A Contented, Common Life

Sweet Sassafras' Special Day

2012-02-25T15:22:00.000-05:00

My sweet, sweet Sassafras is twelve years old today.
12.
This is for her:

Source: lihl-mystory.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

Sass is my middle child.

She is compassionate,

loyal,

kind,

tenderhearted,

empathetic,

and so much more.

She is my sunshine on a grey day. She sings so sweetly and has a smile a mile wide...

Oh that smile... I love it when she grins big and the cutest dimple appears right under her left eye.

The girl asked for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers for her birthday.

She sings all the songs and thinks its neater than neat that her mama married the seventh out of seven brothers.

My mama heart is full to the brim today as we celebrate all our Sassafras is to us.

I cannot put to words what it meant to kneel next to her bed last night and pray over my sleepy sweetie... to pray for her today and her tomorrows, for her to follow hard after God all the days of her life, for her school, her career, her future marriage... so much I want for my little girl who isn't so little any more.

So today I take great delight in her. I rejoice over her with singing.

Just as He does.

Happy Birthday Sassafras!

Homemade Fabric Softener Q & A

2012-02-21T18:42:00.000-05:00

One day I'm gonna make a stinkin' cute label for this amazing stuff.

I have been seriously mind boggled by the Pinterest crowd visiting here.

This post right here- Laundry Loveliness: Homemade Fabric Softener

has been pinned over 3,000 times.

Wowzers.

There have been some questions concerning this super easy, super wonderful recipe...

Is it safe for HE Frontload washers?

My machine is a front loading HE washer and I've been using this recipe for almost a year without incident. I haven't noticed any issues. I regularly remove the tray that you pour the detergent/bleach/softener in and wash it as I notice it gets "gunky" even with commercial detergents/softeners. I've also used a homemade laundry detergent recipe in my machine for the past eight years without issue.

ALSO- I put straight vinegar in just about every wash. I put it in the bleach dispenser.

Does this stay mixed or does it need to be shaken before every use?

The first time I made this recipe I noticed a bit of separation of the mixture and when I shook it up to re-mix it I got a lot of bubbles and I mean A LOT. And they didn't settle right away. The next time I made the mixture I used boiling hot water. I haven't had a problem with separation since.

I made some this weekend and I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed in it because my laundry doesn't smell at all like the fabric softener. They feel nice, but there is no smell. Any suggestions? I used an Herbal Essence conditioner for the smell and am disappointed.

I have only used Suave Conditioner for this recipe as it is super cheap. Around Christmas time there was a sale on Suave at the grocery store and I stocked up for 75 cents each! I pretty much stick to the Refreshing Water Falls Mist or Lavender Lilac.

The smell is fresh and slight- not overwhelming. If you really want scent, I suggest adding a f3-6 drops of lavender essential oil to the mixture when you make it.

I don't know what fragrance of Herbal Essence you used- it might be that the scent was too light or it could be that particular brand of conditioner waters down too much and loses its smell.

You don't even need the conditioner, straight up white vinegar works GREAT, and I promise does not leave a smell by the time you dry the clothes!

That's right! It does! I love all the useful uses for vinegar. We like to keep at least 3 gallons on hand at all times.

More Laundry Loveliness:
Towel Stink-be-gone

Versatile Vinegar- every wash!

The Original Post: Homemade Fabric Softener

40 Bags in 40 Days AGAIN!

2012-02-21T12:50:00.002-05:00

image courtesy of garbagebags.net

Remember this post from last year when I decided I was gonna move out 40 bags of "stuff" in 40 days?
I'm doing it again.

The way I see it- I've probably got at least that many more bags worth of stuff in my home that needs to go bye-bye.

Right now there are two bags and one box of "stuff" on my porch waiting for me to haul to Goodwill.

I admit the beginning of Lent has snuck up on me and I don't have my list of what, how many and from where I'll purge written down. I've started the list in my head and I'm thinking I can talk Mr. Steady into contributing to my list from the garage and his workroom....

