Over the Weekend

 Well, it's finally September!

You can officially drink all the pumpkin spice drinks your little heart desires and call it Fall. 🍂

Personally, I've never had any drink that was pumpkin flavored and will just continue on with my usual mocha flavored cup of calories. 😅

David and I had a great weekend. He worked on his truck, getting it ready to sell, we had a house showing on Saturday, I put together a gift for our oldest granddaughter who will be 10 soon, and then we went for a drive and ate a hot fudge sundae. Not bad for one day, huh?

We took a drive - first to DQ for ice cream - then drove downtown to see Beaumont's new river walk. As we were driving back, we passed by this old tree that I look at every time we pass it. Isn't it beautiful? It sits in the yard of an old church. There are others around the city, but this one catches my eye every time.

We also watched this movie, which we thoroughly enjoyed. I hope they make a series out of it.

I had these random pictures on my phone. While at work on Friday, I was flipping through a magazine and these pages stood out to me. It was an article about picking your style and they had several groups of styles (some I had never heard of) and of course, I picked cottage. I love all the colors and mis-matched patterns. This will forever be my thing. I just don't see how it couldn't be 😀

Today we are leaving to see family for a few days. I'm sure there will be pictures to come.

Have a great Monday and a restful holiday.

See you soon!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Over the Weekend...

Good Monday morning, friends!

I thought I would steer away from the seriousness of my last post and give a weekend update.

Technically my time off started on Thursday, since this is my week off from work. Morgan and the boys came over for a few hours, just to visit. Those are the best kind of visits. She and I sat on the couch while Asa played with toys and Sunday James rolled around on the floor. I love spending time with my daughter-in-laws, just talking about life. I will always treasure that time they spend with me. 

Sunday James is 7 months old

He is serious most of the time and adores his momma.

I did manage to get a little smile out of him 😀

These are "the big three" as David calls them 😅

(Emmy, Addie, Ella)

We picked them up on Saturday morning so we could go back to the apartment and go swimming. David had gone to a trade show recently and brought home these sunglasses for the little "divas" as he says. Of course they were thrilled. 

We swam for hours on Saturday and had the entire pool to ourselves. It was so much fun. Here they are in the fountain. We all got a bit sunburned, but it was worth it. We ended the day by going to DQ for some ice cream and then taking them home, clean and tired. We stayed and visited with Ted and Alex for a bit, which gave us the opportunity to love on the babies (Calem and Eden) too. Have I mentioned we have 7 grandkids? 😅 My goal is to see them all at least once a week and usually we are able to make that happen.

Backtracking to Friday...I got my nails done, which I am so glad I did. Working in the public now, I'm more aware that I want my nails to look nice. I do a horrible job of painting them on my own, so this might just be a splurge I treat myself to from now on. I think I would rather spend the money on my nails, than my hair. It never seems to turn out the way I envision it, so I think I'll just let it grow and get a trim now and then. 

I asked the girls if I should start dying my hair, since I'm getting more and more gray. They asked what color (pink, purple, green) to which I said "never"😂 Then I said, "what about blonde?" and Emmy immediately said "NO! You're the only one in the family that has my hair color! I feel seen!" Oh, my tender hearted girl. And there you have it! Millie will not be dying her hair any other color than what matches my little Emmy 😀 (We're both brunettes, by the way).

Moving on...

Last Sunday David and I started a new class at church, called Re/Engage, which is a marriage class. It's a 15 week Bible study, done in a group and we are loving it. There are about 7 couples in our group, all various ages and stages of marriage. I love that it is a mixed crowd because we get to hear testimonies from older and younger couples and everyone is learning from one another. Even though we've been married for 36 years, there are still areas where we can improve, and it's always good to hear how others deal with different circumstances. You're never too old to learn a thing or two. 

So Sunday evening we went to our class, came home and had homemade beef stew that I had made on Saturday. We watched a few episodes of The Middle and were in bed by 9:30. We had a full weekend and we were tired.

And why are we tired? Because we wake up at 3:30 - 4:00 every...single...day...uggg! Is this what getting older does to you? Waking up in the middle of the night basically? By 9:00 a.m. I feel like I've lived an entire day already 😓

Oh well...what can you do? We just get up, have our coffee, read and wait for the rest of the world to get up. I guess we're getting used to it by now. 

