Some New Resources and A Grocery Buying Tip

 

Happy Wednesday friends!

I have so many things on my mind to share this morning, so I'll just jump right in. First, I have to share a new YouTube channel I've been watching, because the lady is such a comforting voice in all the noise of today. Her channel is called The Unimportant Homemaker . I just love when YouTube suggests a channel to me that ends up being a blessing, and this one certainly has been.

She shares a look into her daily life, with a beautiful attitude and a love for God and her family and a real home that isn't Instagram curated, which is so refreshing. If you want to see someone sharing real life homemaking, I hope you'll take a look at Jacqueline's channel.

So, speaking of homemaking, I shared a while back about how I sometimes like to stock up on paper goods and non-food items at the beginning of the month. That leaves just food shopping during the week. But I wanted to share another strategy I use, when I get bored with the once-a-month method, which is creating a staples list and adding to it, with every weekly trip. Let me explain...

But first, a look back at the "old days" when I used to be so organized. Yes, I say the "old days" because the older I get, it seems I tend to wing things a lot more than I used to!

When David and I were newly married, I would cook the same exact meals every single week. I would buy the same groceries every week, cook the same meals and we liked it.

When our first son came along, I had a master grocery list, typed out in the order of the aisles of the grocery store I shopped at, and I took the same exact route every week, through the store, only buying what I knew we needed, off the list.

These days it seems my mind is all over the place and my meal plan and grocery list look different every week.

But, there is a small bit of organization that is easy to focus on and easy to add to my ever-changing food list every week, which is this:

I list a few essential items that I always want to have on hand and I buy a small quantity every week. This is the opposite of buying everything once a month and easier to create a stockpile, if you're interested in doing that.

So, for instance, I like to buy a 4 pack of toilet paper, 2 pack of paper towels, 1 box of kleenex, 1 tube of toothpaste, and a few other items every week, along with my food items. This is not a burden on the budget, because it's a small amount of things, so it's very doable. You can even designate a certain amount to spend on the non-food items, such as $25. This would get you a fair amount of items and they would create a nice little stock pile eventually.

By shopping this way, even for food items, such as sugar, bread, 1 lb. ground beef, 1 bottle ketchup, etc., you can slowly create a surplus, without it feeling like you're spending way over your budget.

I know some will stock up on items as they see them on sale, but this is different. I don't necessarily watch for sales and stock up, because I think it will all even out, at some point. In other words, just add a little at a time, each week, and you won't have to buy 15 cans of tomato sauce, just because they're on sale.

There are probably a dozen ways to buy what we need, but it's always good to hear other's ideas, in case it clicks with you.

Dinner News...

Last night we had family dinner and everything I cooked was gluten free and everything was delicious! I bought a new cookbook called Instant Loss on a Budget and she has some really good recipes for anyone wanting to eat gluten and dairy free.

I made a dish called Sausage Pizza Pasta, with gluten free pasta, which tasted so good. I also made one of my own recipes for a Vanilla Cake, but used Pamela's gluten free flour, instead of regular flour and you couldn't tell the difference. We had cool whip, strawberries and chocolate chips on top of the cake and it was so YUM!

So, I'm just sharing that in case anyone has a family member or themselves, who need some G-free ideas.

I will say that the G-free world has come so far and that makes life so much easier for those with sensitivities.

My dad suffered with Celiac disease for many years and the doctors didn't really know how to guide him. My sisters and I did all the research we could back then, trying to find foods that he would like, but other than a few lists of foods that were safe, there weren't a lot of resources at the grocery stores.

Cottage News...

My roses are growing and producing huge blooms. However, after the first bloom smelled so amazing, none of the other blooms have even the slightest smell. What is happening?

Also, when I went outside yesterday afternoon, I almost stepped on a big, black snake. So I've decided never to go outside again.

