Gone for Summer Break

 

Gone for Summer Break

🌞

You can follow me HERE or HERE

for weekly updates.

I hope you all have a lovely summer!

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

A Great Weekend

Good morning friends!

I can't believe May is coming to a close! Happy Memorial Day and happy Monday. 

Our weekend started on Friday night when I got off work. David and I went out to eat at a restaurant we never go to, but I was just ready to have someone else cook for me and dinner was very good. It was a nice change at the end of a busy week.

On Saturday I got up early and headed out to do a big grocery trip. Most of the time I like to do a pick up order from Walmart, but once in a while I want to walk the store and see what they have on sale at Kroger, plus they always send me coupons, so I had a small stack of those to use. 

I like to do a big grocery trip every few weeks and then not have to go back for awhile. That helps to cut down on spending (for me). Plus, now with work, I have to be strategic about shopping before my next shift starts, because there is no time to shop on those days. 

I spent the rest of Saturday decluttering different areas of the house. Have I mentioned how good it feels to have less stuff? 

I have always decluttered when we've moved, but this time I'm getting rid of things I've hung onto for years and years. Things like jars, storage containers for the pantry and decorative items that I used to love, but not so much anymore. I even sold two chairs that I won't have room for, but a friend bought them and said she has loved them since she first saw them a few years back, so they went to a good home. 

I was able to sell a bed we didn't need and that also went to a friend who had been saving up for a bed frame. So all is not lost when you can pass things along to people you know. I was able to give some extra items to that same friend who bought the bed, as she recently built a small house and is still acquiring decor and other things she needs. Since she has a garden and does some canning, I gave her a good amount of jars that I no longer needed. 

But, enough about that...

 

Sunday evening we had a little visitor for a few hours while his parents went to a wedding. Asa is always a bundle of energy and fun. 

We played with every toy we have, read a few books, ate some chicken, snacked on some toddler cookies and watched some choo-choo trains on TV.  We even brought out the mini trampoline and he had a great time jumping and playing on that. 

He even snuggled up to PawPaw and shared some graham crackers with him. At one point in the evening, he just came over to each of us and gave us a kiss out of the blue. He's always been the sweetest boy 💙

But when mommy and daddy got back and took the baby out of the car seat, Asa climbed in and was ready to go 😅 He was ready to get home and go to bed. Me too, buddy. Me too 😴

Today David and I are both off work and have a few errands to run. We were going to work in the garage, but I think we'll just wait until next weekend. After all, it's a holiday and no one should clean the garage on a holiday, should they?

Have a wonderful Monday and Memorial Day! 

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

My Experience on Facebook Marketplace

 Good morning friends!

I'm just popping on here to share my experience in something that you might be familiar with or not...Facebook Marketplace. What a nightmare!

This past weekend I decided to list some items on Marketplace. I had a grill, a bed, a toy train table and some enamel top tables for sale. All reasonably priced.

The first day or two I had a few inquiries, but nothing crazy. By Tuesday afternoon, I had some solid interest in the grill, bed and the tables. They each told me they would come the following afternoon to see the items and even though I had plans with my little girls the next day, I allotted the time for each of those pick ups to occur.

Then Wednesday came along and my phone never stopped dinging with notifications from other people asking about these same items. It was chaos! I was having to tell people that I would get back to them if the items didn't sell that night and keep track of who was first, who was a real person and who looked sketchy, etc. 

This is the life of listing something on the Marketplace.

A lady told me she was "for sure" coming to get the bed the next day. She even went so far as to tell me that her daughter was so excited to get it and that she would come after work on Wednesday. In the meantime, the man who wanted the grill was also coming, as was the lady wanting the tables. 

Here's how it all played out:

The lady wanting the tables showed up and that went fine. Great!

The man wanting the grill showed up and decided it wasn't exactly what he was looking for, but he enjoyed meeting us. No problem.

So around 4:30 I sent the "bed" woman a message asking what time she would be here, because I needed to schedule a time to get the girls back home.

It was at this point that she writes back and says, "Oh, we decided not to get it and we bought a new one instead." 

Keep in mind that all day I was putting off other people who were interested in the bed!