Today I am meeting a friend for lunch. This is my Mexican food friend. We bond over tacos, salsa and chips and we love it! Last time we had lunch, we stayed for 3 hours, just talking and laughing and taking up space. We meet up every few months and then make up for it by staying for hours. I look forward to it every time. She also recently went to work at a local library, so I expect we will trade stories today, which should be fun. 

The rest of this week will be busy with family dinner, David possibly having a work trip, and me going back to work on Thursday. I usually try to get groceries and make sure all the housework is done before going back to work, so that will be happening over the next few days. 

And there you have the weekend update 😀

It was a good weekend and I'm expecting a great week. I hope you are too 💛

So...

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Storms of Life - Perspective is Everything

 

Do you look at clouds like these and see God's hand in the things we take for granted every day?

I never want to lose that wonder of seeing nature and it reminding me that we 

have the most creative Heavenly Father. 

 

It was a random Friday night and I had just gotten home from work. On the days I work, I usually don't cook. We either grab something out of the fridge or pantry. But that night I was hungry for a burger, so we took a little ride down the road to the burger place and ordered burgers and fries. The place was pretty busy (it was a Friday night, after all), so it took longer than we thought it would. But as we were heading home, this was our view. I grabbed my phone and stated taking pictures of the clouds. 

A few days later I'm thinking about these clouds and the fact that they were probably generated by one of the recent storms brewing south of us. From our perspective, it was a beautiful sight, filled with wonder, but no danger. But, for the people who came from the area where the storms were raging, they probably had a different perspective than we did. Maybe it felt ominous, threatening, and even a little scary, as big storms do. 

This reminds me of life and the storms we go through. Everyone's perspective is different, based off your previous experience. We've had some storms in our life over the past few years and I can honestly say, I am a little worse for wear these days. Little things scare me, where before, they were just little things. 

I heard it said best on a podcast this week..."My faith has been shaken, even though I've grown." And that's exactly how I would describe it. My faith was tested this past year and yes, the growth is there and I saw God work and move and am still in awe of what he is capable of doing, not to mention, willing to do for his children. But the storm that brought the growth left a mark that won't quickly be forgotten, even though we made it through. 

But the other side of that coin is that storms we live through help us to comfort others and have compassion where we may have never had it before. 

I love the verse that says...

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 

who comforts us in all our troubles, 

so that we can comfort those in any trouble 

with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 

2 Cor. 1:3-4

I've always loved that verse because it tells me that there is purpose in our suffering. Trials and growth aren't always just about us. I believe that God has purpose and reasons for everything he allows and what better way to use your growth, than to comfort someone who is coming behind you, trying to survive their own storm?

I remember the first time my husband got laid off from a job (good old healthcare), and we were young and scared. The ones who brought the greatest comfort were the older men at church, who had walked through years of jobs and taking care of their families. Their experience and wisdom meant so much to us as they reassured us that we would be fine and that this too shall pass. They were right! We made it through that first lay off and faced many more over the years and guess what? We are still here, making it!

I think that's the importance of sharing our testimonies with others and being willing to step into a storm with someone and give them support in their suffering. We can't always fix their problems, but we can point them to the Father who has comforted us, while we also suffered. 

Recently one of my grandchildren needed some medical attention and it brought back memories of what it felt like to be a young mom with a sick child. It's so stressful and all-consuming. The only thing you can focus on is getting that child back to good health. You just want them to feel good again. And truthfully, that worry never stops; even when your children are grown! But having lived through the fevers and late nights, I can say that we made it and with each incident, we became a bit more aware of what to do and how to react to certain situations. We grew and God was there as we lived through it. 

Storms are hard. Some scare us, some break us, some make us strong and some make us bitter. But through it all, God is still at work and his desires for us are still pure and good and he will get us through, one way or another. 

And hopefully there will be friends and family there to stand beside us, giving us the reassurance that this storm will soon pass and the view from the other side will be totally different. 

In the meantime, be that for someone else. Take inventory of your own growth and notice when the Lord brings someone into your life that is going through something similar. That's not a coincidence. It's a divine appointment to share the comfort you received with the one who needs it next. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Mid-Week Update - Life Lately

 Hey my friends! 

How's your week been so far? I've made it through my latest work week (after today) and am looking forward to a week at home. 

