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!

Wrestling With God

 Happy Wednesday, Friends 💛

Today I want to talk about some things on my heart; more specifically, why Christians have to suffer so much. It's been a topic of conversation lately and it's real life for so many of my friends right now. 

Everyone I talk to is going through something big. Whether illness or job loss, financial hardship or a big diagnosis, divorce, kids struggling, it seems that nearly all of us are having a hard time, in one way or another. And I continually ask the question...why?

Every person I'm referring to is a follower of Jesus!

Wouldn't it make a much better testimony and point others to Christ if we weren't always going through some kind of hardship? 

Wouldn't our joy be infectious and hard to deny?

Must we always be in the process of trying to overcome something?

As I started to write here this morning, I was reminded of the story in Genesis 32:24-32, where Jacob wrestles with God. I always thought this was such a strange little story, but this morning I saw some important aspects that really stood out to me.

First, Jacob was in a stressful situation. He was going to meet his brother, whom he had not treated kindly in the past. He had no idea how he would be received by his brother, so he was worried. 

In (v.24) a man (God) begins to wrestle with Jacob, but Jacob was so stubborn that God had to dislocate his hip to get him to stop.

How much does this sound like us?!! God has to get our attention sometimes and then we begin to wrestle with him about things. I've done this so many times, I've lost count!

Jacob's response was this: "I will not let go unless you bless me." 

Isn't this always our request too? Bless me God! Give me all the good things! 

There's no talk of a blessing at that moment (v.28), but there might be something greater for Jacob to take away from this situation...a new identity. 

"Your name will no longer be Jacob," he said. "It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed." 

Did you catch that?

At the point of wrestling with God (going through our trials, hardships, the sufferings we are all experiencing), we come out of it with a new identity. We are changed and how could we not be?

As Jacob says in (v.30), "For I have seen God face to face," he said, "yet my life has been spared."

Then Jacob passed by the place where the struggle happened and it says (v.31) "The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel - limping because of his hip."

Y'all! Do you see the comparison to your situation? Are you alive, but walking with a limp?

Yes, we wrestle with God when trials come our way. We don't want to suffer or go through hardships. No one wants to.

But most of the time, we come out on the other side, having grown, having learned and hopefully having seen the Lord work in our lives, much more than if we hadn't been in a trying situation. 

Our identity changes. How could it not?

If you experience God's presence, his hand, his walking through the fire with you, how could you not be different? Even if you've gone a few rounds with him!

Yes, we may limp a little after that. But it's not because God left us scarred and any less worthy of his love. It's there as a reminder of the time we wrestled with God and he changed us. We need those reminders. We need to be able to look back and know that we saw God in the circumstances and that he was for us and that we prevailed! We made it!

I don't know about you, but I'll take the limp, if it means I get to see God face to face in my struggles. To feel his presence is the greatest gift and the most reassuring thing we could hope for. 

Do we want to go through trials? I know I don't! But if this life isn't about refining us for eternity, then it's about nothing. We are being prepared to live in eternity with Christ and to quote the old song...

"This world is not my home; I'm just passing through!" 

Yes, we have to live here and yes, we are going to struggle. But we don't have to do it alone and as if there is no purpose.

God wants to change us, refine us, strengthen us and teach us and sometimes that means we go a few rounds and come out limping, but wiser and more equipped for the next time. 

If you are wrestling with God (and life's circumstances), just hang on and don't give up! God's plan will prevail in your life and the sun will shine once again. 

Then Jacob passed by the place where the struggle happened and it says (v.31) "The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel - limping because of his hip."

Until Next Time...

Blessings💚

Creative Rest

Happy Sunday everyone!

It's been a busy few days here.  I've been loving being at home and not working the past few days (even though I love my job). I think the days off seem much sweeter now.   

We spent my first day off by eating lunch in town, getting a drink from Starbucks and taking a little drive. We stopped off at a plant nursery, walked around a bit, but didn't buy anything. It was nice to get out and just have the freedom of time.

On Friday we took donuts to our kids, Collin and Morgan, to celebrate Collin's 26th birthday. I can't believe my "baby" is 26! We got lots of playtime with Asa and cuddles with baby Sunday. That made our day. 

