Loving One Another

Hello Friends,  I haven't been online much.  I've been trying to break my habit of getting on the computer first thing in the morning.  This morning I was passing time until Megan was ready to head out to the grocery story.  I jumped on and saw that I had a new comment on my last post.  It was from Donna at merryheartcrafts.

Dear Sweet Sister, PLEASE pray for me and my family. My sweet Julie was killed in a car accident yesterday morning on her way to college. I feel as if I am shattered in thousands of pieces and all that is holding me together is the arms of Jesus.

Donna lost her husband to illness a year ago and now her beloved daughter, Julie.  One of the things I enjoy most about the blog community is how supportive we are of one another.  How we cheer on others in their triumphs and cry together when there is deep sorrow.  I would appreciate it if you, my friends, would lift Donna and her family in prayer.  If you feel led maybe you could stop by her blog and leave an encouraging word on her last post.  I know she needs all the love, encouragement, and prayers we can provide. 

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12

Sunporch Chat

I had the opportunity to sit and chat with Tammy from Country Girl at Home.

Stop by for a brownie and a cup of tea and join the chat with us.  Be sure to poke around while you're there.  You'll fall in love as she shares her simple values, love for family and yummy meals cooked on her gorgeous stove.  She has a great eye for decorating and you'll especially enjoy the projects her handy husband completes.

May your day be filled with joy ant contentment!

A Little Change...

I have been playing with a new blog header.  I previously wanted to go with something very simple.  Each time I came to my blog I just didn't feel like it reflected who I am.  I am much happier with this. 

I am starting to feel better.  Thank goodness!  This weekend will be busy with grocery shopping, family pictures, yard work and church.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

The Winner Is....

Angelia!  Congratulations!  Please get me your address and I will get it out to you soon.

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

Welcome Fall Giveaway!

After a hot, dry summer this girl is ready for a change.  Right on cue the fall weather has arrived!  I am able to have the windows wide open and smell the wonderful fall scent as evening arrives.  Heaven! 

To celebrate I thought I would host a little giveaway. 

While dining at Cracker Barrel (oh, what a cute little country store they have!) I picked up some fall flavored tea.  Not just any tea, but scripture tea. 

Nothing like a dose of the Word while I enjoy my morning tea! 

I couldn't send you some tea without a cute mug to sip from. 

Did you see the Autumn blocks I made?

I thought they turned out so cute that I made a set to give to one of you. 

Now to be entered I won't make you jump through hoops.  All you have to do is leave me a comment.  See... simple! I will draw a winner on Thursday, September 26th.  Come on back Friday (or sooner!) and I will let you know who won. 

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

The Winner...

is Katy The Country Blossom!

Congratulations Katy! Please get me your address and I will bet this sent out as soon as possible.

Thank you to everyone who left a comment. I appreciate everyone who takes times to read my ramblings.

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Giveaway: Courageous

The past month or so I have won three giveaways! A Gooseberry Patch Cookbook from Farmchick at Fresh from the Farm, Southern Living Christmas Cookbook from Kathy at Here On Hartland and The Keeper from Carrie at Farming on Faith.


Since I have been blessed with such wonderful things I thought it was time for me to have a giveaway. I will be giving away a copy of my top movie pick of 2011.


Not only is this movie my top pick for 2011, but it is on my top 10 list of favorite movies.

Any movie that has action, makes me laugh, cry, think and want to seek a deeper relationship with God is a keeper in my book! For a chance to win all you need to do is leave a comment. I will accept comments through Sunday, January 29 and will announce the winner on Monday the 30th.

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Taking a Break

There are many things happening right now. I haven't been feeling well. I am a little bit stressed and overwhelmed at the moment. My heart just hasn't been here so I have decided to take a little break.

I will be back. I just don't know when, so don't count me as gone. I am hopeful to get my act together while on my hiatus. Nothing serious going on and no one needs to worry. Just a bunch of little things and we all know how the little things can add up and then feel like a big thing. I will still be reading blogs I just don't feel like my mind is clear enough to make good post.
Take care and I hope you are stopping to enjoy the simple moments! Really those are the moments that matter most.