Well, that's it for today, folks. I've got a hair appointment today and then it's home to hopefully work on my never ending project of putting pictures in photo albums. I'm determined to get the pictures out of boxes and onto the shelf!

I hope you have a wonderful day and are blessed with all the little things today.

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Dressing Up the Cottage Windows

Hello Friends!

I hope you're having a great weekend!

David and I have been busy this weekend, painting and filling flower boxes on the front of our house.

I've wanted flower boxes for years, because I thought it would make the house look so much more cottagey, and just give the front of the house some character.

 

David had some extra wood laying around, so one weekend he whipped these out in no time and this weekend we painted them.

I couldn't decide on the paint color, so I took to the trusty friend, Pinterest, and looked for accents on yellow houses. I saw a picture of a yellow house, white trim, with navy shutters and it was my favorite, so I tried to match the color to that picture.

I didn't want to go with green, because of all the greenery in the flower beds, plus it felt too cliche' - yellow and green - so I chose the blue.

Now, I have to tell the story of why the front of the house looks like the back of a house...that's because it is!

Because we live on a lake, whoever built this house thought it was necessary to put the front of the house facing the lake. That means we drive into our driveway looking at the ugly back of the house, with all of the utilities attached. 

So we are on a mission to change the look of the "front" of the house to something a bit more inviting. The flower boxes are a good start. 

Speaking of lake...this is what our front yard looked like after that crazy storm Wednesday morning. It drained off quickly, but just 30 miles up the road they were having flash floods and are still dealing with the rivers cresting, this weekend. 

In other news, earlier in the week, we celebrated my oldest son's birthday. Ted turned 31 this year. Ted was born an old soul, so we always say that his age has finally caught up to him. We had a great family night, complete with tacos, beans, rice, chips and dips and his wife, Alex, made a delicious banana pudding.

Ted turning 31 marks the 31st anniversary of me being a stay-at-home-mom. I was working as a church secretary while pregnant with Ted and worked up to the last week before his due date. 

Up to the time of having Ted, I worked and saved my salary, knowing that we would soon be living off one income. I knew I wanted to stay home and raise my own kids, so we were preparing for that day by paying bills and saving money. 

Thirty-one years later, we have lived through several job losses, deaths, moves, budget cuts, debt, and many more things that life throws you, yet I've never left home to get a job. There were times I was tempted, but every single time God would sustain my desire to be a homemaker and he would provide.

To this day, I'm so thankful and grateful. I got to homeschool my boys, take care of my home and now I enjoy keeping my grandchildren. 

I have always believed that the Lord honored my desire to be at home, because it truly was his purpose for my life and family. 

I will always treasure my time at home.

Well, thanks for listening to my ramblings today 😊

I'm off to see what's for breakfast. 

I hope you have a wonderfully, blessed day!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Colors of Spring

 

Hello Friends!

Are you enjoying all the colors of spring where you're at? Or are you still having crazy snow storms or floods with hurricane force winds like we are? 

But today is nice and cool, with promises of sunshine, so I'm not complaining!

Last week I went kind of crazy with the fruits and veggies. I will admit, I think I like taking the pictures of the fruit, more than eating it, but that's a whole other post 😅

So here are some pretty pictures of all the fruit I bought and thoroughly washed, dried and put in the fridge, freezer and sent some home with the kids. 

The good thing about fruit is that you can always freeze it for smoothies later. Which I did. We also had a few servings of it for an after-dinner snack this week. Maybe I should have dipped all of these in chocolate. That would absolutely ensure the quick consumption of every piece 😂

I didn't get pictures of the zucchini and asparagus that I have yet to cook, but maybe I will once I am preparing them for a meal, which needs to be soon.

It seems these veggies want to die before I can get to them and then they saddle me with all kinds of guilt I don't appreciate. 

I did have a salad for lunch yesterday, which I made sure to include some of the bell peppers, tiny tomatoes and a carrot. I felt pretty good about that. 