Here's what I want to know- Do you want to take the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge with me?
Even if you aren't ready to start tomorrow- maybe not til next week (I'm sure you could maybe, possibly collect more than one bag a day to catch up...)- Are you willing?
Leave me a comment below- I'd like to see who's up to the challenge with me!

The other side of a hard week with great thanks

2012-02-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

God is so good all the time… I just can’t capture all that goodness that He hides in just a single day… but I can capture small pieces and those serve to remind me…

1355-1371

Lord Thank You for these gifts….

Baking Day

Breakfast prayers

Spontaneous family worship

Chillbumps because God is really more than that good
Maintaining a life of thanks in the midst of it
Girlfriend days and trying out recipes we find on Pinterest
Post it note written prayers
Glass milk bottles
Finding lightning rocks
Sharing bible study insights together
Snuggling under handmade blankets
Craft-tacular projects with my girls
God hears the whispers of my heart
Sharing a friend's joyful secret
His strength for my weakness- what a trade off!
Mr. Steady's constancy- his love, his care, his support
Making it through to the other side of a hard week and knowing God stood beside me the whole entire time

Menu Plan with 2 Pinterest recipes

2012-02-20T15:46:00.001-05:00

The YellowFarmhouse Weekly Menu Plan

for February 20-26

Notes: Missed posting last week... it was one of "those" weeks. I am so thankful for my menu planning when I have weeks like that... one less thing to worry about.

Monday

Breakfast: cereal or yogurt

Lunch: Three Cheese Pasta Bake (from Pinterest)

Dinner: roast beef sliders, chips

Source: southernliving.com via Amy on Pinterest

Tuesday

Breakfast: Homemade oatmeal with blueberries & cranberries, toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Two packet pork chops & ranch potatoes (Pinterest)

Source: cassiecraves.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

Wednesday

Breakfast: Homemade Yogurt with fresh fruit & granola, toast

Lunch: quesadillas- ham, cheese and salsa

Dinner: Paprika Chicken with sour cream gravy, mashed potatoes

Thursday

Breakfast: Yogurt smoothies, toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Cream chip beef with mashed potatoes

Friday -Field Trip Day

Breakfast: Choice: cereal, yogurt, muffins, fresh fruit

Lunch: out

Dinner: Bologna burgers, chips-n-dip

Saturday - Sassafras's Birthday

Brunch: Special Birthday Breakfast made to order

Birthday Dinner: Pacos (baked potatoes with taco toppings), veggies and birthday cake

Sunday

Breakfast: Coco Wheats with dried cherries, toast

Lunch: Crockpot Corn Chowder, homemade bread

Dinner: nachos or leftovers

Beverages for the week:

Milk, Water, tea, coffee, hot cocoa, Lemonade

Snacks for the week:

Cookies, freshfruit- clementines & apples & peaches, popcorn, chips & salsa, yogurt w/granola

Desserts this week:

Ice cream sundaes, Smores,cake-for-breakfast

Past menuplans: click here. Other'smenu plans: click here

Linking to Menu Plan Monday at I'm anOrganizing Junkie

Hard Homeschooling Days

2012-02-16T17:24:00.000-05:00

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine

or guess or request in your wildest dreams!

He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us,

his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Ephesians 3:20-12

I'm plunking myself right down in the midst of these verses today. I read some serious wonderfulness in chapter 3 of Ephesians for my quiet time this morning... how little did I know as I highlighted and made notes that these particular verses would be the ones I would need today.
I spent most of my journaling time writing about this section. Which is all good. Real good. What meat is here! To live full in the fullness of God... Oh yes!

But it is these above verses that minister to me today. I ache for his Spirit to work deeply and gently within me today. I need this most desperately.
It has been a difficult week.
Homeschooling has been difficult this week and has weighed me down heavy.
We've been tackling some difficult new things these last few weeks... things like multiplication and how to take notes and create outlines for research papers, and creative research projects on the Black Death that include a "fake" autopsy report.... how to enliven your writing and explain Newton's Laws and why cave has a long a but have is short.
That kind of stuff. Normal in the thick of it homeschooling stuff.