Making Your Home A Haven: Beauty

Today I am joining Monica with Making Your Home A Haven. I find beauty in so many places. I see beauty in the sunset and sunrise, in a kind word, in a meal prepared for your loving family and in the flowers that grow.

The weather is turning cooler and the summer flowers are starting to fade. Petunias are my favorite summer flower. Not only do they smell beautiful, look beautiful, but they remind me of my grandmother.


I gathered the last remaining blooms and added a little beauty to my counter.

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.


I even find beauty in this drawer of neat and tidy towels. Really beauty can be found anywhere. Just open your eyes and your heart!

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Blogger Comment Problems?

I don't know about you, but I have been having some major problems leaving comments on some blogs. I get stuck in an endless cycle of logins and comment verification codes. Here is a fix for the problem.

1. Close all web browser windows but one.

2. In that window, clear all of your cookies, cache, passwords, everything (in my IE browser, I go to Tools, then Internet Options, then under Browsing History I click “Delete” and leave all boxes checked and click “Delete” again).

3. Then go to www.blogger.com and login, but here’s the catch, make sure you DO NOT check the box for “remember me.” If that box is checked, you must uncheck it.

4. Then you can go to any Blogger blog and you’ll be able to comment as yourself again.

I was getting very frustrated and am happy to now be able to comment.

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

All About the Name

I have been asked how I came up with the name of my blog. I guess I need to start out by explaining where I was when I started blogging....

Chuck and were married and settled into our cozy little home. No littles had come the old fashioned way and we were making our way through the world of adoption. I was working outside of the home and was not very happy with that. The journey of life was not going the way I had planned. Not.at.all. You know the plan where I would have 2.5 children, stay at home and the world around me would be perfect. Ha!

I started to follow a couple of adoption blogs and there was link on one that lead to a homemaking blog. I started reading that blog and one thing lead to another. Pretty soon I was reading several blogs that centered around home and family.

When I decided to start blogging I thought long and hard about a name. My Heart is Always Home just seemed to fit since I was working away from home, but my heart really wanted to be at home!


Since I started blogging my faith in God has really grown. I have learned that living a simple life of faith, family and home is more full filling then I ever imagined. I have also learned that I have no control over the journey of life (I am still learning this daily) and that home is truly where my heart is. So there you go.... the history of how the name came about.

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

To Blog or Not to Blog

Well that is what has been weighing on mind and heart. It seems that my time away from my blog has slowly been increasing. I hadn't been feeling the joy and contentment that I had in the past with blogging.

I took time to step back and to evaluate the reason I was feeling this way. One thing that stuck out to me was that some of my reading choices may not have been the best. Now I am not saying that there was anything wrong with the content. It was just content that didn't leave me feeling good about myself.

I am sure we have made a stop at a blog that leaves you feeling like you are not good enough. This person makes everything from scratch, this person can take a piece of string and have her living room looking like it should be in a magazine, this person shops at 10 stores with 10 kids spends $5, home schools and still has a spotless home with dinner on the table each night. Then there are the blogs that have tons of followers and make me feel like my little bit of space doesn't matter much. I know that you get the picture.

Matthew 6:19-21 is a scripture that I keep coming to while thinking about this. Why was really blogging? In all honestly it isn't for comments, followers or fame. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

What things do I really treasure? The answer was here all along, right up in the header of my blog.... Faith; an on going, ever growing relationship with my Lord and Savior. Family; the people that I love and cherish. Home; a place that I hope is cozy, warm and a refuse from the crazy world around us.

So, the questions is will I keep blogging? After reading this post and the comments today I knew the answer was Yes. I will blog for the reason I first began. A place to share what is on my mind, heart, what is happening in my life and a scrapbook of sorts for the ones I treasure.

A Change

I have been working on a new header. All of the pictures except for the center one I have taken. The center picture is a special to me picture. It was taken some time in the 1950's and is a picture of my Granny's home. She is my great grandmother who lived in Lucketts, VA. I have great memories of visiting Granny's. From the wood stove in the kitchen, collecting eggs, seeing my first runt piglet, sitting on front porch, playing with a favorite cousin, Georgie and so many more! The farm and house are still in my family. George's mom is still living there.