I have two more photos with the colors of spring and I'm very excited about both of them (more excited than I am about all the fruit and veggies)...

These are little jars of paint that I picked up from Home Depot last week. I remembered to ask the clerk if they had any paint samples for sale and he pulled out this box for me to choose from. When I saw they were only $.50 each, I wanted them all.  Who knows what I'll use them for, but when I get the urge to paint something, I'll have some fun colors to choose from.

And then I'll leave you with these roses. I wish you could smell them. They have returned in all their splendor and are making me so happy every time I go outside. This bush is on one side of the porch and there is a yellow bush on the other side, which is now blooming as well. 

I've been amazed at the hardiness of roses. I think I'll just fill my entire yard with these and call it good.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my colors of spring! And I hope you're noticing all the pretty things where you are. God really made some good things, didn't he?

Indeed.

Until Next Time...

Colorful Blessings!

Monday Motivation - Integrity

Hello friends!

Today I'm sharing some thoughts I have on the topic of integrity. It's been a subject my husband and I have been talking about lately and I think it's one of the most important characteristics one can have.

As many of you might remember, my husband was fired from his job last year, for reasons they couldn't even trump up. After 8 1/2 years serving as the boss, making all of his goals, getting bonuses no one else was getting and no deficiencies from the state, they just said "You're done." And that was that. Since then, many of his employees have walked away, due to him leaving, and have said that they would love to work for him, wherever he goes next. This is a testament to his integrity.

He has since been working for someone who hired him based off his reputation alone...as a good man. He will start a new job next week, back in healthcare, based off his reputation and integrity. They trust him and trust his track record.  All of these things speak of his integrity, his work ethic, and the way he treats people. These are the things that matter.

Yesterday I was talking to a friend of ours, who went on a job interview recently. He was subject to the modern interviewing process; being asked how he would handle certain social issues. His answer was that he would handle them the way he handles his current job situations...as a man with standards. Who knows if he'll get the job, based off his answers, but what he communicated to me was this: "I told them I would be myself." And I applaud him for that. 

If we can't be ourselves - if we have to fake our way through something - then we create a lie we have to maintain and that's not easy to do. Nor does it speak of integrity. In other words, if we are one way at work and another way everywhere else, we lack integrity, in my opinion. 

As my husband and I talked about this recently, I was reminded of my dad and sadly, his funeral. Yet, it wasn't all sad, because the church sanctuary was standing room only, with not even enough seats to hold everyone from the town that came to say goodbye. You see, my dad was a man of integrity. He was friendly and he would help anyone who asked him. He built a reputation for himself - one based off of his willingness to lend a hand. He was a good man and it showed at the end of his life. People stood up and told stories of the times they had a need and my dad was there to help. What an amazing testimony. 

You see, in the end, all that matters is who you were to the people in your life.

It won't matter what your job was, how many nice cars you had, how big your house was or your bank account. No one will talk about those things. What they will talk about is how you treated them, how you did special things for them, how you made them feel, and your character. 

So what's the point of today's post? 

Well, as my husband gets ready to start his career in healthcare once again, I have been encouraging him to be the man he's always been, but even better. Because he's working for the Lord, not men. His courage comes from knowing that the Lord has taken him on this little detour and because of that, he has seen the results of his character in the community. Doctors have stood behind him, employees have stood behind him, new people have hired him, and the Lord has shown himself faithful, once again.

Jobs come and go, but that's ok! If we work like God is our boss, not men, then we will do the best job we can do, to please the best boss there is! And that creates integrity. Pure and simple. 

I hope this inspires you to reach for integrity in whatever you're doing today. Whether you work outside the home, are a full-time homemaker, change diapers all day or maybe you're the boss of your own business...whatever you do, do it as doing it for the Lord and you will be building yourself a reputation that will go before you in the best of ways. 

"You already know about his excellent reputation,

since he has served alongside me as a loyal son in the 

work of ministry. 

After I see what transpires with me,

he's the one I will send to you

to bless you."

