Monday's My Day

Hello, dear friends, how are things in your world? The weather has turned off crisp and very cool this evening. At this moment, I have my socked feet buried in between the couch cushions where they are searching for warmth. Don't you love the changing of the weather, though? It reminds me just how so not boring God is.
I suspect that we will fire up the logs tomorrow in our fireplace for our first fire of the cold snap. I love to have the wood-burning fire place going with the logs snapping in the heat. Oh my, it is going to be nice being home this winter, keeping the 'home fires' burning, coming in and drinking hot cocoa after playing outside with the kids, getting on a pot of soup and warm bread ready for supper, wiping cold, runny noses, getting to enjoy the Christmas tree all throughout the day, baking more Christmas goodies, getting ready for family and church get-togethers without having to rush, rush, rush, and fix something at the last minute. Yes, God has granted me the desire of my heart. Has He granted your's? Are you allowing Him--perhaps having a little faith in the matter? I pray you will. He would love to give you the desire of your heart, especially if it is the pleasure of your staying home with your precious jewels. In fact, if you're not staying home with your precious jewels, won't you pray and see if you are truly pleasing God in putting your children second best to your job? I did it--put them second-best--and it hurt so desperately for me to admit that--I tried every way to keep from admitting that they were second best. I loved them more than I did my job, but I was still not putting them first. I was with my job more than with my children. I was not even putting my husband first. I could not wash his clothes, cook his meals, be prepared as a wife as I needed to be for him and still be married to my job. I appreciate the Lord allowing me to have a wonderful job that I loved and so enjoyed, but I'm so glad that he gently tugged on me and invited me to come home. :o) He is so good. It is so good to be home.
Well, what went on at my home today? First of all, we got up around 8ish to a chilly morning. My wonderful husband took off today so he and his dad could speed up the bathroom renovations a little. It was so nice to have him home, even if he did spend more time with the bathtub than with me. :oP Just to have him around is so, so nice. They got to work pretty fast and I cooked them up some Oatmeal Muffins, which were so good. Mom volunteered to keep the children so I could help with the renovations, if needed, and also so Evan could nap (his sleeping area is right next to the bathroom). I got them seen off with mom and got started on my day. My house was near disaster, being Monday and all (Sunday is REST day..) so it took awhile just to straighten it up. I started with the Living room, taking stuff back to their proper rooms, fluffing the pillows, sweeping, and even mopping. Then I moved on to the Dining Room, doing the same. Next came the kitchen, where I washed dishes, wiped off the counters, and swept. By this time, it dinner-prep time, so I began getting ready. I made Meat Loaf and while that was cooking, I cut up potatoes for mashed potatoes. To finish it off, I warmed up some String Beans from yesterday's dinner, and cooked a pan of cornbread. We had Cherry Torte for dessert (also leftover). It was a satisfying meal and there wasn't much left! :oP We were glad to have my FIL eat with us. After dinner, I washed up the dishes, straightened up the kitchen, etc. You know today is Bed linens wash day, so all this time, I am washing bedclothes, hanging them out to dry (it was a wonderful day to hang out clothes), and putting them on the beds. Emory stayed today to 'help', so I did some schoolwork with him (having to 'motivate' him on several occasions). My mother-in-law came by to see the progress (which, indeed, involved putting the bathtub in the bathroom and doing some plumbing) and she helped me get the beds made and took Emory with her to her house. I put up my laundry from last Thursday (my clothes) and then worked on the kids' room for a while (it is always TERRIBLE on Monday). I finally called mom around 6 to see why she hadn't called, turns out she had been trying for a WHILE and the phone was dead, so it wasn't ringing. Anyway, I think she was initially upset, but she is over it now (can't help what can't be helped) and I got the kiddos back. Picked up Emory from his Cartoon daze (I was pretty upset at him because he was watching some teenage cartoons that we definitely don't let him watch) and brought him back home. I fixed Chocolate chip whole wheat pancakes for supper (pretty good--way too rich, IMO) and Erin and I had goat milk with ours (my mom is back getting goat milk for us..yay) which was pretty good after I strained the curdles out of it. :o)
Now, everyone is in bed (as they should seeing it is 12:00am) and the house is getting really cool. My house looks soo cozy this evening. It is really clean, the lamps are on, my children are sleeping peacefully, my husband loves me and is going to be so warm in the bed (he is my heater..I'm like an ice cube) and why in the world am I still on here? :o)

See you tomorrow, Lord willing. I can't decide if I'm going to blog on Procrastination or Modesty. Hmmm....be sure to come back for a visit.