So... what do you think?

Swap Time!

I recently participated in another wonderful swap hosted by Monica and Carrie. I loved that it was a create your own theme swap. I was paired with Jenni and received a wonderful box from her. Everything I need to have a relaxing afternoon tea.

She included a cake mix and instruction for making a HoHo cake. I plan to make it this week and will let you all know how it turns out. Tea bags, coasters, yummy candy and treat bags will make my tea party so special. She also included a cute journal that used craft paper for the pages. I love anything that uses brown craft paper!

She was even kind enough to included a cute chalkboard for Megan and a Hello Kitty candy necklace. So kind!

I also received an old milk container full of the cutest button flowers.


Aren't they adorable!? I did a happy dance when I saw these cute flowers.

The package I sent Jenni was the beginnings for a patriotic picnic.


This was a fun swap. Thanks Jenni for the great package!

Internet Issues

Just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that I am having issues with the internet. We have not been happy with our phone/cable/internet service and are in the process of switching our phone and cable service. It is a big mess and because our provided received notice that our phone service will be switched on Monday and somehow we aren't being allowed to access the internet. I hope that soon we will also have a new internet provider and I will be back in business.

Whatcha Workin' On Wednesday

The list of things to do is long and it seems there isn't enough hours in the day to get everything done. I am taking it one project at a time and if everything doesn't get done, it doesn't get done.

The drain pipe was replaced last Friday. To avoid tearing up the kitchen floor and going through a wall this was the alternative.

Now the fun part is filling the trench back in and replacing the concrete. I am just grateful that I am able to do laundry again.

I have also been working on my garland.


I ran out of a couple types of fabric and had to make a run to JoAnn's last night. I was just heartbroken to have to go to that store!

My goal is to cut the fabric today and have it complete by Friday.

I also bought fabric to make a star for the top of the Christmas tree. I had a cheap plastic one that was broke last year when I unpacked the Christmas stuff. I have a vision of what I want. I just hope it comes out how I envision it!

I would like to make some ornaments for the tree, but I am not sure if there will be time before next weekend. So, that is what I have been and will be working on.

Stop by and visit Leslie at My Country Home to see what others are working one.

Remodel

I have been doing a little remodeling around the home place. There may be some more changes as I tweak things... aka... figure out what in the world I am doing! I have been trying to add one of those wonderful backgrounds with no luck. I read and re-read the instructions and I guess I am just not getting it. I figured that I had better not press my luck and had a splitting headache by the time my head hit the pillow!

So, what do you think?

Sickness

Not us, but my laptop. During nap time on Monday it would not start. Not even a flicker of life. Chuck thinks that the power cord might have a short so he ordered a new one. It will be here late today or sometime tomorrow. In the meantime I am able to use our dinosaur computer to at least visit my favorite blogs. It is so slow that uploading a picture would take years. (Okay, maybe not years, but a long time anyway!)

As soon as I am up and running I will be back to posting. Take care!

Great Find

Has anyone checked out Crystal's new blog, MoneySavingMom.com? If not, you should. She posted about a new program that Kroger and their affiliates have. You are able to download coupons onto your Kroger card. When you check out you scan your card to use your uploaded coupons and you can also use paper coupons (which they double up to $0.50)!

Here is what I was purchased last night:

Cascade on sale for $3.00 - $1.00 eSaver coupon + $1.00 paper coupon = $1.00

Oral B Advantage Toothbrush $2.00 - $1.00 eSaver coupon + $1.00 paper coupon = FREE

I also had a coupon to receive a $20.00 gift certificate for any new or transferred prescription (up to three). We had two prescriptions filled, so I now have $40.00 in gift cards to spend.

I have a Kroger almost directly behind my street so I am excited about this program. Thanks for the heads up Crystal!

Computer Woes

Last night the power cord for the laptop decided to die. Happy... I was not! We do have a regular computer, but it is slow and old. Lots of frustration when working with blogger. The good news is that Chuck ordered a new cord today and it should be here tomorrow. Got to love UPS!! If everything goes as planned I will be back in business on Friday. Hope your day was great and Thursday is even better! See you Friday.