💰I'm in budgeting mode right now, so I will be working on creating a new budget over the next week, which is always fun (I know...I'm not right 😅). I actually love personal finance and putting all the pieces together like a puzzle. I bought some new binders and tools to make it fun and I will spend hours figuring out the best ways to budget and organize our money, now that we are paying rent and still paying the mortgage until the house sells. 

🏡 Which speaking of...we got an offer on the house, but it was a very insulting offer, so it was a no-go. Oh well. Hopefully another one will come along soon.  

📚 I've also been on a reading kick lately. But then again...I work at the library. I've actually been an avid reader all of my life, but working at the library has definitely put the spark back in me, as I see all the good books that come through day to day. I can't keep up with my "to be read" list! It just keeps growing!

📗 I had the best conversation with one of our patrons yesterday - a sweet mom who is homeschooling her two children. I gifted her two of my books, including the homeschooling book I wrote and we had a few minutes to chat about homeschooling. She was so appreciative of me giving her the books and I was reminded that this is what writing is all about. Just sharing your stories with others and hoping that your words will touch someone's heart or help them in some way, is so fulfilling. 

💻 As a matter of fact, I've been itching to get back to writing or at least putting together my next book from things already written. It's just hard finding the time to devote to the process. When I have my days off, there's grocery shopping to do, chores to be done and most importantly...I have to see ALL my kids and babies before the next shift begins. Everything else comes after. This week I've been missing them like crazy and so that's #1 on my list starting tomorrow 😀

On the Homefront...

📺 David and I have been loving the new sitcom Leanne, on Netflix, starring the comedienne Leanne Morgan. She is so funny! 

🦶Several evenings, when I get off work, we will walk to the pool and sit on the side with our feet in the water. This does wonders for my aching feet, after standing at the library all day. 

🍔 Eating is a free-for-all right now. I cook when I don't work, but when I do work, we eat what we can. It's not my best I've ever done, but we're not starving, so I'm ok with it for now. Just being honest. 

🥮 I did make a cake on Sunday and we met friends for dinner and then had them back to the apartment for dessert. I made my go-to cake, which is just a butter cake with butterscotch chips mixed in. The chips melt in the bundt pan and when you turn the cake over, the chips make an ooey gooey crumble on top. It's delicious! 

Well, that's my quick update for the week. Nothing too exciting, but just finding the joy in the ordinary 💛

I hope you are enjoying the ordinary days, as well. They are truly where the blessings lie.

Take care, my friends! Have a wonderful rest of your week and I hope to see you here again soon.

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Catching Up

Look at these adorable salt and pepper shakers Morgan bought me 😍 

Last night we had Collin and Morgan over for dinner. Ted and Alex had some business to tend to, so we only had half the crew here, which was a good trial run for our first family dinner.

I fixed sloppy joes, potato salad, chips, apple pie with ice cream and sweet tea. It was delicious!

Asa and Sunday James were adorable, as always, and Asa enjoyed discovering all the light switches and watching the lights go on and off.  Asa found all the toy trucks and trains, rode the horsey and we even read a book together. There's nothing that will bless you more than having conversations with your grown kids and playing with the babies. It's the best! 

After they left, David and I walked to the mailbox to check the mail. It feels like a normal thing to do now and it feels like our little community.

I've been taking a break from social media this week and it's been so nice. I didn't realize how much of a habit I had gotten into; picking up my phone every time I had a spare moment. Even though I would only spend a few minutes looking at things, it was becoming a habit to pick up the phone constantly. I started to feel some conviction about it; knowing that it was stealing my ability to focus on other things. Then in church on Sunday, I really felt the Lord prompting me to take a break, so I committed to removing the apps off my phone for a week, just to see if my focus would improve. And guess what? It did. 

Is it really a surprise that my focus would be better when I'm not filling my brain with the lives of so many people that I don't even know? I won't go into a rant about social media, but I will attest to the fact that it fills up our minds with such clutter and (in my opinion or experience) doesn't leave a lot of room for more important pieces of information. 

People say they don't have time to read a book or their Bible or call their family or friends. Yet, if they took the amount of time they spend mindlessly scrolling, they could do all of those things and more. 

But I said I wouldn't rant, so...

In other news...I've been trying to get creative again, which always takes a back seat to life, but shouldn't.

It's amazing how getting out all the paper, stickers, notebooks, pens, etc. will calm your spirit and fill you up like nothing else. For others it might be sitting with a knitting project or painting. For me it's all about creating beautiful scenes with paper and pen. Pictures mixed with words, telling a story of some sort. This is more of what I want to focus on; enjoying that creative process and rest that I've talked about here before. It's a necessity.