I replied to the "bed" lady that I wish she would have had the courtesy to let me know earlier, since other people were interested in it and then she called me rude.  Mind you, if I had not taken the time to message her, she would have never even contacted me to tell me she wasn't coming. 

I had already stripped the bed and thankfully we had not taken it apart. But it's just the principle of the thing.

After that conversation, I was done. I had spent so much time on this, that I was just done and didn't care about selling anything at that point.

I took the girls home and the minute I got back, I had another person text me to ask if they could come see one of the items. It was already 7:00! I said no.

In fact, I ate dinner, fixed me a strong cup of decaf coffee and proceeded to delete every single listing off Marketplace and called it a day.

I don't think I will be doing that again! 

Have you ever experienced selling or buying on Marketplace? Share your experiences, if you dare.

Inquiring minds want to know 😬

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

The Beginning of a New Adventure

 Hello my friends!

I hope this post finds you well and having a great week so far. I usually start out really strong on Mondays and then drag a little on Tuesdays. What about you?

David and I had a great weekend. We spent Saturday decluttering the garage, which was very satisfying. 

When I stood at the open garage door and looked at all the boxes, tools, unwanted furniture, bikes, etc., it felt overwhelming, to say the least. But item by item, we either threw it in the trash or put it in the back of the truck for the thrift store, and before we knew it, the entire bed of the truck was full of donations. We still have several weeks worth of doing the same routine, but after seeing how fast it can actually go, I felt encouraged.

We are officially calling this our "pre-retirement" preparation 😅 We are nowhere near retirement, but we are at the beginning stages of setting ourselves up to be in better financial shape and with much less clutter.

We are definitely moving in the near future. By the time we actually move, we will have been here close to a year. Not how we planned it, at all, when buying this house, but this is what life has handed us and we're navigating it with wisdom and prayer. All the reasons for buying this bigger house and all the income we had when we bought it, are gone and we do not want to spend the rest of our lives paying for a home that we aren't invested in. 

As I sat with a friend of mine yesterday who has recently moved, we had a conversation about life and how we never expected to be moving so much in our older years. But life is a journey, for sure, and you just never know what circumstances are going to arise and call for a change. Things like divorce, job loss, illness...these are all things that change the way we live and I think being flexible is healthy.

No one asks for trials to come our way and not every trial demands a drastic change of life, but some do and I think it's healthy to keep open hands and go where the Lord leads you for each season.

I knew some people who once thought they would stay in the home they built, at the job they tolerated, and said they would "never leave" their hometown. Well, guess what? God had other plans and called the man into ministry and they left that hometown, that custom built home, that barely tolerated job and have since lived in multiple places, serving the Lord in multiple churches. 

We can't dig our heels in and say we won't move. Instead, we need to be willing to go when the Lord says go, and know that life is a long line of events, from beginning to end, and we can be like the stubborn mule who fights at every turn OR hold things lightly, knowing if the Lord moves us, it's where we need to be. 

I recently gave out a book (my favorite gift to give) to my daughters-in-love and my friend who just moved. I talked about it HERE, it's called The Nesting Place, and that one book speaks to each season of life that we may find ourselves in:

For my youngest daughter - she is dreaming of her own home and anticipating the memories they will make fixing it up and raising their kids there. I love that season of life!

For my oldest daughter - they just moved into an amazing home and are enjoying the space and beauty of this gift they've been given and all the decorating that comes with finally having that space they've been praying for. 

And for my friend - who's life is going in a direction she never imagined and now finds herself navigating living as a single parent - she needs to read the words and realize that she's not alone and that moving and starting over are hard, and yet, we can make the best of it and still have a beautiful space to call our own, even if it's not what we planned. 

And for David and I...we have faced many trials this past year and sometimes we were hanging on by a thin thread. But we're making it and as so often happens when life gets hard, we are learning and growing and figuring out what matters and what doesn't and we are adjusting to that growth.

The "American Dream" is to own your own home. In fact, the dream has become such an idol, that people are willing to let someone else raise their kids so they can work at jobs they hate, rack up debt they can't even pay and be slaves to the banks for a lifetime...just to own a home. 

We're done with all of that. Home ownership is great, if you actually own it. But is it worth paying for the rest of our lives? Not to us. 

I won't pretend to know what the future holds, but I'm trusting God for the next season and the adventure of doing something new and different. 