Until weeks like this week when a student hands in incomplete work.
Twice.

The Mister and I dealt with that and the week continued on... only to have the same student cheat on a test today.
So when I went to sit in my muddled puddle of "where did I go wrong"... I instead plunked myself in these verses and they became new to me.
When you hear "God can do anything... far more than you can ever imagine." You think of wonderful big things like healing someone of cancer, bringing a lost loved one to Christ, saving a dear one from a bad accident, loved ones being redeemed and renewed, broken relationships restored, needs met, finances righted and so on and so forth....
That's my "far more than you can ever imagine."
Until today.
Today- these verses say to me that God is in the midst of my muddled puddle. My ordinary, every day life. And not only is he here- but He's working within me. He helped me tamp down my temper and speak in well modulated tones to my child. He kept me from even coming near the weeping pity party of "I'm a failure. I'm not cut out to do this. Why did I ever think I could make it homeschooling my children. I'm ruining their lives." I stand firm in my knowing who would whisper those thoughts in my head. He has no place here. Of that I am sure.
God called me to this.
God can do anything... like help me parent and teach my children... far more than I ever imagined... such as getting me through such a week with myself, my students and our school still intact and continuing to progress. Far more than I could ever guess... like bestowing peace on my aching pained mama heart.... Far more than I could request in my wildest dreams... like reaffirming this call to homeschooling on one of my worst school days ever.

So today I proclaim boldly these verses are true! God CAN do anything. Way, way FAR more than I could ever have imagined or guessed or requested in my wildest dreams!
Stop thinking so big... that God's in the big deals of this life.
And be reminded that he's in the small everyday ordinary day in and day out living of this common life...
He knows and He cares far more than I can ever truly imagine.
Enough to touch the pieces of me that were hurting the most and whisper in his gentle way into the deepest parts of me... He knew my biggest wildest dream today was to have renewed confidence in the crazy homeschooling journey we are on...
He saw my deepest need and met it.
Just like that.

Week 3- finding new quirks: WIWW

2012-02-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

Week 3 of What I Wore... For a girl use to throwing on the first thing she grabs from the drawer... because really, why do I need to dress up because I just homeschool and stay home all the day long.... I sure have been indecisive in front of my closet lately... Because I want to stop being that girl that throws on jeans and a T-shirt and a pair of running shoes. I've decided I need to change it up even if I'm just staying home. I like the way I feel when I'm more "put together" and I do believe that's okay. Better than okay actually. It leaves me feeling pretty fan-tab-ulous.

Sunday- church:

Sweater and tank: Old Navy picked up at Goodwill

Jeans- Levi Signature- bootcut

Shoes- stinkin' cute- GW (gift from my mama)

Heart shaped prayer locket: Mother's Day gift from my kiddos ages ago.

The prayer tucked inside? Exodus 14:13-14

Earrings- Premier Jewelry

Socks- Old Navy loooong time ago.

It was a cold day and I didn't want to go barefooted with the heels nor did I want to wear hose and I didn't have any knee-highs so this is what I did.

My hubs and Ms. Books were heard to say, "That's so you."

Yep. A little bit of crazy mixed in it.

It makes me smile.

Valentine's Day:

Red zip up sweater: Chadwicks bought 6+ years ago

Aqua Long sleeve T: Old Navy via Goodwill

Jeans: Lee Rider- boot cut

Shoes: Merrill's - GW (my mama)

The shoes are super comfy but I've never really been one to wear red shoes. I'm working on it though.

Hair Posey- made by me from an aqua t-shirt

Aqua flower Ring: Made by me with stuff I purchased from Pick Your Plum.

Today...

