Hello....no it hasn't snowed here:( This is a picture from last year. Just remembering how much fun we had playing in the snow. We are really hoping that it snows sometime here in the New Year.

Our family had the best Christmas ever. We spent all our time with family. We stayed up late, watched Christmas movies, cooked, ate yummy food, played games, and just had the greatest time spending time together. We are so truely blessed. We thank God for our family and friends everyday.

Tonight, the hubby and I are in the kitchen cooking fish, shrimp, fries, and hushpuppies in our new fry daddy. It's gonna be so good. Well, actually he's in there cookin....I'll be in there in a minute:)

I just wanted to say I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, filled with lots of memories...and I hope you all have a very Happy New Year as well. We'll be ringing our New Year in with some of our best friends...when the New Year comes in, we'll say a prayer...starting the year out right...and ask God to bless and be with us the New Year and to help us become closer to Him. I know our New Year will be blessed as long as we have our Lord and Savior.

Lots of Blessings to you....with Love, in Christ!!!

"I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Happy Birthday Jesus!!

Luke 2:7-14



"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."


Let us all remember the "Reason for the Season." It is the most wonderful gift of all...our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was sent here as a beautiful baby....sent to save the world! What an amazing gift. We owe our lives to Him. As you spend time with your family and friends this Christmas season, remember the reason we are celebrating. Words cannot express how much He means to me and my family. He is our Father, Protector, Healer, Forgiver, Redeemer, and so much more. We have life because of Him. Let's give Him our life...now and always!

Have a most wonderful Merry Christmas!!

Prayers for Hope

This dear, sweet young lady is Hope. She has been diagnosed with cancer. She is such a brave 14 year old. She is a fighter and an inspiration to me. Her name suits her...she is full of Hope! She has been through so much in her life so far and shows what it means to be faithful. She believes in our Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of prayer.

Edie at http://richgifts.blogspot.com/ made a button for our friend Hope, and it would be awesome if you would like to take it, so we can get as many people as possible to pray for this amazing young lady. She is beautiful inside and out!

Here is her blog... http://hopescancerdiary.blogspot.com/ I know she would love for you to stop by and leave an encouraging comment. Thank you so much! Have a very blessed day!

~May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

An Early Christmas

We had an early Christmas at my Dad's house today...we had the best time. I love getting together with my family...eating, talking, playing, watching movies...eating some more:) We are so blessed to have one another. I love my family. It keeps getting bigger and I'm so glad. I love having a big family. We always have such a great time together. I love that we're so comfortable around each other...we can just be silly and laugh and make great memories!

We watched "White Christmas" and it is such a great movie, with a great happy ending.

We had so much food and opened gifts...the yougins' played hard all day. I am so thankful to the Lord for blessing me with such a wonderful family. I wouldn't trade them...I think they're keepers:)

I hope all of you have a great Christmas this year and make lots of memories...cherish these times with family and remember what this season is about. Our amazing, wonderful Creator.... Our Heavenly Father. I'm so blessed beyond measure to have Him in my life!

~Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

A Mother's Rule of Life

Good morning everyone!! We are back from our Dallas trip. We went to visit my hubbys' sister and his brother-in-law and all our nieces and nephews. We had the best time! We don't get to see each other very often, but when we do, we pick up right where we left off. I am so thankful for the wonderful family they are and the relationship we have with them.

I've been trying to keep up my bible study every morning after the kids go to school. It's going great. I feel so good when the first thing I do in the morning, is spend time with God. I've been wanting to do better on my organization in our household. Sometimes it's easier than other times. My sis-in-law gave me a book to read and to help with this. She's read it and said it was a big help in getting started. It's called A Mother's Rule of Life. I read the first two chapters this morning. I really think it's a great book and will help me in starting to be more organized. It is about a real mother and housewife who homeschools and tries to run a household. She tells how she became so overwhelmed and how the Lord helped her in her journey as a mother and a wife....and how He wants us to serve Him. I'm really excited about this book!! Today, I will begin my making a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule of all the things needed to be done in our home. This is my first goal. It will start from the time we wake up, till the time we go to bed. I believe this is a start to a great way to become more organized. I believe the most important is to remember to give ourselves and our day to God first. He is the most important priority in our lives. Don't forget to talk to Him daily...when we spend time with God, we know what His will is for our lives.

I hope you all have a blessed day!! Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Love This Lord's Day!