Philippians 2:22-23 TPT

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Give Me All the Yellow Things! It's SpringTime!

 

Hello Friends!

Well, Easter has come and gone and my mind is in full-fledged Spring mode. I want all the sunshine, open curtains, spring air, and all things lemony and yellow to fill my house. This might just be my favorite season of all.

I've been taking a bit of a writing break lately. My mom came to visit for a week, which was really special. She got to experience all the weekly things that normally take place here, such as family dinner on Tuesdays and Millie Day on Fridays. I took her out and about on a few of the other days. Since she lives in a very rural area in South Texas, she doesn't get to just run to the store or go shopping on a whim, so I wanted to take her to a few stores, just for the fun of getting to walk around and maybe buy something. 

When I was in high school, my mom and I would go to the mall together every Saturday. We would grab a burger, maybe buy a candle or some earrings and it became a really special thing we did together during those years. 

We took her to church on Sunday, where she got to hear Ted sing and see Collin playing the guitar. That's always a special treat. 

I think she enjoyed her week here and other than having to navigate the roads between here and there, she managed the 5 hour drive very well. I know there will come a day when that won't be the case, so I really appreciated her coming all this way to see us. 

In other news...

I've been busy cleaning out my closet this week. Surprisingly there wasn't a lot to give away this time. I think I've kept my closet down to the minimum this year. I haven't really purchased any new clothes in quite a while. 

David and I finally did a project we've been talking about for some time...we put flower boxes on the front of the house, which we will finish this weekend. I've been wanting to add flower boxes to give the front of the house a more cottagey look, so David built them a few weeks ago and attached them to the 4 windows we have across the front. Now we will paint them and fill them with flowers and greenery. I will share the pictures soon.

Today I have grocery shopping to do. I am on a quest to start eating healthier, so lots of fruits and veggies are on the list for today. Morgan stopped by yesterday and I sent all the ice cream home with her, which is proof that I'm cleaning up my diet 😅

I bought two new cookbooks this week and have already found some great recipes I'll be trying very soon. I need to ease my way into eating better. Even the book says to do one thing at a time, so I'm taking their advice and starting slow. 

I'm looking forward to challenging myself in this area. It's so much easier to just grab for a cookie, but I need to dig a little deeper and try some new things. 

Are you good at trying new things or are you a creature of habit? I definitely like to try new things, but then I usually just go back to what's comfortable. 

Well, that's enough small talk for today. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and maybe try something new and surprise yourself by growing a little. I'll check back next week and see how you did 😉

Until Next Time...

Blessings and Stay Springy! 

💛🍋🌼

My Week in Pictures

Hello Friends!

It's Saturday and it feels like it's been an equally long, but short week. I thought I would share some random photos of my week to recap what I've been up to. I'm having to remind myself to take pictures lately because I'm trying to get better about living in the moment and not always having my phone in my hand. But that also means that I'm not as quick to take pictures, so it's a trade off. However, this week I intentionally set out to document what's going on. So here you go... 

On Thursday night we had a huge storm blow in. Lots of thunder and lightning that kept us up half the night. This is what the lake looked like on Friday morning. Foggy and cold. 

Wednesday I made chicken enchiladas. Here are the ingredients and it all started when I saw this jar of Green Enchilada Sauce and knew I wanted those on the menu this week. Green enchiladas are my favorite when we eat out, but they are so easy to make, so why not? They turned out great and I was able to save one extra pan for the freezer.

One pan for the freezer and one just out of the oven. 

These fed us for several meals, served with black beans and Spanish rice.

Yum!

Tuesday night was family dinner, as usual,

and as Addie was leaving, 

she handed me this picture she had drawn of David and I.

I will treasure it always 😀

The next morning I snapped some pictures of 

family dinner leftovers...

a tractor on a shelf...

a spin toy on the glass door.

Little reminders that life happened here the night before. 

