you have pulled the joke on.... and its where I learned that being a man/woman of God does not mean we are unable to have FUN!

We filled that house (and many others down through the years) until it was nearly bursting at the seams with family and friends.

Now that I am all grown up I look forward to each opportunity we have as a family to share our home with family and friends.... and although the only all nighters we have had are a couple of sleepovers with the girl's friends, I am ever ready to open our house to others whatever the need may be. Hospitality is not about how clean you can present your home to others.... hospitality is all about how you make others feel when they are in your home. I am so very glad I had wonderful teachers in hospitality growing up to look back on.........

1Peter 4:9 (ESV) Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Thanks to Heather at Mommy Monk for hosting this weeks IOW's.

Amaris

This is our youngest daughter, Amaris. She is spunky, bright and full of love! She loves to draw and keeps the cork board and refrige covered in her artwork. She helps us to see the beauty and wonder in all of God's creations... from the smallest of flowers to the vastness of the sky.(However, she has a hard time liking the bugs.)

These past 2 years have been a hard adjustment for Amaris, she has had to learn how to be a big sister after being the baby of the family for 9 years. Even her way of thinking has had to have some drastic changes.... she still often thinks of herself as the baby and has to be reminded that she has someone looking up to her as a big sis now.

It has been such a blessing for us to see her grow in her faith... she has stepped out of her comfort zone several times this past year, going to Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes and being a part of that program at our local church has been a new (and a bit scary) experience for her .... she took on some new roles ... public speaking and reading. She did a most wonderful job and found out in the process that she has a wonderful natural speaking ability. For her to get up in front of, not only those she loves and knows so well but also a room full of strangers, and give her speech gave us an insight to just how courageous our little girl is! She also participated in web design and won first place in her age group. Here is a pic from the awards night....



She was so excited!

The BIG CLEAN.... Day 2

Well, we had day 2 of our BIG CLEAN.... Eric worked on getting the closet shelves raised so that we could better use the space and the kids worked more on the list. Me......... I escaped for a few hours with my MIL and SIL to some yard sales! And I found so many wonderful bargains!

Here are a few.......
I love this little fire truck...only $3! Jed loves it!!!He has been riding around on it all afternoon and evening.


This pretty framed mirror..... at $1 I could not leave it behind. And that is my new to me vintage couch! (It was given to me by the kids grandparents.)



And I was so excited to find this.......... Its a bread machine.... it was priced for $5 but the ladies at the yard sale said I could take it for half .... so for $2.50 I brought it home. ..... Can't wait to make some bread in it!

I also found several shirts, shorts, skirts, and pants for the older 3 ... filled 3 shopping bags full.... 1 outfit for me, 3 tops and 2 cute pillow shams and came out spending right at $25 total for the entire day!

After I ate a quick bite of lunch I went to work for the BIG CLEAN today too.... I put our closet back in order .... raising the shelves made such a difference! I have done laundry (with a BIG help from Mia) and worked on a few odds and ends around here..... tonight, even though its late I still need to cut Eric's hair.... as soon as he finished up the power point for tomorrow.... its been a good day all around.

The BIG CLEAN

Today has been a very busy day.... the kids were out of school (only 1 full day left this year!) and we have cleaned, cleaned, cleaned..... we started in their bedrooms and stripped beds, put things away,dusted, vacuumed, swept, moped, cleaned bathrooms, done laundry and so much more..... and we only have just over half of the list accomplished (tomorrow is day 2 of the BIG CLEAN). But it is all worth it.... the house is looking so much better and I am feeling more and more at home. I am hoping to be finished with the unpacking within the month!!! Tomorrow we will finish the list (hopefully) and Sunday I can relax!!!

Lessons Learned.... a lost Father-in-law....and other highlights of the day.

As I sit here listening to the kids doing chores and take a few moments to myself I wanted to share with my friends and readers about my day.....

I woke 2 minutes before the alarm goes off.... now , we have the alarm set 30 minutes before we actually get up to help Eric slowly wake up... he is so NOT a morning person.....I wanted to drift back off for those few minutes but was unable to .....

Pro 31:15 (ESV) She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.

I believe God is speaking to me, to get back in the habit of rising early. I have grown a little lax in that aspect of my life.... Thank You Lord for the reminder.


After getting everyone up and Eric out the door the kids noticed it was raining just a bit.... so I got dressed and had them get Jed up so we could run them to school (they usually walk). I got back and Jed was still very sleepy so I laid down with him on the couch to see if he would fall back to sleep. Just as he was starting to drift off the phone rang. It was my MIL.... she was upset because my FIL had gone out early this morning to check the cows and was late getting back .... so late that it was already past time for him to get off to work. She asked if I would go with her to look for him .... sure.