Today has been a blessed day! We had church this morning...we all came home and cleaned up the house..(it was getting a little messy...it always does with 3 boys in the house:)), and ate lunch.

I also made 2 loaves of bread for the week. Love the smell of bread baking! It's so good!

Tonight after night church, our Sunday School is having a Christmas party! Can't wait to spend time with great church family!

Today, I heard a great verse..."By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all." Hebrews 10:10

How awesome is that? God sent Jesus to die for us on a cross, rise again, and save us...once and for all! When we accept Jesus in our hearts...we are His for all eternity! What an amazing Father we have! He showed us how much He loves us, by giving Himself as a perfect sacrifice. Let's show Him how much we love Him. I pray that you know God as your personal Savior...now and forever. It's an amazing Love!

I'm sitting here drinking my morning coffee. It's another cold day. I think I look pretty silly. I'm in my Christmas pajama pants, a sweatshirt, and a scarf! LOL! I put the scarf on when I took the kids to school and it's just so warm, I didn't take it off:) I love scarves.

Anyway...back to my coffee....I love coffee. I love it iced, hot, or warm. I also will drink it black...preferably if I have something sweet to eat it with. I also love having creamer in it. My hubbys' favorite creamer is vanilla. I will try any creamer. Right now I have vanilla spiced rum. However, this morning I wanted some vanilla and there was only a tiny splash left...I wanted more. So I got some milk and vanilla extract and poured it in a cup and mixed it together. It turned out pretty good.

Then, while I was holding my little jar of vanilla I remembered I found a recipe for homemade vanilla extract on one of the other blogs I read. I thought it was a great idea and I think I'm going to try it out. Vanilla extract is pretty spendy....especially if you get the natural kind.

So here it is...from http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/:

6 Vanilla Beans

6 (4 oz jars)

24 oz. vodka

"I purchased the vanilla beans and recycled glass cork top bottles from Mountain Rose Herbs. The vanilla beans are sold by the 1 oz (which is 6-9 beans) for $9.00, making it about $1-1.50 per bean. The jars were $1.60 each. I purchased the vodka at my local liquor store for $10 for 750 ml (which I figured out is about 26 oz). So you are looking at less than $5 per 4 oz jar, compared to easily double that amount at your local health food store. And with reusable glass jars, you can save even more with future batches (if you are making it for yourself, that is). The beans smelled fabulous! I cut them down the center with scissors and then into 2 inch pieces and put them in the jars. I then filled each jar with vodka and put the top on! That’s it! You must steep them for 8 weeks. Once you have used half the jar, you can refill the jar to the top with more vodka to stretch it even more! Make sure to make a note of this when you send it for gifts. You can also save room to sweeten with a 3/4 tsp of rum per bottle after it has steeped."

Hope you enjoy this recipe. I'll try to start working on it soon and let you know how it turns out. I bet you'll like the blog "passionate homemaking" as well. She has lots of interesting things on there.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:3-4

Rudolph is coming on t.v. tonight...I remember when I was a kid and couldn't wait till the annual Christmas movies would be aired on t.v. This is one of my favorite childhood Christmas movies. There are soooo many others, I can't name them all. My hubby and I did count the amount of Christmas movies the other night....we have 26!! We still don't have all the ones I want. I find them at local consignment shops and good will. I love some bargains:)

It really feels like winter outside! I love it...mostly when I'm able to stay inside:) This morning is the 2nd day I've gotten up early with my hubby...I say early, it was 6:30 to make coffee and homemade biscuits. I usually don't get up till 7:40 and the kiddos have to be at school by 8...LOL! We're always rushing in the mornings. I'm a big procrastinator......at least when it comes to getting out of bed!

I've been doing some reading in Phillipians the last few days. I know what an amazing God we have...but I'm still amazed when I'm reading His word and realize He wanted me to read those particular verses at that particular time....I love that feeling!!

Paul talks about how he's torn between 2 desires...one, wanting to live and the other wanting to be with Christ in Heaven. Sometimes I feel the same way. I love my family, friends, and the many blessings God gives me....on the other hand, how amazing would it be to be in the presence of God!! No worries....just worshipping and spending time with Him for all eternity!! I know I'll be there someday...and I look forward to that day....in the meantime I'll live my best for Him.