We are actually excited about downsizing, about renting, about living in a community where we can walk to the pool in the evenings, meet new people and have minimal responsibilities in our home. And we are excited for the freedom that renting allows. 

I know this will sound like a nightmare to some, and that's ok! If it's not part of your journey, then you won't understand. But this is where life has led us at the moment and we are trusting God to get us to the right place, in the right time, and we'll make the most of it when we get there. 

In the meantime, with every load of "stuff" I take to the thrift store, with every item that I just thought I had to have, with every thing that I let go of...honestly, I feel like a weight has lifted. It's a good feeling.

Whether you're renting or in a paid-for home or still paying for the one you wanted...the main thing is staying open to whatever God brings your way. Be willing to let go of your earthly possessions if he asks you to. Hold them lightly. Don't sacrifice your family for bricks and sticks. Don't work at a job that is killing your soul, just to live beyond your means. It's not worth what you'll be giving up. 

Thanks for attending my lecture 😅 I had no idea where this post was going or leading, but it's what was on my heart today.

Have a great Tuesday, my friends 💚

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Hello Monday!

 

Happy Monday, my friends!

Well, another Mother's Day has come and gone and mine was full of blessings of the best kind. It was kind of a mixed up day, but those are the best when you can roll with the punches and go with the flow. 

I texted all my favorite moms - sisters, aunts, friends, daughters-in-loves and my mom, got to talk to some on the phone, then we met the kids and grandkids at a local bakery, which we didn't expect to be crowded and boy were we wrong!

The meet up was chaotic, with moms, dads, babies - standing in long lines for dessert, one mommy having to spend it in the car with hungry baby and fussy toddler. Just pure chaos, but somehow we managed to get hugs, exchange some really sweet gifts and laugh about the memories the day will hold.

We all agreed that next year we will forego the cafe and just meet at home, like we normally do. 

The kids gave me the sweetest gifts, but the cards are always my favorites. David gave me some sweet cards too and told me to buy myself something, but I didn't want to spend the money (plus I had splurged on a new book this week, so there's that 😅).

When my kids were growing up, I would always tell them that the best gift they could ever give me was a card with their feelings written down. Gifts are great, but the words will be the true treasure, every time.

I still feel that way. 

Today begins a new week of working. I'll try to do some decluttering each day, either on my lunch break or when I get home in the evenings. I actually enjoy shedding some of these possessions. With every load to the thrift store or as we sell things off, I feel lighter, in a strange way. I'll never be a minimalist, but sometimes we hold on to things that just clutter up our homes and it feels good to let some of that stuff go.

I need to work in the garage, but ever since David found that snake in there, I'm hesitant to pick up any boxes. Any tips on this? 😳

I would put on big, rubber boots...but they're in the garage!

Tune in later to see whether I make it in there or not 😁

But for now, I'm off to get ready for the day. I had a nightmare that I overslept and had to run to the library just before opening time, in my pjs and no make up. Yikes! Don't want that dream to come true, so I'd better get going.

Have a wonderful day, my friends!

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Life and Other Things

Hello Friends!

Happy Wednesday...happy day before I go back to work day...happy "it's already May" day!

Wow! This year is moving on, isn't it?

As I'm typing this today, it's dark and rainy outside. It's been storming since yesterday. I don't mind, though, because I'm really enjoying my time at home right now and I kind of like this cozy feeling of not having to go anywhere.

 

We had a busy weekend with our oldest granddaughter, Emmy. I picked her up on Saturday morning and she stayed until Sunday evening. We did a lot of fun things while she was here and had a great weekend together. 

On Monday I got straight to work on some things I wanted to get done before going back to work this week, one of them being this little concoction I wanted to put together. I've made this homemade dishwasher powder once before and remember it doing a fine job, so I had it on my list to make more. The recipe is so easy, so I made a container for myself, as well as two jars for my daughters-in-love. 

 

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups washing powder

1 1/2 cups Borax powder

1/2 cup salt

That's it!

I used two recycled sauce jars and made a cute label and that should last them for a while. Every night when I would use the store bought powder or liquid, I wouldn't feel great about washing my dishes in all of those chemicals, so this was the alternative. I didn't do a cost comparison, but I would think it comes out to our benefit, either way. 