Scenes from the kitchen this week...

Some fresh lemons and a yummy lemon candle.

Still haven't decorated for Easter. 

Not sure I'm going to.

Side note...when I was growing up,

we didn't decorate for anything other than Christmas.

When did the world get so extra?

It's a lot of pressure!

😅

I have a new gadget...an electric kettle.

The irony is not lost on me that last week I wrote about living slower

and this week I bought a kettle that goes faster.

There's no excuse. I just thought it would encourage me to drink

more tea at night.

Speaking of living slower...and better...

I'm trying the Bible Recap

and I'm skeptical (nothing new there).

I don't really like opinions that I'm not sure of.

Hmmm...I'll need to give it some more time before

making my final decision as to whether or not this is for me.

My latest creative project...

My traveler's notebook/planner/to-do list/project notebook/writing notebook

all in one.

I used to use a traveler's notebook for all my writing needs.

They are fun to set up and such a perfect size for

throwing in your purse and always having your journals

handy.

But seasons come and go and so do my planner preferences.

For years I went back to the traditional collection of 

way too many notebooks:

A planner for calendar and to-do's,

a Bible study notebook,

a project notebook,

a list notebook,

and on and on it goes.

But recently I've rekindled my love of the all-in-one traveler's notebook

and I'm loving it!

I even use mine as a wallet,

so when I leave the house,

I have everything I need in one place.

Plus, it feeds my need for creativity.

As you can see.

I'm never happier than when I can use scrapbook paper, 

mod podge, stickers and washi tape,

and make something I love to look at, 

while being practical at the same time.

And, I'll leave you with this set of pictures from Friday morning.

Asa came to visit while his mommy did some shopping and daddy was working.

We watched Bluey, played with lots of toys, read a few pages,

threw the ball to one another and snacked on goldfish and strawberries.

Needless to say, I got some steps in that day 😅

This weekend will be busy with working around the house, getting

ready for my mom to come for the week.

I just realized that's why March is flying by...

lots of action going on!

I hope you have a wonderfully fun weekend, my friends!

See you next time.

Blessings!

A Sweet Treasure from the Holy Spirit

 

Good morning friends. 

It's chilly here today and we've been having some gorgeous days this week.

These are the days we long for, most of the year, but they don't last very long.

I have to share the sweetest story today.

It involves my oldest grand baby, Emmy.

I call her my Millie girl because she

reminds me of me, in many ways.

She likes a good plan,

loves a list,

likes to know what the day holds from the time she wakes up.

She loves to learn and takes everything very serious.

So yesterday afternoon I was having a cup of coffee,

catching up on the latest episode of American Idol,

and there was a young woman, about 20 years old,

who was auditioning. She brought along her younger sister,

who was 12, and who was her biggest fan.

The entire segment was very moving and as I watched the sisters interact and

support one another,

it reminded me so much of Emmy and her younger sister, Ella.

They are best friends and though they fuss and fight,

they will also protect and defend each other,

and it's so sweet.

Well, that segment had me in tears, 

and just as I turned to David and told him that they 

reminded me of our girls,

my phone rang and it was showing a call

from my daughter-in-love, Alex.

When I picked up the phone,

I heard a little voice saying "hi!"

It was Emmy.

She doesn't usually call me on the phone,

so I was surprised. Plus, they would be over

that evening for family dinner,

so it was unusual for her to call me beforehand. 

But, she just wanted to talk to me,

and we enjoyed a fun 10 minutes on the phone,

with her FaceTiming me, showing me

all the other kids and what she was watching on tv

that day.

Finally the call ended and my heart just felt full

at having heard all of their little voices and sharing 

their day for a few minutes.

When they all got to our house for dinner,

I was able to talk to Alex about the phone call.

She said they were all playing outside and suddenly

Emmy asked if she could call Millie.

Alex asked if everything was ok,

and Emmy said,

"Yes. But Millie said I could call her anytime

and I just feel like God wants me to call her."