White top: Pick Your Plum

Green Top: Ann Taylor Loft from a thrift store

Jeans: Lee Riders

Shoes: Route 66 picked up at GW

Socks: Old Navy a long time ago

Bracelet: Made by me

Posey: 31 Purses

Earrings: Made by me with stuff I purchased from Pick Your Plum

Bracelet tutorial... tweaked from here:

Source: themotherhuddle.com via Amy on Pinterest

The earrings are super fun. I've got more that I plan on painting....

Definitely at least one aqua pair... another peacock blue....

I'm learning I like fun socks. I've always been a white socks and tennis shoes girl but I'm branching out.

And I think it's fun.

Which is something WIWW has shown me.

Cool.

Another Tutorial: Chalkboard from a painting

2012-02-14T07:33:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty crafty around here lately. My latest project was to turn a painting I bought at Goodwill into a framed chalkboard. Easy-peasy. No kidding!

I subscribe to the Nester Method of decorating: "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful."

Since laying the perfection to the side, I've gotten a lot more done around here.

Perfection me would still be shopping for that just right painting for mere pennies. Not so perfect me used my 20% off coupon at Goodwill on a whim and snatched up this wonderfulness you see below.

Plastic frame. Oil painting- with layers of paint raised up along the bottom- aka bumpy.

Old me would have walked away or at least tried to sand away the bumps.

Not so perfect me just grabbed the spray can.

Ah, liberation.

Here's what you need:

A framed painting

Your choice spray paint for frame

Chalkboard paint

chalk

paintbrushes, gloves, rags, drop cloth etc.

Bought this baby for $10.40. Its knicked, a corner is cracked and like I said- there's bumps.

I didn't even bat an eyelash puttin' it in my cart.

No, I didn't prime it. But I did buy one of those nifty attachments that makes it sooooo much easier to keep on spray painting. No hand cramps!

Step 1: Spray paint your frame. Don't worry about getting paint on the canvas- your painting over it!

Step 2: Give it a second coat.

Step 3: Apply first coat of chalkboard paint.

Note: I used what I had on hand- which was a small can of Rustoleum Chalkboard Paint.

If I had my druthers- I'd have bought the chalkboard spray paint.

But this girl is on a budget.

Like my bracelet? You can get one just like it here.

Step 4: Use a smaller paint brush to get right up to the edges. I could have taped it off but I decided not to. This is me- embracing the not-so-perfect.

Don't worry about your brush strokes- they'll just about disappear after the next step.

Step 5: Paint a second coat of chalkboard paint.

Step 6: Let dry overnight.

Step 7: Cure your chalkboard by rubbing chalk all over it.

Let it sit awhile.

Step 8: Wipe the chalk off.

Step 9: Repeat steps 7 and 8

Drink coffee.

Step 10: Write on it!

Step 11: Hang it up where all can admire your handy work!

Total cost for this project:

$10.40 for painting

$3.97 for spray paint (and I didn't use it all!)

chalkboard paint and brushes... just about free- had them on hand.

$.86 for tax

Spent $15.23

Painted Frame measures 27x24 inches

Pin It

Heart Day Love

2012-02-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Because this is too true.... oh, so true.
And today is Happy Hearts Day...

Source: wearethatfamily.com via Amy on Pinterest

click and follow the link for yourself and print it out... put it where your spouse will see it...
write a note...
Live it out...
share your love in a BIG and small ways today.

Here's some date nite ideas too....

Source: thedatingdivas.com via Amy on Pinterest

Mr. Steady and I are currently putting our noggins together... planning a year's worth of monthly date nites for around 25 smackers each...
Here's a peek...
This month- a grocery date.
That's right- grocery shopping together. And flavored fancy coffee.
Here's what to do: Go to the store- order your coffee together first then do the grocery shopping together. Stay with each other. Hold hands on the cart. Make gooey eyes at each other. Visit the card aisle and pick out one sentimental sappy card and one hilarious card and one this is you and me most definitely card and share them with each other. Then after you've laughed and smooched put them back. As you finish shopping- stop and each grab your favorite candy bar to eat in the car on the way home.
Don't forget to hold hands in the car.
[Note: if your grocery store doesn't have a fancy coffee bar- stop for coffee on the way to the store!]
With Coffee and candy bars this date cost us: $8.
That means $17 went into the date nite jar for a fancy-shmancy future date....

Got any $25 or less date ideas? Share please!

Its Monday... today's menu and hopes for a better tomorrow

2012-02-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

It's Monday...
and that means Menu Plan sharing...
but its also Monday.
A rather ruthless Monday here.

I hope to have the whole week up here tomorrow...

Here's what's on the menu today:
Breakfast: Blueberry sour cream pancakes (made a double batch on Saturday and froze 'em).
Lunch: Diner dinner.... a little bit of this and a bit of that and pickle. Because a pickle spear goes with just about anything around here. I ate a couple of chicken tenders with country gravy the last bit of fries that Sassafras didn't take and a pickle.
And the Italian herb bread I made last week- that's marvelous stuff there... gonna try it as toasted garlic bread at some point. Recipe to be shared soon... when it's not a Monday.
Supper: Mexi-lasagna (made with beef tonight), greens salad

Possible dessert: Iced Monkey Bread
because right now that's saying comfort food to me...
And it's Monday and Mondays like today need to end with some comfort food.
And a comedy for the whole family... so we may go to bed laughing.

Grateful for this present hardness

2012-02-13T18:12:00.001-05:00

Lord, today has been tough.
Really, really tough.

Today is hard thankfuls.
Because I AM still thankful.

I am thankful for the snag on my sweater- I have more clothes to change into.
I am thankful for the mold on the veggies in the fridge- we aren't going hungry.
I am thankful for the difficult school day, because tomorrow will be oh so much the better.
I am thankful for the things still undone on my list... there's still tomorrow and, to be honest, these are not eternal issues I'm dealing with here.
I am thankful for catching her lie-- I have a chance for a teachable moment.
I am thankful I locked the bathroom door and just cried... I just am.

I am thankful for the ache in my knee... a reminder I fell on my knees before Him with no thought that it might pain me in ways I hadn't imagined... and that was only yesterday... the slight ache is my call to prayer today...

I am thankful for a daughter's pent up sigh and eye roll... a boy's whine and another daughter's frustrated tears... because I felt the same. The VERY same. So thankful those are only just moments- they come and go and do not last.

I am thankful for him walking in the door holding a single pretty pink rose.... he didn't know what my day was like, he didn't know, at first, why the sight of that single sweet rose undid me.
I am thankful for the groceries he picked up and how he just held me close in the kitchen in the midst of the chaos.
For him sitting beside her and discussing her schooling in a much more calm voice than mine.
I am thankful he took the parenting decision- the administering of the punishment rather than me.
I am thankful that tomorrow isn't today.

And so- I continue to count thanks.... every day... 1339-1354

Sweet Laundry Loveliness: Towels

2012-02-13T15:21:00.000-05:00

Another sweet laundry tip...
I noticed I have stinky towels.
They smell a bit off.
I ran a google search on how to get that funky smell out of towels and waded through a lot of try this, no try this, that won't work, you must do this type stuff....
Here's what I came up with:

Pin It

Once a Month Towel Stink-Be-Gone:
Step One: Wash your towels with your favorite detergent and one cup of vinegar for the rinse cycle.
NO fabric softener. {don't worry- the vinegar will keep them soft- trust me on this.}
Water setting: warm. (my warm temp is like hot water!)
*FYI: I've taken to putting vinegar in my wash all the time.

Step Two: Wash your towels a second time with a half cup of baking soda (replacing detergent with baking soda).

Step Three: Toss your wet towels in the dryer with 3 brand new (or really, really clean) tennis balls. and dry. {The tennis balls will help fluff your towels.}

Alternate Step Three: If you are able- line dry your towels.
When they are dry you can toss them back in the dryer on "fluff cycle" with the clean tennis balls to fluff-ify them.
In my online research I noticed the following statement more than once-
Do not use vinegar and baking soda in the same rinse.