This has been on my reading table this week. I've had this book for many years and go back to it once in a while, when I need a reminder that a home is what you make it. Myquillyn is a beautiful decorator, but she also shares her experience in this book about moving 13 times in her first few years of marriage. Life happens! Jobs happen. Crazy things happen. But she rolls with the punches and makes the best of each home she moved into and it's really inspiring.

This is another book I've been perusing this week. I have probably shared this here before, but I keep several of her books in my kitchen and I will read a few pages while I'm cooking or waiting on things to cook. I'm planning on sharing some tips here soon. 

Today I'm cooking some ground beef and making some meals to put in the freezer. I'm trying to get ahead of the game by having things I can heat up after work.  Yesterday I made a big pot of Chicken Taco Soup, which we ate for dinner and then I was able to put 3 containers in the freezer for the next few weeks.

Today I will be dividing up the ground beef and putting it the freezer for lasagna, tacos, more soup and some "hash" that I make with cubed hash browns. Nothing fancy, but it will feed us on the days I don't want to cook up something new. 

In other news...

David and I are talking about downsizing, which I will share more of when we get closer to actually doing it. I've already started cleaning closets, selling a few items and envisioning myself in a smaller space. Lots of thoughts going into our next season of life and what we want that to look like, financially and just in ways of how to do life. 

These are thoughts that I will share as time goes by. For now I'm watching a lot of YT videos about other people downsizing and living their lives free from debt and mortgages and all that entails and I'm getting really excited about the possibilities. 

But for now, I've got a list of things to do today, so I better get to it!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Let's Be Done With The Fake "Slow Homemaking" Fad

 

Recently a friend and I have been having long conversations about the current state of social media and the affect it's having on the younger moms and women in general, and I wanted to share it here too, because I think it's so important. 

Just as blogging did, many years ago, social media has changed since it first came on the scene and it's not for the better. Back in the blogging beginning (I started in 2008), blogs were simply moms and women connecting with other women. Then it became all about making money, so everyone filled their blogs with ads and pop-ups and they became curated and well-thought-out and not really authentic. I never jumped on that bandwagon. I was happy with my 100 followers and the community I had built over the years (still am). 

Fast forward to the present and social media is all about looking perfect, selling you the must-have items you can't live without, perfectly organized pantries with matching containers and moms who not only look like a thousand bucks, but carry their baby around on their back while cooking a gourmet meal. In other words...it's not real!

As my friend and I were discussing God's calling on our lives to share things and encourage women, we  were talking about how we feel sorry for the young moms of today, having to see all the curated content on social media, that shows the "slow homemaking" fad and just how unrealistic those videos are.

There is nothing slow about homemaking and raising young kids! It's a full time job and you have to be on your toes, wake up before the kids and get your own act together or you're behind the entire day. 

When I was a young mom, my day was filled with chicken nuggets, Veggie Tales, Legos, homeschooling and then trying to figure out what to have for dinner. And let me tell you...it wasn't gourmet, there was no sourdough starter that I nursed for weeks, just to make the perfect loaf of bread and I certainly didn't wear the baby on my back, while dressed in my latest yoga pants (which I've never owned, and never will!). 

No, once the kids were up, it was full steam ahead with life and we didn't stop to film fancy reels or dress the kids in matching outfits sent to us by the sponsor of the video. We shopped at Gymboree when we had extra money or got a bag of hand me downs from a gracious friend. 

The point being that the moms on social media are not helping by sharing content that looks perfect. It's actually creating a world of young moms who feel defeated and less-than, because they don't have their lives perfectly laid out, like the social media queens. 

And it's affecting all of us, in some ways, because we all see the perfectly organized pantries, the meal planning in cute little jars, the houses that are decorated like a designer came in that day, and gardens that are providing all the fresh veggies a girl could want. And you know what? We can't live up!

We can't live up and we need to stop trying.

Raising young children is not pretty. It's precious, but it's hard work. Keeping a home running is hard work. It's a lot of giving of yourself and not getting a paycheck. It's labor intensive. Between cleaning, cooking, planning, paying bills and making sure the kids are clothed and fed, it's all you can do to fall into bed at night.