Little did she know that I was thinking of her,

at that very moment, while watching those sisters

on tv.

That was the work of the Holy Spirit.

What a treasure.

Friends, we don't have to be in crisis or trouble,

or need to be rescued from something for God to show up.

He shows up in random phone calls,

on a random Tuesday afternoon,

in the sweet, simple words of an 8 year old.

We have a good, good, Father.

💛

Thanks for stopping by today.

Until Next Time...

Blessings

💛

A Quiet Weekend

Good morning friends,

How was your weekend? Ours was very uneventful and really nice.

Saturday we stayed home and worked around the house. No agenda (just the way David likes it) and it was relaxing to just putter around the house and work on things as we felt like it.

I made the usual breakfast Saturday morning - biscuits and sausage gravy. I'm not happy with my biscuit mix though. It makes the biscuits too dense, although the flavor is delicious. Hmmm...any tips?

David installed a ceiling fan in the play room, while I worked on some paper/planner crafting. I think it was just the kind of Saturday we needed. 

Sunday we went to church and then out for a burger. Not a fast food burger, but the kind you find yourself craving. The kind that is stacked so high full of veggies, beef and homemade buns, that you can barely get your mouth around it. It did not disappoint!

Sunday afternoon was another slow day with little on the agenda. Every now and then we need those weekends.

Our roses put out the first bloom this week and though I usually don't pick my flowers, I had to have this one because it smelled so amazing! I wanted to savor it for as long as possible and enjoy the fragrance.

It just opened up so beautifully and is still giving off the best smell. Those $11 rose bushes have more than paid for themselves. They survived the freeze with no coverings and have come back as pretty as ever. 

🌹

Today I am at home cleaning and doing laundry. It's one of my favorite kind of days. Not because of the work, but because I'm home, skies are blue, it's cool outside, and I get to work around my house. 

I will start a new Bible study today. I will work on some craft organization, mop, clean bathrooms and possibly attempt to organize a few closets (which could possibly spill over to the rest of the week). 

Tomorrow I will prepare food for Family Dinner night, make sure the playroom is ready for the kids and relax after everything is done.

I need to start a new book. I'm kind of in a "blah" zone with my reading right now. I tried a book from the library, but it had some controversies and I stopped reading halfway through. I was so disappointed because I was in the mood for a cozy mystery and this one, though advertised as such, was no such thing.

I have a few more books from the library, so I'll pick one of those up this afternoon and give it a try. Good thing I can just take them back if I don't like them! 

Well, that's all for today. I need to get busy. I hope your Monday is everything you're hoping for!

Until Next Time...

Blessings 💚

Growing Slow - You Need It and So Do I

 

Happy Friday, Friends!

It's early morning and I'm sitting in my office with a cup of hot coffee. I woke up at 4:25 this morning and decided to get up and actually brew a pot for David and I. Sometimes I miss an actual pot of coffee that we share, instead of the convenience of a k-cup that brews instantly. 

I sat and finished the last few chapters of the bible study I've been participating in for the past few months.  It was such a great book, full of wisdom about slowing down and letting God do the work in us.

Some of the nuggets I've taken from this study are along the lines of God working in the winter months of our lives. So many times, when we feel things are stagnant and not moving along the way we hoped, those are the times when God is working in the hidden places of our hearts and our lives. 

This study has also reminded me that life is meant to be lived and savored; not rushed through with our eyes always on the next thing. 

How many people do you know who are actually living for today and not grasping and striving for tomorrow? Everyone I know is on a fast track toward something. Rarely do I see people who are content and satisfied with their current lives. 

While my sister and niece were here, we had conversations about the activities the kids are involved in, outside of school. These days coaches assign practices over every school break (holidays, Spring Break, etc.) with no consideration of giving kids time to just "be" or take trips with their families.  But, even when kids might have a break, the parents are enrolling them in extracurricular activities, for fear of them being lazy and actually having time to rest.