I took Jed up to Granny's (my FIL's mother's) and we went on up to the barns and pastures.... after walking all the way into the far pasture my MIL decides it will be better for us to get the truck and so off I run all the way back down here to get the truck.... no small run .........at least for a woman as out of shape as I am.....


Pro 23:20-21 (ESV) Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.

Thank You Lord for another reminder today that I need to be up and ready for my day.... and that I need to get my body under control and in better shape to be more able to do good works for YOU.



I get the truck and head back up ..... we get in the back pasture and I told my MIL I would stand in the back of the pick-up for a better vantage point.... she attempts to gain a hillside and the grass is too wet, so she tries a different place... no good.... so as she turns the truck around I walk up the hillside yelling for my FIL.... she goes the long way around and meets me shortly thereafter and we stand yelling over in the other pasture ..... no answer (except from the cows).

By this time my MIL is very upset.... we had been yelling for my FIL for a good 15-20 minutes and by this time my MIL is so upset she is in tears and is so fearful that something bad has happened..... so I took her cell phone and called Eric at work (something I never do) and told him what was going on and that he really needed to come and help us look for his dad.



So we then decide to go into the other back field because we were not sure exactly which field he was in.... I head back to be on the look out for Eric (and the policemen my MIL had called to be on the safe side). So, I get back down to Granny's house and she runs out the door... "Have you found him?" .... "Not Yet, I'm waiting for the police to get here." I said .... that upset her even more so I knew I needed for her to do something so I asked how Jed was and that sent her back inside to see to him. The Fire Chief arrived and shortly there after the police...... my MIL came down to talk with them as I went back up to the pastures. Just as I was in the middle pasture where the barns are I look over to make sure the gate to the pasture we just left is shut and I see my FIL coming up the hillside to come through the gate....... whew.


Php 4:6 (ESV) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.


Thank You Lord for reminding us to leave everything to YOU.... placing all our worries and doubts about ALL situations in Your mighty hands, knowing You will take care of each aspect of our lives.



All is well, except another calf was lost.
That is what was taking him so long.... when he got to the cows the young mamma had been trying to have her first calf and was unable ..... the calf had already died and my FIL was trying to save the mamma...... he was down in a low spot and did not really hear us calling him.... until the last just before we had headed back to go to the other pasture. ...... I believe my MIL will now insist he carry a cell phone with him when he goes out from now on......



All of this sounds like it did not take long but in fact we were out over an hour and the drizzle of the rain had all but drenched us all.



After we had come in and changed clothes and Eric had gone back to work... I lost Jed in the house.... call his name ... no answer..... not again! I start going room by room calling his name looking in corners, not in his room , or brother's, or the girls room ..... not in the kid's bathroom and so I head to my room..... Jed ..... Jed.....no answer..... I get to my bathroom and I hear the door to our shower.... sure enough.... standing in the shower looking like a kitten that got all the milk is Jed.... "hi momma" he grins as I pull him out of the shower stall.... I remind myself I love being a momma....... hehehehehehehe.


Pro 13:24 (ESV) Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Thank You Lord for the blessing of motherhood and for the chance to grow as my children grow.



And the rest of the day has been much like a lost cause..... Jed decided that since we had such an exciting morning that the rest of my day should be JUST AS EXCITING and spent running and telling him no ...... no throwing balls.... stop laying on the dog..... don't rub that ORANGE jello in the carpet..... lets just say I did not get much cleaning done today.


1Th 5:18 (ESV) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.


Thank You Lord for each lesson learned today.... thank You for the blessings you have given to us.... thank You for new mercies each day...... thank You for days that open our eyes.

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Happy Mother's Day wishes to all of you wonderful mother's out there!

Just a few quotes and stories to bring a smile and perhaps even a laugh....

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it." ~ Mark Twain


"You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother."
-- Albert Einstein


"The phrase "working mother" is redundant."
-- Jane Sellman

“If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” - Milton Berle

"Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble."- Dennis Fakes

“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” – Calvin Trillin



"It is amazing how quickly the kids learn the operation of the DVD, yet are unable to understand the vacuum cleaner." - Etienne Marchal

“Some are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same; and most mothers kiss and scold together.” - Pearl S. Buck




Funny Story.... author ..... a MOM



Have you ever asked your child a question too many times? My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter, and she was clean. Then I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while.
I asked him if he needed to go, and he said "No".
I kept thinking "Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clean clothes with me."
Then I said, "Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?" "No," he replied. I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse.
So, I asked one more time, "Danny, did you have an accident?" This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over, spread his cheeks and yelled "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!"
While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down. An older couple made me feel better, thanking me for the best laugh hey'd ever had!



Moms, now, didn't that feel good to laugh?


Lev 19:3 (NKJV) 'Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.



PS...... Mom, you are wonderful!

What does my name mean??????