If the Instagram and TikTok moms really wanted to be authentic, they would show themselves frazzled and out of breath from chasing toddlers. They would talk about how tired they really are and how they had a good cry last night because the kids wouldn't go to sleep. They would admit they fed their children the same meal for three nights in a row because they're at the end of the paycheck or couldn't bear dragging all the kids to the store this week. 

This is real life and it's what needs to be shared, so that real women and young moms can know they aren't alone in their struggles.

This is what blogging used to be about - kind of like the days when you would actually call your best friend on the landline and tell her how bad your day went, so they could tell you the same and by the end of the call, you both felt better 😊

I have two precious daughter-in-loves and I never want them to feel inadequate because they see the fake perfection on social media. I want them to know real women, real young moms, and I want them to share their hardships and their struggles with real friends who can relate. This is how you stay strong in this season that is hard. You build each other up and you spur one another on to do it all again the next day.

And the same is true for us, who are older. We need real friendships and true mentors, even at our age! We don't need perfection. We need encouragement about how to age gracefully, among aging bodies and retirement wages. We need real testimonies of how the Lord got you through a hard time. We need tips and tricks on how to navigate cooking for two (or one) and the adjustments of an empty nest. 

We all need real people who've been there and survived. This is what the world of social media is missing. 

If you're an older woman and you have young moms in your life, I hope you'll have a conversation about the pitfalls of what they are seeing on social media. Tell them the stories of how you managed to get through the days of young children and running a home. Tell them your struggles and about the older women who encouraged you. Tell them how you did your budget, how you planned your meals and what you did with your kids when you needed a break. 

I still remember having conversations with women at church, who were one season of life ahead of me. Those conversations shaped me in so many ways, as a young mom. 

If this post resonates with you, I hope you'll share it with someone who needs encouragement. And if you're a young mom in the trenches of diapers, chicken nuggets and running a household, you've got this! You are doing a great job and you will survive...one bedtime story at a time. You're going to make it 💛

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Blooming Where I'm Planted - Starting with Candles

In light of my last post, thank you for all of your comments and stories about homes and houses. I was encouraged by your confessions and your cheering-on, so onward it is!

Over the weekend I had a memory of an old friend who deliberately cultivated a signature smell in her home; one of a beautiful fragrance called Bird of Paradise from Circle E Candles and I decided to start there in my blooming where I'm planted phase. 

Smells are so powerful, and we are brought through spaces in time, just by the memory that a smell can bring and I want my house to smell good and fresh and pleasant to those who come through the door. 

 So I invested in a scent that I could enjoy, but it wouldn't be too overbearing. There are a few shops around town that sell the Circle E brand, and I headed to the one with the biggest inventory to choose my signature scent.

I almost chose the Bird of Paradise, but it is really too sweet for my taste. I would get a headache if I burned it too long, so after smelling all the choices and then walking away for a bit, I came back and chose one that was fresh and fruity, but not icky sweet. 

These candles are an investment, money wise, so I wanted to make sure I chose carefully and brought home one that I could live with, but also giving myself grace to choose a different scent (next time), if this one doesn't turn out the way I hoped.

So far...it's been delightful!

Every evening after dinner, I light the candle and let it burn until we turn in for the night. It has just enough fragrance that I can smell it, but it's not over powering. I learned that candles have memory and the proper way to burn a candle is to let the wax melt all the way to each corner or the burning will start going down, like a tunnel, and you will lose the longevity of the candle. I never knew that!

So each night, I burn it for at least two hours before putting it out. 

Just in the past few days, it's become something I look forward to doing and especially knowing that I'm intentionally making this a part of my home, to look and feel cozier and more my own. 

I have some other simple plans coming up and I plan on sharing them here as they unfold. We've already done the heavy lifting of having the house painted on the inside, before we ever moved in, so now it's really just a matter of adding personal touches that make it feel like our cozy space. I'm excited to share those with you all, in the near future.

🏡

In other news, we had a wonderful Easter Sunday. We attended church with our kids and got to watch both of our boys lead worship and sing. We will never not marvel at the way the Lord uses them both. We then had lunch at Ted and Alex's, with great food, Easter basket toys and chocolates everywhere. Toddlers running around, babies being passed back and forth and lots of good conversations. 