But, Paul also makes a good point. While we are here on this earth, we can be fruitful for Christ. We can let others see Him through us. That's what we are here to do. Sometimes I get caught up in all the other things I have going on in my life such as: being a mom, a wife, going to school, taking care of a household...that I forget what my main purpose is here on this earth. I wish things could slow down sometimes so we can do what we need to do for God...spend time with Him...learning what His word wants us to do. We have the power to do that! I think it just takes us prioritizing what's in our lives. God should be at the first of that list. He came here and died a criminal's death to save us! What an amazing gift! I know I'm going to try harder to let God know what He means to me....He is my All, my Protector, my Forgiver, my Shelter, and so much more. He is my Father!

Hope everyone has a wonderful night! Thank you for stopping by!

Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Good morning!! I got up early with my hubby this cold, wonderful morning and decided to catch up on everybodys blog. I've been gone this last weekend for a late Thanksgiving and haven't been able to read the blogs. I always love reading all about everyones week. Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving.


Christmas season is here!! It's officially December. I love this time of year...don't you? Celebrating our wonderful, amazing gift of Christ and all the blessings He brings us, decorating, and lots of baking and cooking.~sigh~ It truely is the most wonderful time of the year!


It is a very cold morning here. It got down to freezing last night. I'm sure when the kids wake up and see white for the first time over everything...they'll say..."Mommy it snowed!" I love their innocence! I'm really enjoying my coffee this morning!


Hope you all have a very blessed day! I have to get kiddos up and get ready myself for school. Take time today to reflect on the many blessings God has sent your way!

The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

I don't have much time to do a long post...I have to go to class today and hopefully finish my math class:) I just wanted to say I hope you all have a wonderfully, blessed day!! Take time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for...all the blessings Christ gives us daily. What an amazing Father we have. Take some time and spend it with Him.

~God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

~God saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renwal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:5-7

~Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20

~"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Today is my hubby's 28th Birthday. I am so blessed to have him as my best friend and my wonderful husband. We have been together for 11 years this year...dating and all. We began dating right before his 16th birthday. Wow...what a long time. Here we are all these years later...happy as we've ever been. We owe this to our amazing Father....our foundation! When you put Christ throughout your life and your family, you will be blessed. He is with you every step of the way. We owe it all to Him!!

Tonight, the kids and I went and picked him out a birthday gift and card. We had fun trying to agree on what Daddy would love. I fixed him one of his favorite suppers and then made homemade chocolate chip cookies with ice cream for his dessert. We made him close his eyes to bring in his gift. He loved it...a big new tool box to keep all his tools in. We love surprising Daddy.

He is the love of my life. I couldn't ask for a better man for a husband and for the father of our children. He takes such good care of us and only has great plans for us as a family. God has truely blessed us! We have grown so much together. We strive each and every day to become closer to our awesome Father, each other, and our family. We want to be the family God wants us to be. Thank you honey for who you are and all you do. We love you so much and always will!

The Lord said, "I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just." Genesis 18:19

Today we are going to my Uncle John and Aunt Kimmie's house for an early Thanksgiving Dinner. I'm so excited. I love getting together with my family and just eating yummy home cooked food and spending time together. It is my FAVORITE thing to do. I love my family so much and love making lots more memories to cherish forever.

I have been busy in the kitchen this morning. When we woke up, my hubby and I cooked breakfast together. Homemade pancakes, with bacon, fried eggs, and homemade toast. So good. Then after I let my food settle I started my homemade rolls and chocolate chip cookies to take to dinner. I have my Christmas music playing as well:) I love this time of the year. It's truly is the best in my book.

We have a big family and lots of kids. We all have such a great time together. There are a few family members who aren't with us anymore....my pappaw and my great mammaw. Even though they aren't here, we never forget them. We always have the precious memories we shared with them. I hope you all have a great weekend and remember to take time and thank our precious Lord for so many blessings we have.

"Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 16-18

I've been doing my bible study in the mornings after I take the kids to school. It is my quiet time...the perfect time to set aside just for me and God. I have enjoyed it very much. Today is my 3rd day...I already feel closer to Him. That is my goal. I want to be as close to my God as I can be. He will guide and help me to be the child, wife, mother, and friend He wants me to be. The last two days I have been reading out of 2 Peter. Both days I sat my bible down with the pages opened to 2 Peter so I wouldn't lose my spot and both days I picked it up and it was on 1 Thessalonians. The first day I didn't really think much about it, but when it was on the same place the second day...it got me to thinking....the Lord must want me to read this. So I did. The title on Chapter 1 is Thanksgiving. What a great time to read on Thanksgiving. 1 Thess. 1:2 says, "We always thank God for all of you, remembering you constantly in our prayers." God spoke to me through that verse. One, we need to be in constant prayer....talking to God as if He is right here...which He is. When we are close to God, we are where He wants us to be in our everyday life. Two, always thank God for the many undeserved blessings in our lives. We have everything good because of the Father. I think sometimes we get too caught up in things and forget to remember the simple things in life. The things we shouldn't take for granted....God and His amazing gifts, family, friends, trees, squirrels chasing each other around the yard, watching your kids play nicely outside (when they think no one is watching)...every good thing comes from God. I want to do better for Him. When I am close to God, I know everything will be okay because He is always with me.
I'll leave you with this verse also from 1 Thess. 3:12-13....And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you. May He make yours hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.
Let's remember to show our love for others...for everyone...then they will see God in us.

I'm sorry it's been a while since I've blogged. Me and the fam have been sick. Not the flu thank the Lord...just stomach virus and bronchitis. Thankfully now we are on the mend. Me and a friend had a yard sale this weekend. We're trying to clear some things out and make life a little simpler in our homes. It was a beautiful weekend to do so. This morning we will be busy getting ready to go back to school this week. We are really looking forward to Thanksgiving Break. It's only a few weeks away. Yay!! I love Thanksgiving....spending time with all my family and eating that delicious food! It's the best!

Our sermon at church yesterday really made me realize something....I need to spend more quiet time with my Lord. He blesses us with so many things and I want to be closer to Him. It's so easy to get caught up in this busy life....but I always think about the bigger picture...we are here for HIM....to worship Him and live for Him....in the end, He's all that matters. He died for us! What an amazing love! I'm gonna try harder to spend more quiet time with Him and live a life that is pleasing to Him. I want to be more kind to others, so that they will see God in me. I want Him to get the glory.

I'm so glad to be back on here....hopefully it won't be so long next time. Hope everyone has a blessed week and remember to thank God for His wonderful, amazing blessings!

Today I woke up with a terrible migraine....at least that's what I'm hoping it is. I took the kids to school and decided I wasn't going to be able to drag myself to my classes. I took a tylenol pm and tried to go back to sleep. It took about an hour before I finally did. I slept pretty much all day until it was time to go get the kiddos. Then I dragged myself and 3 boys to walmart to get some soup. Do you have a favorite soup when you're sick? My all time favorite soup is chicken noodle. When I was little and sick, my mammaw would make me some steaming hot chicken noodle soup and crackers with some sprite or gatorade. (only the orange kind....that's my favorite) So I decided I needed some. I also love chicken and rice soup. I haven't had it in so long and decided I wanted some of that too. It was very yummy. I feel a little better. My headache is gone. I'm hoping it was just a migraine, because I really don't want the nasty flu. I don't want my kids to get sick either. I would really appreciate prayers. I have too many things to do....it would be difficult being sick. I'm gonna go....I need to get the kids ready for church. Have a great night and I pray you all stay well too. Blessings.

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a sheild for all who take refuge in Him. 2 Samuel 22:31

Recipes

Of course I'm not Grandma, but I love Grandmas' food....so today I thought it would be neat for us to post some really easy, home-cooked recipes. I need some different things to cook. I love to cook, especially this time of year, and I would love to share some. I really love crock pot recipes....you just throw them in, frozen and all, and by the end of the day it's done. So let's see what you've got. You can put as many as you want. It can be anything from entrees to dessert.

I found this poem and thought it was a great read....Have a blessed day:)

Heaven's Grocery Store
I was walking down life's highway a long time ago. One day I saw a sign that read "Heaven's Grocery Store". As I got a little closer, the door came open wide.When I came to myself, I was standing just inside. I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere. One handed me a basket and said, "My child, please shop with care." Everything a Christian needed was in that Grocery Store. All you couldn't carry, you could come back the next day for. First, I got some PATIENCE; LOVE was in the very same row. Further down was UNDERSTANDING, you needed it wherever you go. I got a box or two of WISDOM, a bag or two of FAITH. I just couldn't miss the HOLY SPIRIT, for He was all over the place!! I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE to help me run this race. By then my basket was getting full but...I remembered I needed some GRACE! I didn't forget SALVATION, for SALVATION was free. So I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me. Then I started up to the counter to pay my grocery bill, for I thought I had everything to do my Master's will. As I wind up the aisle I saw PRAYER and I just had to put that in. For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run right into sin. PEACE and JOY were plentiful; they were on the last shelf. SONGS and PRAISES were hanging near, so I just helped myself. Then I said to the angel, "How much do I owe?" He just smiled and said, "Just take them everywhere you go." Again I smiled at him and said, "How much do I owe?" He smiled again and said......"My child,