Love to all!

Friday's Fotos

Just a few photos from our week...mostly from Monday...stocking up on firewood, building a birdhouse with Emory (daddy did--found out later that it shouldn't have been painted red), cousins playing, an extra of Evan, and some homemade doughnuts I made. :o)

Enjoy the cool temps tonight! Brr....

Thursday's Tip--Laundry

Do you have a laundry schedule? If you have a medium to large family, you may find that you need a schedule to stay on top of the laundry (before it piles on top of you). :o) I consider our family medium-sized and it is so easy for the laundry to get 'piled' up if I don't implement a schedule. Here is my favorite laundry schedule which I have been implementing for about 5 or 6 months now:

Monday: Bedding day--I wash all sheets and pillowcases. Every 4th wash, I will wash my quilts and other blankets we have on our beds. Every 8th wash I will wash my comforter on my bed (it is easy for me to keep up with 8 washes for some crazy reason).

Tuesday: Kids' clothes--I wash Erin's and Evan's clothing together because their clothes are smaller. However, I noticed the past 2 washes how huge the load is, so I may be having to separate their washes into individual washes before long. After their large load, I wash Emory's clothing.

Wednesday: Husbands' clothes--This takes 2 large loads because his clothes are larger than the others'

Thursday: My clothes--still usually takes 2 loads

Friday: Towels/Washcloths--sometimes takes 2 loads, it is according to how many baths we have taken during the week :o) I also do bathroom rugs every other week on this day.

*I wash everything together--I don't separate whites from darks. I rarely ever let my clothes sit in the washer for long periods of time, so the colors don't have a chance to bleed. When I notice my whites getting dingy, I just pick a day to bleach the T-shirts, socks, etc.

*I hang everything out on the line except Towels/washcloths, unless it is cloudy or really humid.

I also use my own homemade laundry detergent and have done so for a year or more. It is really easy to make, super cheap, and is a great detergent. I only have to make it every week and a half or so. Here's how I make it:

Grate 2 bars of Ivory soap ( I use unscented but last time picked up lavendar by mistake--it has added a nice smell to my laundry)

Add 1 cup of Borax (this is in a box found with the laundry detergents)

Add 2 cups of baking soda

Store it in a plastic container (I use a rubber maid brand small container with a lid) and shake until it is evenly dispersed. Now, enjoy the satisfaction you will receive from making your own detergent. No harmful chemicals or irritations for your body.

Once you get into a routine you will enjoy doing laundry!! It can even be therapeutic! :o) Now, if dishes were that way.....

Have a nice Fall evening!

Thursday's Tip--A Plethora of Breakfasts

Dear Friend, do you struggle with what to cook your dear ones for breakfast? As you know, breakfast is a very important meal, probably the most important one for the day. Breakfast shouldn't really be a heavy meal, per se, but it should be really nutritious. So, the sugary, cheap cereals are out, right? Yes, that's right--so are the PopTarts and the Toaster Strudels (I used to love those things!). These are processed foods. They have tons of sugar, artificial flavors, and preservatives in them. Things foreign to your little ones' bodies. Now, I'm sure occasionally (think once or twice a year), you wouldn't see any harm done from eating the above mentioned foods (if you could call them that), but leave it as a rare treat.

Today's tip is to give you some ideas of what to cook for breakfast--now that you know not to buy cheap, sugary cereals. If you like, have a cereal morning--we usually do this for Sundays. It's quick and doesn't require much preparations. However, make sure your cereals are as natural as possible. We like the Cascadian Farms or Kashi brands. These are natural (and yummy) cereals with no preservatives. Preservatives will be listed as BHT in the ingredients. They may be a little more pricey (not much, though), but if you have cereal only once a week, they will last at least 2 Sundays! :o)

On Saturdays when your hard working husband is home, cook him the Breakfast Bar. :o) Grits, eggs, biscuits/toast, bacon, the works. He will love it. :o)