It's been a great week off and today I'll start my week of work and I'm looking forward to it. I like the way my schedule allows for plenty of downtime because by the end of the week off, I'm ready to go back. I've played with my babies, swam with the big girls, sat by the pool at night, enjoyed an incredible morning of worship watching my boys use their amazing gifts, had my kids over for dinner, paid the bills, finished a book and started another, created another journal, read my Bible, watched some good shows, talked to one of my sisters and my best friend. Life is good.

I hope your week is going well and you've found some joy in the ordinary. That's where the magic really happens 💛

Until Next Time...

Blessings 😊 

Little Things Can Make The Biggest Difference

 

All last week I kept staring at this corner of the dining room and wondering why it wasn't settling with my sense of "home." I mean it was cute, practical for the space and would meet our needs if we ever just wanted to have two guests over. But it just wasn't "us." 

Meanwhile, back at the old house, sat our farm table - the one David and I built and painted together. The one we've served every family dinner on. The one that holds Millie Day memories of crafts, playdoh, puzzles and little girl lunches. The one that Asa and Calem never really sit at, because...well...toddlers 😅

We didn't have the movers bring the farm table because we thought it would look oversized and ridiculous, so we were going to sell it...for about 5 minutes. And that didn't feel right either.

So over the weekend, David and I began talking about how we missed our table and measuring the space to see how we could possibly make it fit. Even if it looked a bit crowded, we were willing to deal with it because we wanted our table included in this new space. 

So Tuesday evening the boys met David here and they took the little table to Collin and Morgan's, which replaced the small table they were currently using. Meanwhile, Ted said the small table of Collin and Morgan's would be a great addition to the studio for recording the podcasts they produce, so off it went to Ted and Alex's house. Then FINALLY they made their way to the old house, loaded up the beloved farm table and delivered it an hour later and guess what?

It fit perfectly and everything was suddenly the way it should be. Our table was home.

That night David and I both agreed that it changed the entire atmosphere of the apartment. It brought that homey feeling that was missing and it made everything feel like a cozy space with familiar pieces that represent our family. Now we can have family dinner and crowd around the table like one big happy family...minus the toddlers (infants are always held) 😀

In other news...

Millie Day was a huge success this week! The girls had so much fun swimming (so did we) and went home tired and hungry after a long day (don't worry...DQ saved the day). We can't wait to do it again!

And a few random pictures from the week, so far...

A homemade loaf of bread from Morgan. It's so delicious! I had a slice for breakfast toast, a slice of buttered bread with my dinner and one slice is going to work with me today, in my lunch. Yummy! 

This cart is a life saver for apartment living! It folds up and is very compact, so I can keep it in my car for the days when I get groceries and don't want to make 5 trips back and forth from the car. We bought David one too, so he can put his briefcase, lunch, water jug, etc. in his when coming or going to and from work.  You can find them on Amazon HERE. 

And one last thing...

I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos for the past few months, on how to decorate tiny spaces and one of my favorite accounts is this one that I stumbled upon that talks about famous movies and the cozy sets that were created to look like homes. You can watch them HERE

Here's one that I really enjoyed...

And that's it for this week's post 😀

Today I start back to work and today is also the day that our old house goes live on the MLS listing. Please pray with us that it sells very quickly! I would be so grateful for the prayers 😊

As I close for today, let me just say that change is hard. Even when you know it's the right thing and even when people may think you've lost your mind. Follow what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do and life will come together. I'm sure people thought Noah was a quack and David would get destroyed by Goliath, but they knew who stood with them and he's the same one that stands with us, willing us to go this way or that. Stick close to the Lord and he will make your path straight.

All my love, my friends...

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Happy Monday and What I'm Reading Right Now

 Good Monday Morning, my friends!

I hope you've had a good weekend. We were busy on Saturday fixing a few things in the house that will be going up for sale this week. I met with our realtor last week and she said the market is going both ways right now, so I'm hopeful, yet a little nervous. 

On Saturday evening we finally made our way down to the pool and swam for about 30 minutes. David and I kept saying that we can't believe this is our home now and we can just swim anytime and not have the responsibility of keeping up (or paying for) the pool. What a treat!