Saturday our oldest son Ted came over with all my sweet girls, to work on his car with David. While the men were working in the garage, I fixed lunch and a batch of cookies to feed everyone. Afterwards, the girls and I played games. Emmy wanted to work on a latch hook rug I started, while Addie and Ella watched a movie and had snacks on the couch. It was a slow-paced day and so enjoyable to have them all here. 

Speaking of slow-paced days...

I haven't talked about this in a while, but creative rest is a real thing and I wanted to mention it for you, and  as a reminder to myself. 

So many times we think of rest as plopping down in front of the tv and just zoning out. Or maybe it's sitting in a chair with a good book, for some. 

But creative rest is different. 

It's doing something that feeds your soul. It's feeding that creative part of you that is designed after our Heavenly Father, the ultimate creator. 

For me, creative rest is working with paper - whether creating a journal with scrapbook paper and stickers, combined with words that touch the heart, or cutting things out of magazines and writing stories to go along with the picture. 

This week I opened one of my Daphne's Diary magazines and started working on an Easter craft tucked inside the Easter edition. 

I made myself some hot tea in my cute cottage tea cup. I turned some soft music on, gathered my supplies at the table and just sat for an hour, cutting out Easter bunnies, reading stories and doing some of the activities in the magazine. 

There's something about being creative that nurtures the inside of us, in ways that nothing else can. And the beauty of creativity is that it's different for everyone. 

Some feed their souls by baking and being creative in the kitchen. Some knit, crochet, paint, draw, do puzzles, crafts, organize, design, and on and on it goes. There are so many ways to feed that creative nature within us and it's important to do so.

Being creative and doing it in a non-hurried way, makes us slow down and focus on the task at hand, which takes our minds off the work that waits for us around every corner. Which by the way, will still be there when you get done. But it gives us a break mentally and feeds us in a different way.

The times in life (or different seasons) when I've neglected creative rest, I can feel myself being tense and always in work mode. Sometimes I recognize (and other times I don't), that I haven't allowed myself to just sit and create something, just for fun. 

It seems like we always have something that needs doing, right? Whether it's kids, the housework, outside jobs or other responsibilities. The work never ends. Which is exactly why we need to add in time to feed our souls. Even if you only have 30 minutes to yourself, to create something, that will add up over the days and you will begin to feel the stress dissipate with each session. 

I want to add here that creative rest is different than "self-care." Honestly, I have lots of opinions about self care, but I won't get into that here. But, as I already mentioned, being creative feeds us in a different way. 

We are created in the image of our Creator, who was and still is, the most gifted creator that's ever existed. If that is so, then wouldn't it make sense that being creative is vital to our well-being? 

I hope you try some creative rest this week. Make a note about how you feel on the days that you take time to create and use that part of you that connects to our Creator. I hope you feel rested in ways that truly feed your soul.

I'm reminding myself of this, as well.

Have a great week everyone!

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

God Will Walk You Through It, Instead of Removing It

 

Have you ever walked through a trial in life and wondered why God didn't just change the circumstance and get you to the other side, unscathed? I know I have. 

We all know the power of our God and we know that he can move mountains if he so chooses. But so many times in our lives, it seems that he chooses not to and it's tough to understand why sometimes. 

But, as David and I have been walking through the past few months of illness and joblessness, we've been reminded in so many little ways, that God may not be removing the hard things, but he is walking through them with us and teaching us along the way. 

Just as God didn't take the Israelites straight from Egypt to the Promised Land, he's not taking us straight into the next season of our life. 

God parted the Red Sea and led his people through, so they could experience his glory and power. He also fed and clothed them in the wilderness and taught them what a provider he was. 

Even Jesus got in the boat with his disciples, as the storm was raging, and increased their faith by calming the storm.

Our human nature hates to be scared or worried or uncomfortable, so we pray for God to remove anything that is scary or hard and yet, those are the times when God wants to show up and increase our faith in him.

Those are the times we need to quieten our souls and really listen for his voice. 

We've had many of those moments with the Lord over the past few months. And just yesterday, as we were praying over a decision, the Lord intervened and highlighted some circumstances that gave us the answer we needed. 

Day by day he is increasing our faith and day by day we have seen him show up and lead us through the wilderness. 

It's not fun, I'm not going to lie. But it has been a period of growth, maturity in the Lord and a humbling reminder that God is the source of anything we have. No job, company, paycheck or any other source of income or provision, can match the unlimited resource we have in Jesus. 

