The Joys Of Family and Hearth

    We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves otherwise we harden. VonGothe         I am so ready for change. I am so ready for something new.   The past couple of years have been challenge upon challenge and yet while we are not completely without turmoil.   We are seeing the light and the end of the tunnel.   Don't get me wrong. God has been soooo gracious to us. He has provided in ways that seem almost impossible.. and then I remember.   Nothing is impossible with God.   Quite a few years ago, I dropped EVERYTHING at the Lords feet. I mean, I'm not holding back nothing.. I gave it all to him.. and TRUSTED him with every aspect of my life.   He has yet to let me down. (his will.. always..)   I have learned to: lean not on my own understanding. (I don't know why we try)    I have learned that: he will never leave me or forsake me. ( when your husband loses ...

It's funny to think that Frontier house was done almost 12 years ago, and I've finally gotten wind of it. I rented the series off netflix. It was interesting to hear that over 5,000 families applied for the opportunity to be on the show.  The three families they chose were rather interesting. Because I love to delve into the people and their personalities and psychs, the show was a neat type of reality show. It was funny to see how people do under pressure. some of the families bonded together and others it just tore them apart. The last few episodes stick out to me in my mind my the most.  One family was often accused of cheating.. but did they? ALL the families were extremely competitive which I think is where each family lost the spirit of frontier house. The families wouldn't have been competing against each other as far as who has the most wood cut, who saved the most food, who has the prettiest cabin, there were things that wouldn't have occurred on the mind...

Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. And since I love cooler weather I do a lot more baking, and cooking. HOWEVER... SOUP  is one of my all time favorite things to make. It's so flexible and easy. There is just TONS of different recipes to choose from. I probably make at least two pots of soup a week. The kids love the smell of something on a low simmer all day long. And thankfully my entire family is happy with soup as a meal with fresh bread. Some of our favorites: Italian Wedding Soup, Italian Sausage Soup, Pasta fagioli (this one is currently simmering on my stove) Chicken Soup, Cheeseburger Soup, Potato, Broccoli and Cheese, Butternut Squash and Apple.. There is just so much to chose from. Soups are also very flexible, you can't really mess up. A little of this, a little of that.. and your set. So Bring on the Soup!!! :)

I love, love, LOVE.. cloth napkins!! Recently at a moving sale I hit the mother load of beautiful cloth napkins. She was selling them in packs of 4 or 6 or 1.00. YIPPEE!!! We use cloth napkins daily.  unless we're eating bbq ribs! ;)  Then we use towels! ;) I especially love vintage type.  Ones that are embroidered. Such a favorite. My oldest daughter and I know how to embroider and I'm thinking about teaching my 8 yo how to do it. :)  When you take time out for the little things. It means so much to your family.

"It isn't so much what's on the table that matters, as what's on the chairs." ~William S. Gilbert Came across this quote on facebook, and loved it. Often times we as busy people tend to forget about what is important. Especially when we think about entertaining others. We look at joyful fellowship as entertaining.  People will often say to me "oh you like to entertain".  And I really don't "entertain" I break bread, I fellowship, I visit, I invest, I listen, I hug, I cry and I laugh, with each person that comes into my home. As Christians if we adapt the worldly way of entertaining we miss the above. The world says make sure you house is 100% complete before you have people in. Make sure the drapes are hung, there is fancy new furniture in each and every room. China to serve a meal on. Alcohol to serve, 4, 5, 6, 7 course meals. Show your friends how accomplished you are by serving filet mignon and lobster tails. Talk about th...

This year was probably the first year in 18 years that I didn't spend Mother's Day in tears. Eighteen years ago, my grandmother passed away on Mother's Day.  She was such a sweet, compassionate woman.. always ready to feed anyone who walked in.  This is definitely one thing I've picked up from her!  This was also the first time in 5 years that we didn't spend camping. With hubby's new job, we are experiencing a lot of change. Change is good though. SO this year, I was determined to make Mother's Day Special for me and my children, especially with all the changes. I started with preparing on Saturday Night. I set the table with fancy plates. I set out the punch bowl, and we had a wonderful breakfast early Sunday morning before Church. It was quite pleasant. We had: blueberry muffins, pancakes, biscuits with sausage gravy, ambrosia, a delicious cranberry pomegranate punch, and fresh coffee. My daughter bought me a beautiful centerpiece of flower...

As a stay at home, homeschooling, run two at home businesses,  mom of many.. I have dubbed a certain time of day as "Chaos Hour".. For us this is usually the hour before my husband is due home from work. I am usually in the midst of making dinner, setting table, cleaning up from whatever project we had done during the day etc. etc. Because I try to create an atmosphere of peace for when hubby comes home, chaos hour.. is just that complete and utter chaos. It's the time of day when my phone will ring the most. It's the time when my little ones will want immediate answers to the worlds biggest questions.. Like "why are duck feathers green?" and it's is asked with such urgency.. like they must know NOW!! :) It's the hour when my oldest ones are either leaving for work, coming in from work, coming home from an outing etc. etc. It's also the time when someone gets hurt, someone needs me to talk to them privately, or the baby is crying and nee...

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20680580,00.html It is so exciting to me to see this young family fulfill their desires to follow the Lord by turning over their fertility to him. As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.” Genesis 9:7 When hubby and I were younger and started our family, we were pleasantly surprised to find out we were expecting, albeit it wasn't the perfect of circumstances. We weren't married, we weren't saved..I was on birth control and yet we knew that the life that was given to us was so special, and a gift. You see even tho, we weren't so many things, God had his hand on us. He was protecting us and guiding our ways even though we hadn't fully come to him yet. When we had our first child we decided that if God could bless us while using birth control then we knew it wasn't something under our control. So we at that time, still not saved yet.. decided we would leave it ...

While dh was unemployed we lost all sense of routine! Because our normal "routine" was that when Daddy was home it's all about him and what he wants to do. Well when he lost his job and was home everyday we continued in that pattern. It's all me and my children had known for the past 25 years! Now that he is back working again, Thank GOD!!! We are back to our normal routine! Yeah.. and hubby is feeling back to normal himself! Yea!!! With that being said I wanted to talk about being prepared for a storm.. As a christian woman God calls us to be certain things..  Think Proverbs 31.  I'm going to focus specifically on the ones below and how they help me to be prepared for what is to come. 15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. . Providing a nourishing, healthy meal for my family is important.. The more I read about what is in our foods the more I realize I have to be more dilige...