I made a dirt cake, which the girls requested, and they couldn't wait to get a plate full. Here's a picture of Ella ready to dig in 😅

We had pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, homemade mac and cheese, chips and deviled eggs, all of which were delicious! We had desserts and chocolates and most of all, just enjoyed all being together. 

We have failed the past few holidays at taking a family photo, so it's bits and pieces of the gang, as we can capture special moments, but we will get one soon, I hope. 

In the meantime...here are some special moments I did manage to get on "film"...

Asa trying out Addie's new goggles

Collin and Sunday James

The girls excited over their basket

Millie (me) with Asa and Sunday James
a few days before

Sunday James

A basket for the gang
Emmy, Ella, Addie, Calem and Eden

A basket for Asa and Sunday

And that's it for this post.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a special Easter. 

Thanks again for indulging my meltdown about my house. That's what friends are for, huh?

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Trying to Bloom Where I've Been Planted

 

I have a confession to make and since we're all close friends here, I'm hoping you won't judge me too  harshly when I tell you that I'm dreaming of things I don't have, but wish I did. 

There. I said it. I confess that I miss my smaller, cozier, cottage-style home and I want to go back to living smaller and cozier. 

I know...I know...bloom where you're planted and all that, and I have no choice to do just that. But a girl can dream, can't she?

We bought this bigger home thinking we were going to have my MIL living with us, but shortly after buying it, she had to go to a nursing home permanently. Now here we are with lots of space and just the two of us 99% of the time and it just doesn't feel warm and cozy.

When all the kids gather here, it's plenty of room, and that's nice to have a big living room and dining/kitchen area. But when it's just us, it feels too spread out and not quite the feel that I love.

However, the reality is that we can't move. We haven't been here long enough to put out more money on something else or to get the equity out of this home. But that hasn't stopped me from dreaming about a cozy cottage on a small lot, somewhere out there. Did I also mention...we have almost 2 acres here and we just don't need that much land to care for.

So what do you do when you're here, but you want to be there? You find ways to bloom where you're planted and make the most of what you have, because being discontented is not the attitude I want to live in.  

This means I will have to find ways to bring a cottage feel to this bigger home by adding things that feel cozy, such as some garden fencing, roses, outdoor decor and whatever else I can find that is inexpensive to do. 

The quandary is, how much to do and spend, when you know it's not your "forever home" as they say. But then I've always said...leave it better than you found it and you will have been a good steward. 

🌺

Have you ever bought a house and then regretted it? Have you have downsized or upsized and wish you hadn't? What would you do in this situation? I'm just looking for stories that relate to mine. If you have a house story, I would love to hear it!

As always, thanks for visiting!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Let's Meet in the Garden

 

It's 3:00 a.m. and I'm tossing and turning in bed. I do this until 3:30, when I decide it's no use and I get up and make my first cup of coffee. It's ok - I'm wide awake, but I know that will mean I'll be in bed early tonight as a result.

I slip into my office and turn the lamp on, take a seat in my pink office chair and open my Bible. The page opens to John, chapter 17-18,  and I read about Jesus praying for his disciples and believers. I'm touched by the emotion there; especially in verse 26 where Jesus says to his Father..."I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them." 

Such a tender love between the Father and Son, and a great reminder of how much they both love us, as well. 

I keep reading into Chapter 18, v.1-2, where Jesus goes into the garden where he "often met there with his disciples," and I'm stopped by the image of this place where Jesus often goes to meet with his closest friends. 

Recently I was reading in Genesis 3:8, where God was walking in the garden of Eden "at the time of the evening breeze" and I was equally touched by this verse and the image of God, our Creator, creating this beautiful garden and meeting Adam and Eve there in the evening breeze. 

It struck me that it makes sense to feel God's presence out in his creation. That's where he often met with those he loved.

Is this why people love to garden?

Is this why we stand outside in the morning sun, close our eyes, feel the warmth on our skin and thank God for another day?

Is this why David and I have been taking pictures of this momma bird, sitting on her nest of eggs, just outside our living room window? We are marveling at her tenacity of creating the perfect little nest and patiently and courageously protecting her eggs until they can come into this world, safe and sound. 

One day David witnessed a male cardinal bring her some food and he was amazed as he called me to the window to tell me what he saw. 