During the week, serve some of the following breakfasts: Breakfast casserole (this is mostly eggs, which are very healthy in protein and Omega 3s)--recipe can be found just about anywhere, Egg Omelets (I add a little buttermilk to my eggs, before I fold it over, I add cheese, cut up mushrooms and a little ham), Fruit Salad (cut up apples, bananas, pears, grapes, oranges, add some raisins and a wee bit of coconut, if you're really lucky, mix up some cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla and put in with the fruit....YUM-O), Hashbrowns (this morning we had hashbrowns and Salmon...very healthy...cut up a couple of potatoes into small pieces, cook in a small bit of healthy cooking oil, add some salt and garlic...put a couple of pieces of Salmon in the skillet...sprinkle some lemon pepper on top..cook about 6 or 7 minutes on low heat..yum), Muffins...our favorites are Blueberry Muffins, Banana Muffins, and Oatmeal Muffins, using leftover Oatmeal...all are yum and I can post recipes if wanted...this may not sound very healthy, but you can make all these muffins from scratch...you KNOW what is in them, unlike the premixed muffin packages, Oatmeal...the old standby...VERY healthy...don't buy the packages unless you read the ingredients...just get the plain ole oatmeal, cook it, add some maple syrup and raisins, GREAT filling breakfast...you can also go to Candy's website at Keeping the Home and get her Baked Oatmeal recipe, it is sooo good. How about Pancakes? Wouldn't that make your little ones smile? Pancakes have always been my favorite Breakfast food. Mix 1 cup of AP flour, 1 tp salt, 1 or 2 tp Baking pwder, 1 cup milk (reg or buttermilk), 1 egg, and you have a great pancake recipe, from SCRATCH. Stay away from premixes! They put caseinate and other things in the boxed kind, which can cause food allergies. DO NOT use artificial flavored syrups. The only kind of good syrup out there on the shelves is Maple Syrup. Make sure it is 100% Maple Syrup. It is the real deal. It is pricey, but aren't your kids worth it? If you only have pancakes once a week, a bottle will last you a few weeks. Scrambled Eggs and Toast never fail. Better yet, put the eggs ON the toast, add a little mayo and that's a great sandwich! Have you tried French Toast? Mix up 3 eggs, add some cinnamon and a little sugar (no more than a tp) Dip some bread (preferably homemade, but yeah, I know...:o) in the egg mixture and 'fry' in the skillet that has a little butter (NEVER use margarine, EVER) or olive oil in it . Top with a small dollop of butter and maple syrup and mmm, mmm, good!

Well, there's you some ideas for some fresh, EASY, from-scratch breakfast foods to get you cookin'. If you don't have time for anything but prepackaged, put the kids at the table while you bake. The smell will keep them there. :o) Or, you could set out some coloring books, crayons, blocks, or some old, new toys for them while you cook. Or, you could set the youngest ones on the counter to participate or be a spectator! Mine love to do this. Watch out for them, tho! :o) Accidents can happen quickly!

I'll leave you with a pix of my dear one, Erin, picking some Huckleberries off of our tree. I loved the pigtails. I think I'll do her hair like this every day! :o)

Have a great breakfast tomorrow!

Wednesday's What's Going On?

Hello, dear friends. Autumn is definitely here and after yesterday's few inches of rain, today has been cool and breezy. Crisp. Don't you love it when the weather gets crisp? Today Evan and I mowed a little grass and the crisp wind hit our face and it was enough to make me say, Ah, Thank you Lord for the different seasons! One thing God isn't and that's Boring! :o)

So, what's going on with us? Well, life is busy and going at the speed of light. Every day we make memories, laugh, cry, stress, are at peace, and in the midst of it all are busy. I enjoy the routine things we do: the making of the beds, the hanging out of the clothes (I so love this, it's therapy), the reading of the Word with my children, the reading of Black Beauty, the fixing the lunches and breakfasts, hearing my children say the blessing, the scooter riding of my son (in the house, every day), my daughter playing with the kitten most of the day, imaginative play coming from my kids' room, changing the baby's diaper, consistent nursings, watching my baby shake his head after he eats something he doesn't like, learning to read with my oldest, saying prayers at night, bathing, tucking in, hearing my little girl say, "Is it time for you to lay with me?" :o) All of that makes a day just so wonderful.

What's new going on with me? Well, this week I am starting to take a Probiotic called, ThreeLac. It is supposed to help or get rid of the overgrowth of Candida Albicans in the body. Candida overgrows and takes over the good bacteria when one takes antibiotics and/or has stress, eats too much sugar, etc. Some signs of it include Irritable Bowels, Fogginess (Brain fog, anyone?), Stomach cramps, Allergies (ME!!!!!!!!!!!) and Asthma (ME!!), skin rashes (ME, too), and other symptoms. Mostly everyone has it. Anyway, I'm giving some of the probiotic to Emory too. He has some of the same symptoms as I. I have also started taking Flax Oil capsules for the Omega 3s and giving the kids Cod Liver Oil for Omega 3s and other benefits.