JESUS PAID YOUR BILL A LONG TIME AGO!"
*

Ask, and it shall be given you; Seek, and ye shall find; Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Matthew 7:7

My Daddy's 50th Birthday is today....We did have a surprise birthday party for him the other day. He had so many family members and old friends show up....can't you tell how surprised he was! I love it! He didn't suspect a thing. He had a great time catching up with friends and spending time with family as well. I love him so much and am very thankful to have him as my daddy. We are so much alike. Love the Lord, country, simple life, old times, love big band music, being with family, home-cooked food, coffee, and much more. I am so blessed that God gave me to him to take care of as his daughter. He is a great father and I will cherish our times together. Love you Da Da..(he loves when I call him that.) Happy Birthday!


The Lord said, "I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Genesis 18:19

Here are our pumpkins this year. They're a little spooky, but the boys love them. Carving pumpkins is a tradition that we will carry on for a very long time. This is what they look like at night on our porch with the candles inside them. However they are starting to wilt already:( I am going to have to get some more to decorate. I love decorating. This time of year there are so many ways to decorate with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas on the way. I love it. After we cleaned out the pumpkins I made pumpkin seeds. They are good and good for you. We had a great family day together. Here are a few recipes from Our Best Bites...Have a blessed day.

















Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
From ourbestbites.com


1/2 C pumpkin seeds, clean and dry, 1/2 T butter, 1/4 t olive oil, 1/4 t celery salt, 1/4 t onion, 1/8 garlic, 1/8 paprik, a pinch cayenne, Kosher salt


















Homemade Pumpkin Puree
From ourbestbites.com

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice pumpkin in half and remove stem. You can cut it in quarters if you want, or just leave it halved. It doesn't really matter. I cut mine in quarters so you could see the insides better.

Step 2: Using a spoon, scrape out all of the stringy stuff and the seeds. If you want to toast the seeds make sure to save all this junk in a bowl and not the trash can! You'll be left with just the pumpkin rind and the flesh as shown here:

Step 3: Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place your pumpkin cut-side down on the sheet.

Step 4: Cook pumpkin in your 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until it's tender when pierced with a fork. When done, remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet.

Step 5: Use a spoon to scrape out the flesh and discard the skin/rind. It should be super soft and easy to scoop right out, kind of like scooping out an avocado.

Step 6: Place pumpkin pulp in a food processor and process until smooth. (Or you can just mash it with a fork or potato masher) Now. If your pumpkin is on the dry side, you can add a little water (or juice depending on what you're making) at this point to get the consistency you want. My pumpkin was dry and I was aiming for the consistency of canned pumpkin so I slowly drizzled in about 1/4 cup of water until it had the right feel. If it's too moist, just put your puree in a strainer to let some of the moisture seep through.

At this point you can use it in any recipe that calls for pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin.

The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. Psalm 145:9

So I've still been doing a lot of baking. I made 3 loaves of bread the other day and it was gone the day after. I know that's a lot of bread, but we love some bread. So, since we've eaten so much I decided to get some whole wheat flour....to make it a little healthier. I think it's gonna turn out great. I usually make mine in the bread maker, but I recently got this recipe from "Farming on Faith" and it was amazing. I love it so much. So, I'll probably make some this afternoon or tomorrow. I usually make about a loaf every other day....but with the way we're eating it, I would like to try and make a little more. I've also thought about making some loaves and wrapping them in pretty paper and giving them as Christmas gifts. I think my family and friends would love it. You can always use bread, and there's nothing like homemade bread.
Also, yesterday my hubby finished painting our living room. I am sooo excited. This summer while I was away at church camp he and the kiddos suprised me with re-texturing the walls in the living room and hallway. So since then there have been no pictures on my walls....it was driving me a little bit crazy. I love decor....so not having anything up until we painted was hard. But thank the Lord, it is now finished and looks great! I will soon be putting my pics and decor back on the walls and it will look as cozy as ever.
I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. Psalm 52:9

I love pictures like these. Beautiful fall leaves falling from the trees. Today was a chilly day. I absolutely love it. I love this time of year. It is probably my favorite as far as seasons....but I do love Christmas time too. I'm hoping it will stay like this and then the leaves will be turning their wonderfully vibrant colors around here. They are a little bit already. Driving around I see colorful spots on the trees where the foliage is setting in.