This is incredibly sad to me. 

Some of my best memories are of playing with friends after school or on weekends. We swam, we biked, we watched MTV for hours (ahhhh, the 80's 😀). Point being...we had down time. So many parents now are literally scared to death of their kids having down time. Kids are running ragged and so are their parents. 

Personally, I feel like this is the reason for kids who don't know how to function outside of a school setting or organized sport. They need someone spoon feeding them the next set of instructions, or they literally don't know what to do with themselves. Many of them stay in college (I call them professional students) because the world of work is actually terrifying to them. 

I could go on and on about the demise of the family and other aspects of families going ninety to nothing, but I'll save it for another day.

But back to Growing Slow and living slow...I want a slow life. I want a life that feeds my soul and not one that makes me feel like I'm always behind.

This week I've taken a break from social media and it's been wonderful. I haven't had to endure ads and "how-to's" in my face all day. I've taken the apps off my phone and therefore, haven't had notifications popping up, begging for my attention all day. 

You don't realize, until you turn these off, how much they influence your time. You're constantly checking your phone to make sure you don't miss out. You're constantly watching videos about how to do something - cook, craft, dress, organize, clean - and it puts this hurriedness in your heart that screams "you must do this!" 

Growing slow looks more like focusing on your own home, your babies, your garden, your friends and family and not neglecting your down time. Reading a book or just sitting outside and enjoying the sun. Having someone over for coffee or a couple over for dinner. 

It also looks like waiting on the Lord to do the work, in you, around you, and for you, instead of panicking and trying to manipulate life on your own terms. 

All of these things take practice, but if you don't start, you'll never get there.

I hope this speaks to someone's heart today. You have permission to slow down. You have permission to say "no," to take a break, to sit and soak. It's ok. The world will still be there when you get back up and are ready to take a step.

Grow slow, my friend. You need the break.

Until Next Time...

Blessings 💛

A Family Reunion, Catching Up and a New Recipe

 Hello Friends!

It's Thursday and I'm finally getting around to writing today. I had a busy few days, with my sister and niece visiting and then a few days of catching up after they left. But here I am, ready to check on all of my blogging friends and let you know what I've been up to lately.

Over the weekend David mowed and cleaned up all of the outside things, such as washing the kid's toys, brushing off windows, blowing all the pine straw and dirt off the patio, in preparation for my sister coming to town. It was the first mowing of the new year and afterwards the yard looked so nice. 

While he was busy outside, I kept busy washing sheets, making beds, buying groceries and getting ready for their arrival Sunday evening. 

Sunday afternoon I had some time to sit and read for a bit. David had gone to check on his mom, so I made myself some coffee, grabbed my latest book from the library and sat in my favorite cozy chair and just relaxed. It was nice.

I am loving having the library so close. It's so fun to just browse the shelves and discover new authors. Right now I'm enjoying some cozy mysteries, which are lighthearted, yet have a fun element of something mysterious going on. 

But back to Sunday...

My sister and niece finally arrived that evening around 6pm. I had a big pot of beef stew waiting in the crockpot for them. They were pretty tired, so we just enjoyed a quiet evening of catching up and getting them settled in for the night. 

The next day all the little girls came over to play with their big cousin, Addie, who has turned into a teen, since the last time they were all together. 

Addie was such a good sport and played outside most of the day, pulling the girls in the wagon, riding bikes and flying kites in the yard.

That night the rest of the family came over for family dinner and we had a great night of playing, eating and talking. 

It was so good to have my sister here and be able to talk about our dad and all the funny memories and stories we both have. I'm glad she got to meet all the babies and see the boys and their wives. It was such a great visit. 

We took our customary "selfie" and now we will add it to the others we have taken over the years. It's become a tradition. 

Tiffany and Addie left Tuesday morning and I spent the day doing laundry and working on some bills. I caught up on The Bachelor and enjoyed having a day to relax. 