So today, if anyone (besides us) is walking in the proverbial wilderness, look for the presence of God. Look for the lessons, the moments of increasing faith, the little ways in which God is preparing you for the next season of your life. We don't want to miss anything he's trying to teach us or show us and especially not because we are too busy complaining about what we don't have or can't do. 

As our son reminded us yesterday, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

God is our strength and when we think we can't do something or make it through something, that's the time to rely all the more on God's grace and power. 

I hope this encourages you today. 

May the Lord be your strength today and walk with you through the wilderness. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

A Kitchen Makeover

Hello my friends!

I hope your week is off to a great start 😀 It's only Tuesday, but feels like it should be Thursday already. Not sure why. 

Anyway, we had a great weekend. I had to work half a day on Saturday, as the library is open from 10am-1pm on Saturdays. When I got home David surprised me with the start to a project I had mentioned to him last week. 

In several of our past homes, I've taken the cabinet doors off and had open shelving. I mentioned that I wanted to do that in this house, not expecting that I would get home from work and the doors would be gone, but that's what happened and I was not upset at all!

With all of my Pioneer Woman dishes, which bring all the color, it's a shame to hide them behind cabinet doors. So after lunch on Saturday I papered the shelves and put everything back, moved things around and brought out my tins and lunchboxes that were hidden away and now all my favorite things are out front and giving me so much joy when I walk into the kitchen. 

On the top shelf are the two I Love Lucy lunchboxes that my DIL Alex gave me. I love them (and Lucy)! The cracker tin reminds me of my childhood. We always had these crackers and they came in a metal box! The rusty old lunchbox actually belonged to a great uncle of mine. One day David and I stopped by the piece of property where my uncle used to live. David walked around the garage that was still standing and found this lunch box. It's very fragile, but so cool to have a memento from my dad's family. And speaking of my dad...the "Jim's BBQ" tin is in remembrance of my dad, whose name was Jim and was known for his BBQ. He would cook every Sunday - bbq, a big pot of beans, mac&cheese - and he was a great cook. 

On the bottom shelf, the Hints from Heloise books (there are 3 of them), are from a time long ago when women would turn to Heloise for household wisdom. They are still full of pages of great advice. There's also the Junior Bettye Crocker cookbook that my aunt gave me, plus various cookbooks that I turn to now and then. 

The yellow bread box and cookie tin (on the right side) say Collin's bakery on them. We bought those on one of our many trips to Dallas, when David used to run some offices there. Collin would travel with us, of course, and there was a bakery with his name on it, so of course we stopped and had to buy some things. The hand towel draped over the toaster was a gift from Morgan. So many little things, but they all have meaning. The only thing I'm missing is something that says "Ted" for my older son. I often look at antique stores, but so far, haven't found anything. 

The open shelves have added so much more personality to the kitchen. And it's always a good incentive to keep everything nice and neat. 

Saturday night I cooked a big pot of Santa Fe Soup, which is so easy and so delicious. It's basically Taco Soup by a different name, but it's one of my favorites. You brown the ground beef, add cans of beans (any kind you like. I use Ranch Style with jalapeños and black beans), corn, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning and some water and let it simmer for about an hour. That's it. I eat mine with tostada chips, but you could add sour cream on top and cheese if you wanted. We had enough for Sunday lunch and two bowls for the freezer. 

Sunday we watched church online. With working every single day, Sunday is my only day to be at home without having an obligation, so until that schedule changes, we might be at home for church. As it turned out, Morgan wasn't feeling well, so I made a quick trip to the store for some Vitamin C and other things she might need and dropped it off to her, got my hugs from Asa and then it was back home to spend the day working around the house. 

My work schedule will be changing soon and I'll be working longer days, but with a few days off each week. I'm looking forward to that. I'm really enjoying my job at the library. I'm learning so much and have discovered that the library is really a great resource for the community, for various needs. Who knew?!

I don't have much on the agenda for this week. Just the usual - cooking, paying bills, laundry and then family dinner on Saturday. I have been reading a lot and every time I straighten the books at the library, I see so many more books that I want to read! This will take a lifetime 😅 but it will be fun!