The kids picked out a couple of pumpkins to set on the front porch the other day. I had to explain to them that they weren't the ones we were going to carve, they were just for decoration right now. We will soon go to the pumpkin patch and pick out about 3 or 4 large pumpkins and carve them together. It's one of our favorite things to do as a family. For now, I've gotten all my Halloween and even some Thanksgiving decorations out and have set them up around the house. The house is filled with smells from Hazelnut Cream and Pumpkin Spice candles, fresh baking bread, cookies, and yummy dinners in the crock pot. I am so blessed. Thank you Lord.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

Here is a little poem that my Dad sent me. I love it. It reminds me of when I was little and my Great Mammaw would be in the kitchen cookin for her family. She was the best cook. I loved being there with all my family around spending time together....I love the simple life.


I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will; replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. Send this to those who would know, and love, the story about Grandma's aprons. Or it can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives. REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron. But Love !!
Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him 'I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me'. Philippians 4:13.

Friendship

John 15:13

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."



I love this verse because it is one of many that shows how much God loved and loves us. He laid down His life for us, so that we may live.


The Lord has also given us people in this world that we are so blessed to know....and my best friend Catherine is one of those people. I am so blessed to know her. We have been friends for about 11 years, and of course with any friendship we've had our moments of ups and downs; but our friendship is one that I will cherish forever. I truely believe that God has given us one another to keep us steady and to help us get through anything life brings us. Of course we understand this kind of friendship because we have God in our lives and understand what it means to be a friend, and to be the kind of friend God wants us to be for each other and also for others. Friends are a wonderful gift from God.

Everyone can have this kind of friendship with God. All you have to do is know Him as your personal Savior. "God our Savior saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy spirit." Titus 3:5 I pray today that others will recieve this perfect and precious gift, and have a friend.....a true friend for life.

I LOVE this time of year. The leaves starting to change, the cooler nights, all we need now is cooler days. I got out my fall decor the other day and started putting some of it up. I need to get more though. Every year, I try to add to my collection of decorations for each season. I love to decorate and make my home feel as cozy as I can. My favorite thing to do is drink coffee with my yummy creamer and watch a good family movie with my hubby and kids.
This pic was taken at the pumpkin patch last year. I hope it is cooler this year than it was then. We love the pumpkin patch and go every year to pick out some big pumpkins to carve together. We always find the cutest designs. This year along with carving, the kids and I have decided we are going to paint the pumpkins and put cute faces on them too. I thought that would be a fun craft we could do together.
We are already watching "Hocus Pocus"....our favorite Halloween movie, along with "Winnie the Pooh...Boo to you Too", and "Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie." The kids love helping me decorate too. I love looking forward to the seasons as they come. Each one is special to me. I hope you can find something special in each one as well. God has given us beauty in each one.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

School is back and in full swing. I started back Monday and the kiddos started back today. So far so good. They were a little nervous at first...but so was I...by the time I picked them up, they were happy and had a good first day back. Hopefully everyday will go good for my babies. I want them to only have positive school experiences. I still can't wait till I homeschool. That means I will have to finish school...and I'm praying that goes smoothly as well.

One reason I love that school is back in session is because that reminds me that fall is on the way. I love the cooler weather....the nights get cooler first and then the leaves change colors and then the days get a little cooler. That means it's time to get fall stuff out. I love it. It's one of my favorite times of the year....and it's not far away.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Psalm 37:7

Lately I've been doing a lot of baking....bread, cookies and also doing a lot of cooking in my crockpot. I love the crockpot...you just stick all your ingredients in there and at the end of the day, they're ready to eat...a hot and delicious meal. These are my sugar cookies I made from scratch. The only cookie cutter I had was a gingerbread man. The kids loved it though. Then a cute idea I saw was to add chocolate to them. So they had "muddy feet". The kids thought that was the coolest thing. I love cooking things from scratch. It reminds me of my great mammaw. She was one of the best cooks. I can still see her in her apron, in the kitchen, cooking for the whole family....whether it was Sunday lunch, Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. I want my kids to carry these memories with them, just like I do. They also love being in the kitchen with me helping with anything they can. I think they are great little cooks and I want them to remember these special times we had together.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

I know it's been a long while again...that's life. I don't have a lot of time on the computer....so I'll catch you up....