Yesterday I spent most of the day working in my office, folding laundry, and I cooked a yummy dish called "Crack Chicken", which I had heard of, but never tried. 

Oh my goodness! It was so delicious!

The recipe is simple:

Add some boneless chicken to the crockpot.

Throw in a block of cream cheese and some black pepper.

Cook on low until chicken is done.

Take two forks and shred the chicken and thoroughly mix the cream cheese and chicken.

Add some bacon crumbles (cooked) and some shredded parmesan cheese on top. 

That's it!

I cooked penne pasta and ate it as a pasta dish. I'm sure you could eat it over rice too. 

I saved myself enough for lunch today and then had two containers to add to the freezer for later. 

This will definitely be a regular dish from now on. 

🥘😋

Today I have a good, old fashioned DISH network system coming to be installed. I'm done with subscribing to 6 different channels just to watch one or two shows on each. So we are going back with the system that has one remote, one big list of channels, and a good old DVR for recording our favorite shows. I can't wait!

Other than that, I'm hoping for some time to read today and rest up for Millie Day tomorrow.

I hope you're having a great week! I can't wait to catch up on your posts today and see what you all have been up to.

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

My Baby Turned 25 and Other News

 Hello Friends!

I hope you've had a great week. I feel like this week went by in a blur. It was kind of a strange week, in that the weather was back and forth, David stayed home sick on Monday, then was off on Friday. I will be thrown off on my days now. 

This week I've been preparing for a visit from one of my sisters. She and her daughter are coming to stay for a few days, so I've been working to make sure I have enough groceries for meals, enough sheets for the trundle part of the trundle bed, enough pillows and towels. 

We haven't had anyone come stay with us in about a year and a half, so I feel a bit rusty on this situation.

Today David will be mowing the yard and cleaning up outside. I will be washing linens, picking up a grocery order and getting the guest room ready. I hope they don't mind sharing a room with lots of toys, since our "guest room" has been a play room for a long time now. 

For many years I dreamed of having a house with a designated guest room that stayed pretty and waiting for that special guest to arrive. And I did have that, at various times, and even in this tiny house, for a while. 

But one day, my oldest son pointed out that I was saving a room for something that might happen once or twice a year and that surely I could find a better use for that room and he was right! That's when I decided to turn it into a playroom for the kids...the 5 babies who show up every single Tuesday and various other days of the week. They are my constants. They are my heart. So I bought a smaller bed, put shelves of toys in there and now when they come through the door, they run down the hall and find their favorite toys and my heart is so happy with that!

💛

In other news, my "baby" turned 25 on Friday! 

Collin came along 6 years after my first son, so he was definitely the baby and had his chance at being "an only child" for the years after Ted was married and out of the house. Those were special years and I'm so thankful for the gap that gave me time with each of my boys. 

Now, all these years later, I still squeeze him extra hard when he walks through the door. He's still adorable to me (and still funny and full of sass) and he makes me happy. 

He has always fiercely loved the Lord and has always had a very strong sense of right and wrong. He's so kind hearted and yet, will defend the truth with grace. 

Both of my boys married young and to see Collin with his beautiful wife, Morgan, and that little cutie, Asa, is such a joy to us. We're really proud of the husband and daddy he's grown into.

And by the way...in case you couldn't see the resemblance in father and son...

Here's Asa and he is basically a clone of his daddy when Collin was a baby. 

Anyway...enough about that!

I also woke up one day this week and decided I hated my hair, found a salon that took walk-ins and got a hair cut 😅

That's how it happens around here sometimes. One day you're determined to let your hair grow out and the next day you're having it cut in all kinds of layers. Maybe I'll share a picture one day, when I'm having a good hair day. (I hate myself in pictures and curly hair has a mind of its own!)

Well, I'm off to start my busy work day. I hope you have a wonderful weekend with spring-like weather, wherever you are. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings!