On the Road to....

We will be heading out this morning for a long weekend in Pomeroy, IA. I love this little town! The population is approximately 712, there several churches, a farm implement store, elementary school , gas station and the old Main Street. Along with farm after farm. Did I mention I love this place?! A place where neighbors look after neighbors and the community focus is God, Farm, Family and Community.

We are going to attend the wedding of Chuck's uncle. He is marrying a lady from China. How neat that Megan will have a Chinese aunt! We are staying with Chuck's cousin on their 500 acre farm. I am so looking forward to getting away!

Have a great weekend and I will "see" you all on Tuesday!

Garden Thyme!

This weekend we spent some time getting the garden ready. I decided I wanted to go a little bigger this year and ended up with an approximate 25x25 space.


Megan loved playing in the dirt and thought it was her personal playground.


Here is what is planted:

5 Big Boy Tomato Plants
1 Cherry Tomato
Carrots
5 Cabbage Plants
4 Green Pepper Plants
2 varieties of Cucumber
2 Zucchini
6 Broccoli
Corn
Green Beans


The garden was finished off with a chicken wire fence. To keep out rabbits and small children!

I am looking forward to all the wonderful things to come from my garden.

Picnic Fun!

I have been waiting for the weather to warm up so we could head out for a picnic. For the last week we have been blessed with warm days and sunshine. Perfect for a picnic! Megan and I whipped up an invite for Daddy and left it by his spot at the dinner table.


I packed my wicker picnic basket full of canning jars and sandwiches cut into flower shapes. The sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper, tied with twine and had a name tag.


When we saw a table with this backdrop we knew this was the spot.


All set up and ready for dinner. I just love the look of all of the canning jars. Not only do they keep the food from getting squished but I think they look great. I can just imagine that my Granny's picnic might have looked similar to this


I think drinking out of a jar might have been one of Megan's favorite thing for the evening!


I am looking forward to many more picnics this summer.

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Virgina by Cathy Marie Hake

On my TV:
Nothing. Weather is to nice to be watching TV.

On the menu for tonight:
Grilled Chicken Teryaki Skewers, Baked Potatoes (on the grill), Salad

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Clean Kitchen
CVS run
Plant green beans & broccoli

New recipe I tried last week:
None

In the craft basket:

Nothing

Looking forward to:
Going on vacation!

Homemaking Tip for this week:
If your stove has a bottom drawer remove it to vacuum under the stove.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):

Katy @ Country Blossom had great thoughts on priorities.

Favorite photo of the week:

Lesson learned the past few days:
No matter what happens just keep moving forward because things will always work out. Yes, I know that is hard!

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter
Step fil Mike on his job search
Mom on the healing of her foot

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
"You can get pulled in all directions by what the neighbors have. You have to creat a life that reflects the true you." by Carrie McCarthy

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Restoring Order: Under Sinks & Computer Cabinet

I love the idea of restoring order to my home! This week I have been motivated and tackled three areas. The first area I worked on is under the kitchen sink.

Everything had been removed when we had the issue with a broken pipe. Since we knew we were going to be doing some updates to the kitchen this area was neglected for a while. Chuck glued some of my leftover counter top to the bottom of the cabinet and the stuff was never put back in order.

I tackled this area one afternoon while Megan was napping.

The next area was the cabinet under the bathroom sink.

Megan had fun playing with all of the lotions and potions while I was sorting things. I was able to put somethings in the charity box.

I was so motivated that not only did I clean under the sink, but I went through all the drawers and wiped the outside of the vanity down!

The last area for this week was the computer cabinet.

I removed everything and dusted. Then I tackled the filing that was scattered all over the desk. Ugh!

I always proclaim that I will never let the filing pile up after I clean this area. Will I never learn?!

I am loving this! Thank your Monica and Rebecca for the motivation I needed!

Stuff

Happy Thursday! Yesterday was a good day. I am finding my groove with housework. It feels so good to have the desire to get things going again. I love being home and love it when my home is in order. I just got off track and lost my motivation for a while.

Besides housework we were able to spend some time outside. I received my first bouquet from Megan.

I just hope she isn't too disappointed when she sees the dandelions are gone and I am sure violets aren't far behind. There are still plenty of those wild things for her to pick.

We use to have our yard treated. I admit that it looks really nice when there is nothing but a lush green lawn. That was the first thing to go when we started slashing the budget. Not to mention it is not good for the environment or children.

After watching some of the Earth Day programs it really makes me think. We do recycle, but it makes me feel like that is not enough. All the plastic that I keep seeing yesterday makes me wonder why the manufacturers keep producing everything in plastic. Remember the glass soda bottles? I remember returning them to the store for the deposit. One summer my cousin, Rick went on a bottle search and earned enough money to buy fireworks. It just had me thinking about what I can do and why the more manufacturers aren't more environmentally conscience.

I have some decisions to make about my kitchen. The original plan was to paint my shelves black. Now I am questioning that. It just seems that black really shows dust. Now I am thinking about going with white. Such tough decisions. If you have black shelves let me know if you love them or hate them.

Today is suppose to be warmer then yesterday. I put off washing sheets yesterday and can't wait to hang them on the line. I love that smell! Hope everyone has a great day!

Homekeeping Schedule

I have become very relaxed with keeping on a cleaning schedule. I have gotten in a bad habit of putting things off and then I end up spending an entire day doing everything. I am going to start off slow. First I will get in the habit of doing a certain room or set of rooms each day. Here is what my schedule will look like.

Monday: Laundry (clothes), Clean Kitchen

Tuesday: Dust Living Room & Vacuum

Wednesday: Laundry (towels, sheets), Clean Bathroom

Thursday: Dust Bedrooms & Vacuum

Friday: Laundry (clothes), General straighten for weekend

After I have keep this schedule for a month and see how it is working I will then tweak it. I want to get to the point where I have a detailed list of things to be done weekly and things that I want to do monthly.

I would love to hear how detailed you are with your schedule. Do you have certain days for each chore and if so are you keeping a check list?

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Virgina by Cathy Marie Hake

On my TV:
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

On the menu for tonight:
Pork Chops, Baked Beans & Corn on the Cob

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Vacuum
Clean Bathroom

New recipe I tried last week:
Breakfast Casserole

In the craft basket:

Name collage for my niece to be, Faith.

Looking forward to:
A week spent at home.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
Freeze leftover ham & turkey in individual portions. You can then easily defrost for a wonderful sandwich for lunch. Can you tell I still have leftovers from Easter?!

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
I didn't have much time to surf blogs last week.

Favorite photo of the week:

My niece, Kayla sporting her new cast.

Lesson learned the past few days:
I set the tone for my home. If I am happy and upbeat it spills over to everyone else.

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Breakfast Casserole

I had breakfast on the menu for last night. The plan was to have scrambled eggs, ham and toast. It just wasn't appealing to me so I whipped this up.



2 cups shredded potatoes; liquid drained (you could use frozen hash browns)
2 cups diced ham (great way to use up the Easter leftovers!)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350* 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

This could easily be assembled the night before and with my little family there is always leftovers for the next day. Enjoy!

Blue

I don't know about the rest of you but sometimes I just get in a funk. Nothing bad has happened I just don't feel like my normal, perky self. I have felt that way for the past two days. Maybe it has something to do with the weather. It has been cool and a little bit gray. I am a sunshine kind of gal!

Nothing exciting has been going on around here. No crafting, baking or new recipes. I have been doing laundry and some cleaning. You know the same ole same ole. Regardless of how I feel life moves on. The forecast is for 70* and sunshine on Friday. I hope that will snap me out of this.

Wishing you a great day full of sunshine!

Quiet Day = Happy Home

I don't know about the rest of you but yesterday we were all exhausted after a very busy weekend. We had pizza and colored eggs Friday evening at my parents. Went to my father-in-law's on Saturday for dinner and an egg hunt. Visited a new church on Easter morning with my mother-in-law and her husband. Loved it by the way and will be going back to visit again. Had dinner with my parents and then went to Chuck's mom's for dessert. Whew! No wonder we were exhausted yesterday. The good kind of exhaustion. Full of faith, family and fun!

I needed to run a quick errand in the pouring rain this morning and Megan was more then happy to show off her raincoat.

After we returned home we had a peaceful day. I ended up laying down with Megan after she was startled awake. Rest is exactly what I needed. I made a simple dinner of tacos and just enjoyed being home.

After dinner Megan insisted Daddy join her in her room. I had a great time listening to their fun.

They pretended to sleep and wake up, went to the store for Veggie Tales and just enjoyed being with each other. It brought a smile to my face to listen in on them.

Today we return to our normal schedule of babysitting, laundry and cleaning. I am grateful I was able to have a quiet day to just enjoy the sounds of my happy home!

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Virgina by Cathy Marie Hake

On my TV:
Martha Stewart I need some new craft ideas!

On the menu for tonight:
Tacos

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Pick up all rooms. Such a busy weekend that it looks like a tornado hit!

New recipe I tried last week:
Nothing new last week.

In the craft basket:
Nothing planned. Whatever strikes me this week.

Looking forward to:
A quiet week.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
If traditional stain remover does not work on clothes a degreaser such as Simple Green or Rubbermaid Degreaser usually gets the stain out.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
Sandra's Days at Home post. I could just feel the love and contentment she feels caring from her home and family.

Favorite photo of the week:

Lesson learned the past few days:
Organization is the key to not stressing myself out. I really need to get back to my favorite habit of making list.

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Happy Easter!

As you hunt eggs, eat delicious meals and enjoy family time this weekend take time to remember that Easter is about honoring and recognizing Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, and His glorious promises of eternal life for all who believe in Him.

Wishing you a wonderful and meaningful Easter!

Tulips

Those of you that have been reading for a while probably know that tulips are my favorite flower. I have them planted around the perimeter of my front yard flower beds. Here is a little peek.




On Tuesday a car with out of state plates stopped in from of our house. At first I thought it was strange and then I realized they had stopped to take pictures of my flowers. What a compliment!

Have a great Thursday!

2 Year Gotcha Celebration

On Saturday we attended a party to celebrate the adoption of some very special little girls. Our wonderful friends Wendy and Paul once again hosted this wonderful event. Wendy went above and beyond and we all had a great time.

There was a Easter egg hunt that was crazy! There were 13 kids and plenty of eggs.

Megan had so much fun and look how full her bucket is. All the kids left with a bucket stuffed with eggs.

Megan loved this sand table. She played there for a long time. I think we know what a little girl needs for the summer. She is playing with her foster sister, Katie. We are very fortunate that Katie was in our adoption group and her family lives very close to us. It is awesome that they get to grow up together.

Every year we take pictures of all of the girls present.

China Red Couch 2007 (Megan is 2nd from the left on couch)


1st Gotcha Party 2007 (Megan is second from the left on couch)


2nd Gotcha Party 2008 (Megan is 2nd from left on couch)

It is amazing to see these little ladies grow and thrive!