This is God's creation and a little glimpse of the beauty of all that goes on outside. 

I'll admit, I'm not much of a gardener. I don't really have a green thumb. But some of the most precious moments between my Creator and me have been walking along a dirt drive, praying and dreaming with the Lord. 

And many of those times spent praying outside would end with a red bird landing someplace near and I would always say "Thank you Jesus! I know that's you." 

I've always wanted to go to a sunrise church service, where you hold church outside...at sunrise. What a special time that would be to be witness to the new day, as it awakens, and sing praises to the one who created it! 

One Easter we held a church service in the front yard of our little farmhouse. We gathered friends among the trees, with lawn chairs, guitars, and Bibles and we read God's word and sang to the Lord, right there in the front yard with the horses nearby. What a great morning that was. 

We need to do that more often. Get outside the church walls and step into the "garden" with the Lord.

The older I get, the more I realize that God is out there, walking in the evening breeze and even in the morning sun, and he's waiting for us to meet him there. Sometimes he's in the church house too, but more often than not, he's in the garden and he's waiting on the ones he loves to come and spend time with him, enjoying all he's created. 

I want to do more of that. 

How about you?

My Weekly Check-In

Happy Thursday, Friends!

I've not had too much to say over the past week or so, even though I've been busy around here. 

Sometimes you just have to stop and take in life, without feeling the need to say something, right? 

But I knew I would find the words, when the time was right,

 so here I am this morning, sharing some behind the scenes, once again. 

Here are a few things I've been up to...

One evening I was sitting in my favorite chair, looked 

out the window and saw this escapee wandering through our yard. 

I knew immediately that he belonged across the street. 

We hear him crow at all hours of the day. 

He looks like he's trying to make a run for it, doesn't he? 

He finally made his way next door, where he was captured 

by our neighbor and taken back to his rightful owner. 

At least he had some freedom for an hour or so 😀 

But I'm glad he's safe and sound once again. 

🐔

Tuesday was Family Dinner and we celebrated my oldest son's birthday. 

These pictures represent my heart 🩷

 

Our little family has gotten so big and we are so blessed 

to live within minutes from one another. 

I will never take that for granted. 

These are my boys 😀

Ted is holding his gift from Collin and Morgan,

which is a poster that represents Ted's song

that is about to be released,

called Dominion.

Those are the lyrics to the song,

in the shape of a record.

What an amazing gift for Ted to hang in his studio!

To say I am proud of them is an understatement.

They are amazing men, they love the Lord, and they

gave us such beautiful daughter-in-loves and

precious babies.

What more can a mom ask for?

💗

I've also been reading a lot lately.

📚

Currently I'm reading this...

You might recognize Allison from her dancing videos on Instagram,

with her late husband.

This is her story and it's definitely worth the read.

📺

David and I are loving American Idol this season.

I cry in every episode.

I love hearing the stories and dreams of these young people.

I have lived these dreams with my kids and I just want to hug every 

one of them and tell them that God is working in their lives,

slowly but surely. 

We've also just finished the Australian Traitors and

it was a great season (season 2).

🍳🍵🍴

For Family Dinner I made meatball subs, 

which turned out pretty good.

But the next morning I put some bread in the oven

to make toast and my oven no longer worked.

I have no idea what happened between

heating the subs on Tuesday night,

to turning the oven on Wednesday morning,

but I no longer have a working oven.

Hmmm...

This will take some research on David's part.

In the meantime,

good thing I bought that air fryer recently!

⏰

Today I return to work for the next week.

As always, I'm looking forward to getting back to it.

I'm still trying to get adjusted to using my time wisely when I'm off.

There are so many things I want to do during those days,

and I have to see my people too.

These are not problems,

just a matter of coordinating all the things,

which I will...eventually.

Well, that's a small glimpse into my life lately.

I have lessons the Lord is teaching me,

basically every time I open my Bible.

I will share those things eventually.

👭

Right now I'm walking through some things with friends

who need prayer,

which I count a privilege to pray for.

It's so important to let people in and ask for support.

If I can ever pray for you, just let me know.

💚

Now I'm off to get ready for work and make toast

in a toaster, like a normal person.

🍞

I hope you have an amazing day!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!