Yesterday we went to church, had lunch at home, visited our youngest kids for a few minutes and took a walk around the complex. There are some great, meandering sidewalks that go through the middle of the complex and it's very peaceful. We met several dog owners, out walking dogs. Everyone is very friendly so far. 

Saturday, after swimming, we watched a great movie called Hampstead. I found it on Prime and thought it looked good and we really enjoyed it.  

Over the weekend I finished an older book about Ashley Judd, called All that is Bitter and Sweet. 

This is one that I came across in the library and thought it might be interesting, since I was always a fan of the Judds. It was a good look into her life, as opposed to what I've always known of her mom and sister. They had quite the dysfunctional household and family, to say the least. She talked a lot about mental health and her time in Africa. I skimmed much of those sections, as I really just wanted to know about her life with her mom and sister. It certainly caused me to have more compassion for Ashley. 

I'm now starting a trilogy of books written by Richard Paul Evans and hope to read one per week, over the next 3 weeks. 

This is what happens when you work at a library 😅 You want to read everything! I always enjoy Richard Paul Evans, so I'm looking forward to this set of books. 

Today I'll be spending the day with my little girls. They've been wanting to go swimming, so today's the day!

David spent the evening blowing up floats, so they are stacked and ready to go for this afternoon. Let's hope the rain holds out or it will be an afternoon of playdoh and arts and crafts, which would be nice too.

Have a wonderful day my friends!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Life Lately...

 

Hello from Texas...

This has been a sad week in Texas, as you may know. The flooding that occurred in the Hill Country has been devastating and it's all consuming to continue to pray and hope with those families. I grew up in San Antonio and flash floods were things we were taught to watch out for, as we began to drive as teenagers. We were always told to avoid low water crossings because your car could be swept away in seconds. But when a wall of water comes down the river, rising a foot a minute, there's just nothing you can do to prepare yourself for that. We have been grieving all week as we've watched story after story of families whose lives have been changed forever. They will continue to be in our prayers for months to come. 

In the meantime...

We've unpacked every box and our new apartment is all set up. We need a few shelves hung, but I haven't had time to purchase any yet. However, we did get all the pictures and decor hung over the weekend, before going back to work. 

We've only told a few people that we were moving, but I did send out some cute cards to friends and family, with our new address and the announcement that we've downsized. That will be some surprised feedback, I'm sure 😅

This week I will clean the other house and then meet with the realtor on Friday to officially list the house. Please pray with me that it sells quickly! I would greatly appreciate it 😊 It's always tricky to move and then sell, but it's my preferred method. I find it way more stressful to have boxes packed and rooms torn apart, while having strangers walk through to see the house. I've never liked the process of having to leave the house, either, while it shows. So moving and then leaving a clean house for people to see is the way I like to do it. But, that means paying double for the months that it takes to sell, which can be scary. 

On the blog front...

As you can see, I'm no longer Millie's Cozy Cottage, mainly due to me not having a cottage any longer. 😀 I might change the header and name a few more times before settling down with it, so bear with me as I try new things. I've always written about home and family, but life is changing and it may take me a while to find my writing groove again. But, it always comes back to me eventually, when I get settled in and it will this time too. 

I'm driving a little further for work, but it's not bad. It gives me time to listen to my boys sing and pray on my way. I love the early mornings in the car, as it gives me some room to just talk to the Lord about life, without the distractions of home. 

I am still loving my job at the library. I've been there long enough now that I'm learning people's faces and names and they are recognizing me. I'm amazed at the older ladies who come in and check out 10 books at a time, for a 3 week period. And they read every single book during those 3 weeks! It's amazing! We have one lady who is 93 years old and still drives to the library! 😅 We have men who come in to use the computer weekly and they only want to sit in certain chairs, at certain computers. We have patrons who have been coming for years and they only want to deal with certain library staff. People are set in their ways! Yesterday I met a lady who is the mother-in-law of a little girl that my kids went to co-op with and she was there with the children of that "little girl" (who is now in her late 20's). What a joy to meet all of these people. I love my co-workers and the conversations we have and am thoroughly enjoying my time there. (I hope they feel the same 😊)

In conclusion...

It's been a busy, but good few weeks. What about you? Have you had a good week so far? I hope so 😀

Life is certainly unpredictable. Every day is a gift.

Until Next Time, my friends...

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! 

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! 

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!

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!

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!