This made me snicker.
Because we make baking soda/vinegar volcanoes around here all the time....
but not in the washer.
That would be bad.
So make a note- it is worth not having to buy a new washer to not try and combine the two different washes into one wash cycle. Really.

Of Note: The very first time you do this, you might notice a hint of the funkiness under the sweet laundry smell. You can either repeat the cycle or use the towels for that week and do the Stink-be-Gone process the next time you wash towels. Once you get to doing this once a month "regular like" you'll notice the wonderful difference- your towels will smell sweet and be fluffy.
And that's some laundry loveliness right there.

Other helpful laundry tips:
Homemade fabric softener
Vinegar for Laundry

Worship here-- God is crazy good like that

2012-02-11T14:52:00.001-05:00

I am failing to put the words together to tell you how incredibly amazing this video is...
It just is.
Watch this {note: it will require 30 minutes of your time but you will be ohsovery glad you spent it... it will NOT be wasted time, I assure you.}
Watch.
Please.

Incredible wasn't it?
I still get chillbumps.
We all gathered around the laptop and for 30 whole minutes this house was silent except for this video.
For 30 whole minutes there was the most amazing chillbump-producing worship going on right here.
Tears were shed- and not just by the mama.
To hear God's Word spoken so.... so worshipfully.
It undoes me.

And what's more?
I started my own study of Ephesians this week.
Isn't it just like God to smile on me like this and have a friend send me this link?
Yep. Just like Him.
I can just hear him, "Hey, watch this... Amy started studying Ephesians this week and I know she'll enjoy this. I want to do this for her to show her I'm listening and that I love her more than she can ever imagine. Won't she get a kick out of this?!"
And she does.
God is crazy good like that, dontcha know.

Laundry Day's Pressing Questions

2012-02-08T16:25:00.001-05:00

I wash laundry and I pray for people I love.
As I do yet another load I think to myself of this ministry of motherhood.
How sometimes pieces of me wish to do bigger things than laundry and dinner and bedtimes.
Today, as I sit with Mr. Conductor and listen to him read and I'm beyond pleased at how his reading is finally coming together and I say a quick prayer of thanksgiving that this is finally clicking....
And pieces of me think am I right for this ministry of homeschooling?
Am I crazy to do this?
There are days when I'd rather stay in bed than get up and argue about math.
Days when I'd rather have a pretty table than an ongoing science experiment.
Days when I wonder what peace and quiet really sound like.
I wonder what my life would be like if I didn't homeschool.
And you know what?
I simply cannot imagine it.
My mind just won't go there.

And that's a good thing.
A very good thing.
I thank God for this crazy chaos that is our life.
For the murky science experiment she's keeping in the basement
and the hilarious drawings he makes of Roman soldiers and knights and a character called One-eyed Gasoline.
For the little love notes my Sassafras leaves on my desk and the doodles she does in the margins of her language arts book.
I fold the laundry and read aloud dictation sentences for one.
Roll socks and interpret signs for another.
Fold towels and count his jumping jacks.
Fold sheets and pray.
The laundry sits in neat piles on my dining table as we all squeeze around the computer in the schoolroom watching a short science video about cone snails.
It still sits there while kiddos go off to cozy reading corners.
Some days I feel like I have nothing to show for all the work I've done and other days...
the laundry sits on the table as a reminder... of the doing.

Week 2: What I wore

2012-02-08T16:06:00.002-05:00

Week two of my What I Wore Wednesday posts.
This is still out of my comfort zone... Ms. Books and I have agreed that I'll do this for one month.
She likes the idea and enjoys taking pictures and giving input plus she too is being motivated to not only get dressed (that girls loves her some jammies!) but to dress up in more than a t-shirt and jeans. So that part's good.
The part where I put it out right on here in my little bloggy house for y'all... awkward.
Just is.
In our family, a good 90% of the time- I'm the photographer. There have been family outings where, if you didn't know I was taking the photos you wouldn't know I was there.
Then I was directed to this wonderful post about photographing yourself and felt nudged...
that was months ago.
I'm still not good at giving up the camera and I've never turned it on myself but I am blessed that my Ms. Books is also a wonderful budding photographer.
So this is me... stepping out a bit further.
I blame it on that whole "Word of the Year" thing... this jumping out and jumping in.
Makes me kinda giddy with excitement some days and wanting to hide under the covers on others.
These are the days I got up from under the covers....