Well, that's all for today my friends. I pray you each have a wonderful week ahead and that the Lord is speaking in ways you can understand. Listen for his still, small voice. If he's whispering, it's because he wants you to lean in real close and hear him. 💚

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

 

To My Kids, With Love

 

Do you ever sit back and think about how much you love your kids? I have to hear my kid's voices (in real life) at least once a week. I need to hear their "hi mom" to know they're ok and to satisfy that thing inside of me that can't imagine my life without my boys. 

Thankfully there are other places I can tune in to hear their voices, if that's all I'm looking for. They both have plenty of videos, worship services and even  podcasts that I can turn on, if I just need to hear them sing or speak.

But nothing takes the place of hearing their voice in person or over the phone, as they tell me about their week, their business, their kids and their dreams. 

I heard a new mom talk about the reaction she has when her newborn starts to cry. She explained it so well, as the only one that knew what her baby needed. It reminded me of the bond between a mom and her child. 

I no longer have to run to meet the needs of my boys. Thank God they have beautiful, capable wives for all that they need. They also have a savior that is beyond capable and available.

No...all I'm for these days is to remind them of how loved they are and offer any wisdom they might need, now and then. I'm here to pray and support their dreams and cook them a meal now and then. I'm here to offer a safe place for their kids to go, a loving home and lots of memories and hugs. I'm here to remind them of funny things they did or said, as they were growing up.

And in turn...they offer me such love and respect and support when I need it. They offer me joy when I see them reaching their potential and they offer me such happiness when I watch them care for their wives and children. And sometimes they offer me grace when I mess up. 

My children are truly the greatest blessings of my life and the extension of that are my two daughters-in-love and my precious grandchildren - all 7 of them!

Children really are a blessing. I can't imagine life without them. 

So, to Ted, Collin, Alex, Morgan, Emmy, Ella, Addie, Asa, Calem, Eden and Sunday...I hope you know how deep and wide my love for you runs. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

A Busy Three-Day-Weekend

 Good Tuesday morning, my friends!

It's been a busy few days! I was actually off work this weekend, due to President's Day, so it was the perfect time to have family dinner, watch my husband get baptized, and have a dentist appointment, all within the span of a few days. Whew! That went by fast 😅

Saturday we finally had family dinner, which is normally every week, but we've had sick people and a new job and snow and other things that have prevented us from getting together. We celebrated our granddaughter Addie's 6th birthday with Bbq sandwiches, potato salad, chips, cookies, cake and lots of grandkids now! 

On Sunday I did the weekly grocery shopping, since Monday I had a dentist appointment and I wasn't sure how I would feel afterwards (more on that in a minute). 

Sunday evening we went to church and had a very special time watching David get baptized. He was saved as a 7 year old and baptized, but recently he wanted to rededicate his life to the Lord and be baptized as an adult. All of our kids and grandkids were there, which was so special for us and especially for David. 

On Monday I had a dental appointment, because on Friday morning (while the dentist was gone for the weekend), I had a crown fall off as I was eating breakfast. I had no idea it was a crown and was scared to death that my tooth had fallen out! I had to send pictures to the receptionist, so she could contact the dentist and tell me what to do. Turns out, it was just a crown and I would live 😅 I went through the weekend being very careful about eating and finally had the appointment on Monday. Turned out that my tooth was still intact and I didn't need to do anything right away. What a blessing! I was sure I would walk out of there $500 poorer, but she didn't even charge me. I will have to eventually go back and get the crown put back on, but that will be a few weeks from now. 

Also, while David and I were sitting in the waiting room, he got a call about a job interview and they wanted him to come to an executive meeting that night! He was able to make the meeting and had a great interview, so please pray with us for God's will and hopefully a job! 

While David was gone, I made a cup of coffee and sat down with a new book. I've been reading a lot lately, which is great. I folded some clothes, got on the exercise bike and watched a little tv until David came home from the meeting. 

Today I will head back to work. I'm looking forward to being there, which feels great. I will probably spend the day cooking and making sure we have a good meal plan for the week, before heading down the road to the library. 

We're supposed to have some freezing weather this week (come on Texas! Get your act together!), so we might be stuck indoors for a few days. 

Meanwhile, my 81 year old mother is on a cruise in Tahiti! 🛳 Can you believe it?

Oh well, she will be retiring this April, just before turning 82, so I think she deserves to take a vacation.

Well, that's enough rambling for today. I hope you all have a great Tuesday and accomplish all you set out to do today. 

I will be back soon!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!