What Traci Means

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Friday's Fixin's

Well, I tell you I am making strawberry freezer jam tonight.... (Thanks David and Heather for the strawberries!) and to tell you the truth..... this is the first time I have ever attempted it. I have wanted to make it before but have never done it.... so this is the DAY for it!

So I have ended up with just shy of 8 cups of fruit after I crushed them....


So I added the pectin according to the directions on the Sure Jell package and have ended up with 16 half-pint jars full and one larger jar for the refridge.... plus enough left over to put over some homemade shortcakes tonight!!!


So...... I hope it turns out!!!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am so thankful for hard working husbands..... Eric is such a great provider for us....both in our physical needs as well as spiritual leadership.... yesterday he worked all day, then came home and worked until well after dark putting in our little garden for the summer.... what a wonderful man God has sent to me!!!

Deu 6:7 (NKJV) "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. "

Read other Thankful Thursday posts HERE.

Wednesday's Word

Isa 40:9-11 (NLT) Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Shout louder to Jerusalem-do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!" Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in all his glorious power. He will rule with awesome strength. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Oh, what a beautiful vision.... Christ coming .... with all of His wonderous power, bringing the rewards with Him..... nourishing us, holding us and gently leading us home!

Tuesdays IOW ~ Hosea 2:14

Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.
Hosea 2:14



God calls His people out from the world, leading us out into the desert to a place that most would find desolate and full of only trials and hardships..... without comfort or hope. And it is there in that wilderness where God reaches for us, woos us to HIM by speaking tenderly to our hearts..... softening it, comforting it, assuring it and filling it with the vastness of hope only HE can provide. Showing us a dwelling place in the dessert filled with the wonderful bounty of HIS blessings and love reserved just for us. Look now on the next verse:

15 (ESV) And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

God will turn our valley of troubles into a door of hope.... transforming our trials into the hope of Christ Jesus. Oh how God loves us! Even though we have turned our backs on Him so often, He still would have us enter into His presence and to bestow all the wonderous blessings that He holds for us!

I know that in our lives God has brought us out to the wilderness to show us more of His great love for us as a family.... in the last couple of years God wooed us with tender and comforting talk in our lives... brought forth many blessings in our lives and brought us closer to Him. He has sent us wonderful Christian friends to help give us counsel, support and true bonds of love. He has caused Eric and myself to really start to bear each others burdens the way He intended for husbands and wives to do and has help us grow in Him as a family. He has shown us an abundance of work we are suited for to do for His Glory. And he has supplied each and every one of our NEEDS in our wanderings through the desert places.


Eze 34:25 -26 (NLT) "I will make a covenant of peace with them and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then my people will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. I will cause my people and their homes around my holy hill to be a blessing. And I will send showers, showers of blessings, which will come just when they are needed.

How wonderful are the promises of God..... and what a personal God He wants to be to us.... Look at all the verses ..... "I am now going to allure her"......"I will lead her".... "I will give her her" ...."I will make a covenant"... ."And I will send showers"......repeatedly He tells us that He will do it.... He wants His people to know He cares for them so much that He does the things He says He will do .... He does not send someone in His place.... He is the one taking care of us and all our needs!

Read more Tuesday's IOW's at Titus 2 Woman..... thanks Heather for hosting this week!

If I was a nut......

So, I found out I would be a peanut...... does it fit????

You Are A Peanut

You are popular, even with people who tend to have picky taste. Kids love you, as do dogs. From rednecks to snobs, most people have a place for you in their hearts. As popular as you are, there are some people who can't be near you. Don't take it too personally. There's just a few people you rub the wrong way.

What Nut Are You?

Wonderful Weekend

We had such a great weekend! After the boys had been down with ear infections nearly all week I was so glad to see them both feeling better by Friday. Friday night one of the girls friends from down the street came over to stay the night and they had a great time playing Clue all night. Then Saturday morning Eric, me and the two youngest went to get seed and plantlings (is that a word???) for the garden over in the next town at this great shop. We then stopped by one of the grocery stores we don't have here and shopped for some deals. After we got home and put away the groceries we tidied up a bit in anticipation of our company! My good friend Denita came for a sleepover with her children. Yeah!!!


Our congregation along with several others puts together an annual fish fry to raise money for a scholarship fund to help local graduates attend a Christian university and that was happening on Saturday evening... our older 2 children worked by serving and cleaning up (I had several from the community stop me when we got there to eat and tell me they would be glad to take them home if I ever got tired of them...... heehee). The fish was great! They also serve chicken strips, shrimp, and frog legs along with french fries, beans, slaw, gumbo, with drinks and dessert.... its all you can eat and it is simply good food!!!

After we had stuffed ourselves at the fish fry we all came back here at the house and watched movies, played games and talked.... such a wonderful time!!!