Hmmm...what else? Oh, I got me some new glasses last week and I really like them a lot. It has been years and years since I had a new pair and mine were so outdated. I'm enjoying the new 'look'.

Emory is learning, learning in his schooling. He is reading more each day and learning about stuff in HIstory that I never learned about (pyramids, mummies, that sort of stuff). He can do a page of adding in no time. He is really good at math.

My little princess of a darling is soo much fun to be around. She is getting taller as I have noticed she can look at herself in her mirror. Tonight she was taking off her shoes and her dad and I commented on how she had left her shoes off all through church. We were so proud of her. She grinned and gave us a 'thumbs up'--except it was her pointer finger. LOL.

Evan has been 'counting'. I can't believe it. He loves to play outside with the others. He will get right in the dirt with the other two. I can sit back and relax more and watch them play together. He is starting to copy them. Tonight in church, they had FunPads to draw and color in...well he had to find him one as welll. He is growing up and learning some new words!

I have this huge bouquet of flowers growing in a stick pile in our field. They are gorgeous. We went and picked a bouquet and I'll leave you with a picture. We also picked some pears from our trees and I *hope* I get around to peeling and slicing them before they rot!

What else? Oh, we gave our new puppy away to a good home. I really missed him the first couple of days he was gone. He is a *hog* dog so we gave him to a little guy that hunts hogs. He is my former student and I think he will take good care of him. :o/

Tonight was Fried Pork Chops, Garlic cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Peas, and cornbread. Dessert was Pecan Pie Muffins. It was a pretty nice supper! We had to rush at it before time to get ready for church.

Gotta go to bed if I'm to get up again with my sweet husband. God bless you, dear readers! :o)

Monday's My Day

Well, time to get back to blogging....

Come onto my front porch, sit down, and let's chat!

I have not been keeping to my getting up before the sun rises routine. I found that I would have about one 'good' prayer time/Bible reading per week and the rest I was falling asleep, incoherent. I am learning that what works for some may not work for me. So, for now, I'm getting up around 7ish and getting my Bible reading and prayer time done during the day. Sometimes, I will feel the 'urge' to pray at no certain time and I've found that works for me best. That is truly when the Lord meets with me the most--when His Holy Spirit gently nudges me to get down on my knees. Anyway, live and learn....

I do wish I was better at getting up with my husband and ironing and fixing breakfast, etc. I am such a failure in that dept. I guess if he minded too badly then I would get up and do it, huh? ;o) He is just too nice to get me up from my peaceful sleep. :o) I know my mom and MIL both get up with my dad/dad-in-law at 4:00/4:30. Well, I'll just try to do better. That's what we can do, right?

Today's chores have been: doing our bedding laundry, drying outside, putting back on the bed, general picking up, wiping down appliances including washer and dryer (I got a 'new' one over the wk end), cooking, and just general picking up (did I say that already???)

Today's menu included: Oatmeal with maple syrup and raisins, Salmon and bake potatoes for lunch (the BP were already in the frig), and for supper we will have Black Bean and Salsa Soup. I can post recipes if anyone is interested.

Actually, tonight is our monthly ladies' meeting and we are taking finger foods. I am taking Apple dip and Apples: Two pkg Cr Cheese, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tbs of Vanilla. That's it. Yummy!

The kids have been playing and playing today. In fact, I did a lot of their normal chores because they were so busy playing that I hated to disturb them. I don't feel bad about this. :) I love it when they play. At one point, all of them were playing in the dirt. Even Evan. Their play was very imaginative today. That's what I like.

My MIL got Erin a Tele-Tubbies outfit at a yard sale (which I don't like Teletubbies, but my kids do) and she wore it for 3/4ths of the day. I'll leave you with a picture of her out playing in the dirt in her outfit! LOL It was hilarious.

We are so enjoying our new pastor and family! Wow, we heard some great preaching (some from the nursery...ugh) this weekend!! Anyway, things are going great with them and we are soaking in the unadulterated Word of God being preached (not that it wasn't before, you kwim).

Okay, well we have some more schooling to do...Emory wants a plum peeled (my kids have been eating tons of fruit today)....and I need to finish my soup for supper.

Lots of love to my readers!