We recently went on vacation for a week....a very wet week!! It rained everyday. We were camping:) Needless to say, we spent a lot of time in the camper. Thank God we got plenty of rest and family time in!

Now that we are back I've been preparing myself for starting school. I'll be going to school for Nursing. The kids will also be starting school. I guess I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It'll be weird not being here with my kids, like I have been pretty much all summer.

Today was a busy day.....ran some errands, went grocery shopping and finally mowed the yard. It was really thick and tall. My hubby and I took turns. We are a great team! Afterwards we came in and got cleaned up and then I started supper. We had yummy spaghetti and homemade garlic toast. I say homemade because I made the bread the day before and just added butter and garlic powder and popped them in the oven. It was really good....and for dessert we had homemade ice cream. The hubby and kiddos added chocolate syrup to theirs and I added fresh peaches. It was really good. I love having wholesome meals and most of all using natural ingredients. It's very easy to make homemade ice cream. Here's how we do it....

-Add in a blender...

-Ice

-Milk

-Sugar

-Vanilla (not too much)

-Evaporated milk

-Then you blend and enjoy

I just eyeball the ingredients and my hubby is the taste tester:)

We had a very fulfilling day. I'll try not to be so long in posting again...have a great night.

Because of His great love for us, God, wo is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:4-5

We were at the lake celebrating my neices birthday. She is so beautiful...and of course my babies are too. (okay they are all my babies) We had a great time with family that day. It was very hot and it was a great day cooling off in the water. We had a picnic with sandwiches and chips and then of course as you can see...cake....she loves sweets! Hope this reminds you of all the cherished memories with your family!

God will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Job 8:21

Here is my wonderful hubby finishing up my clothesline. I am soooo happy. He did an excellent job. I can't wait to use it tomorrow. It is a great way to conserve energy by using the beautiful warm air God has given us to dry our clothes naturally. The kids were playing in the sprinkler while their daddy was hard at work. It was a perfectly great way to keep cool on this hot day.

After he got done with his work he grilled some delicious steaks and I made fried potatoes, green beans, mac n cheese and wheat rolls; and for dessert we had cheesecake...yummy. We had a great night together.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

So, I've been kind of busy. That's life around here. Summer has began and I've been hangin out with my family. I've been trying to do things more simple. I finally got some Dr. Bronner's All Natural Soap and with that I'm going to make shampoo and washing detergent and maybe even some dish washing soap. Hopefully in the next few weeks my hubby will be putting my clothesline up. I can't wait. We just want to live life as simple as we can. We feel that this is a way we can be closer to God. Just to enjoy the simplest things in life.
A few other things I've picked up are some Tea Tree Oil for uses like scrapes, burns, bug buster, cold sores and so many more. Here is a link for all it's uses and how to use them....http://www.theherbsplace.com/Tea_Tree_Oil_Uses_sp_153.html. I also got some pure Cocoa Butter. I use it for dry skin. ( I recently got a sunburn and am peeling...so it works great for that.)
Hopefully tomorrow I will start making some of my new natural household recipes and when I know how they work I will posts them for you.
Have a blessed day!

God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3

This is one of the days we went with our friends to the 40 Days For Life Campaign. These are my boys praying for the babies. They have been educated a little on abortion. It's sad that they have to know about this, but I feel it is important for them to understand that there is evil in the world and for them to know ways to stay away from it.....prayer and staying close to our Heavenly Father. They knew that I was going every week to pray for the babies and they wanted to understand why the babies needed so much prayer. Their prayers are so innocent and I know they truely mean what they pray for and I also believe God hears their prayers.

Luke 18:15-17 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

It is so important to teach children the ways of the Lord. For them to know it's okay to talk to God daily and that He is always with them.

We had a great experience praying for the babies with other brothers and sisters in Christ. It is important for Christians to stand together for what we believe God wants us to do.