Sunday we had great services (David, our preacher, gave a wonderful sermon ..... both in class and during worship.) - David if you are reading this..... I for one don't mind 2 sermons...... preach on! - Then after services we all came back here for lunch.... grilled out hot dogs, hamburgers and some cheddar brats! Filled the afternoon with great fellowship with my wonderful , cannot believe we are not really sisters, friend Denita!!! In the late afternoon we had to say our goodbyes (I do believe I did pout just a bit....) and then it was time to gather all the kids to get ready for the evening services. Our congregation has 6 high school graduates this year... so we had a great celebration for them last night! David's sermon was great and we had a wonderful time of fellowship and good eats afterwards! By the time we came home we were all so very tired... Jed fell out in the middle of the living room floor sound asleep...... and the rest of us drifted off to bed at different times..... What a wonderful weekend!!!!

Friday's Fixin's

Sunburn Relief

With the sun coming out and us spending more time outside...... time for some remedies for those sunburns..... just the minor ones .... anything that blisters needs to be seen by your doctor...

Besides the commercial Aloe Vera gels available on the market here are a few home remedies we use around here......

(not a home remedy but this helps too! ) During the summer months we try to keep a large jar of the original Noxzema cleanser cream.... for those light burns this works wonders.... just rub it on the sunburn area and leave.... it quickly helps cool the burn.



Also try putting about 5 tea bags and some mint (a few sprigs of fresh is great) in a cheesecloth and let it steep in warm bathwater for a few minutes then just soak in the bath for a refreshing help to the burns.



Vinegar helps too.... soak a small towel or washrag in vinegar then place on the burn... .....this one may sting if the burn is a bit more severe...... however it does help take the burn out of the skin..... you can also put a cup of vinegar in a warm bath and soak to help relieve the sting. (I know this works from personal experience)

Living Simply vs. Simply Living

Do you live simply or are you simply living? Good question to ask many people today.... I guess what has me really asking this is a commercial I saw on the TV the other day.... it was an insurance commercial saying wherever you are in life we will be there with you, but how they brought about that message was...... a young business woman in a airport working away at her laptop.... she looks up into the camera and says something along the line of .... where my email inbox is out of control and I have not had a break since 3rd grade.... yeah, I'm there..... That just really hit me as being on of the saddest commercials I had ever seen..... sad because I know there are soooo many people out there living that life. They are so busy 'grabbing life by the horns' so to speak that they are really missing out on so much of life. Their life is just passing by in one big blur..... will they have any breathtaking life moments to look back upon and really say I lived life to the fullest? Oh, I have been there.... getting up rushing out to a job I really started not liking..... being in a rush to get all done in the afternoons.... rushing through a store bought dinner, the crazy mad dash through the kids homework, baths and bedtimes.... not enjoying any part of the day at all..... where is the living in that????

Now, I'm not saying we don't still have a few crazy days around here..... there are gonna be a few of those from time to time ,..... but I"m talking about learning to go back to a "back to basics" kinda life..... I mean do we really NEED to have our children involved in 5 different sports/dance/karate/afterschool programs and any of the many other things we can find for them to stay busy..... aren't we just teaching them to become so overrun with busyness that they will only see their life in a blur one day too?

I don't want my life or the life of any of my family to be like this.... we are learning to live more simply.... enjoy the little things in life.... and God has really blessed us with lots of help on this..... at least when you look at things from a blessings point of view..... let me explain:

For years Eric has suffered from migraines..... and in the last few years working at his previous employer they had only gotten much, much worse.... so much so that the employer had asked him to see a specialist... so he did.... yes, he does have true, very real migraines said the specialist... and had treated him with some different medications... but nothing was really helping... the migraines were getting worse.... and so much so that the employer let Eric go from the job he had held for many years..... now, most people would look at that and say ..... where is the blessing in all of that..... well, being off of work gave Eric the time he really needed to rejuvenate his body. ........ it lead us back here from where we had moved away..... and Eric now is in a job that is only about 5 minutes from home...... and is home early enough in the afternoons that he is able to enjoy time with us. I am still able to be at home, and one of the best things is...... Eric's migraines have all but gone away..... where he was having 5 or more a month..... he has only had a handful in the past year!!!!

Saying all of that ...... yes, Eric took a paycut with this new job.... we do struggle financially but we are looking into ways to make it work. Perhaps a small home business or a part time job perhaps.... we are waiting to see what God leads us to..... but we also have a new home we are living in.... we have a great support system of family and friends. And we feel that in our simple lifestyle God has blessed us so very abundantly.!!!!!

Living simply does in no way mean to forgo everything...... but it does mean to simplify your life so that you do have time to count your blessings..... and to see the blessings come where you least expect them.


Pro 10:22 (NLT) The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.