Sunday

Top: Old Navy from Goodwill

Cardigan: ???

Pants: from my sister

Scarf: Amazon ($10! I know!)

Brooch Pin: My Gran's (and a real bit of loveliness)

Shoes: from my mama- she picked em up at- where else? GW

I received a ton of compliments at church about the wonderful color combo I had going on,

that I looked so "spring-y" etc. and that was very very nice. Very.

Ms. Books said it was confirmation that I can mix it up a bit.

That girl makes me smile.

Lots.

Another day....

Bad lighting here. I blame it on the fact that it was night time and

Ms. Books had to "track me down" to get the photo. Mama wasn't really cooperating.

I feel the need to point out that amazing painting in the background... My Sassafras did that.

I love it.

Top: from Goodwill

Brown long sleeve shirt: Meijer

Jeans: Lee Riders- boot cut from GW

Hair Posey: booth at Country Living Fair

Necklace: Acorn on ribbon from my Mama for my birthday

Shoes: brown flats-Route 66 purchased at GW

This is Ms. Books getting me in mid-laugh. I think I like it.

This is also my comfy attire. I was going for warm and workable- cleaning and cooking today!

Grey top: Old Navy picked up at GW

Sweater: Express bought at GW (oh how I love it's warm coziness)

Jeans: Lee Riders- GW

Shoes: my favorite knockin' around tennies- New Balance.

Someone told me that posing with your arms propped on your hips makes you look slimmer... seems I took that to heart this week! Hmm.

Pinspired Again! Light it up!

2012-02-07T07:58:00.000-05:00

Another Pin-spiration!
It's Craftacular!
Here's what I pinned:

Source: theinspiredroom.net via Amy on Pinterest

and this one...

Source: theinspiredroom.net via Amy on Pinterest

And here's what I made.

The superest funnest part of the project is that I had absoLUTEly every single piece already on hand....
You know what that means, right?
Say it with me: FREEBIE BABY!
*smiles*

Tools Needed:
Two hands
scissors

Supplies Needed:
clean glass jar(s)
epsom salts
jute or twine
old skeleton key(s)

I would have preferred white candles but blue was what was on hand.

1. Take your jute, hold on to a nice length (about 5-6 inches) and wrap around the bottom of the lip of the jar.

2. Hold that 5 inch long length down with finger of one hand while continuing to wind jute around and around and around the top of the jar. I just kept wrapping it until it had the look I wanted. I didn't worry about overlap or not overlap. I like hap-hazard.

3. Cut your jute about 5 inches from last winding and tie it off, double knot.

4. Slip your cool key onto jute and tie it on! You can tie it in a knot like I did or a bow. It's up to you!

You'll probably need to trim your jute a little after you tie it on. I cut a couple inches of each end of mine.

5. Pour in epsom salts.

6. Nestle your candle in.

7. (optional) Make another.

I made three. I like odd numbers.

Voila!

Pin It

Light that baby UP!

First Full Week of February Meal Plan

2012-02-06T17:42:00.001-05:00

The YellowFarmhouse Weekly Menu Plan

for February6^th thru 12^th

Notes:Last week’s menu got a little topsy-turvy,so you may notice a couple of reposts on recipes. This is another thing I justlove about menu planning- I can tweak and reorganize as needed. We had friendsover for supper last week so I substituted a “fancier” meal I felt was bettersuited for our guests for the more “humble comfort food meal” originally planned.I also flipped this week’s Sunday dinner for last week as I worked much betterin our crazy schedule {rotisserie chicken picked up at the local deli alongsideMr. Steady’s skillet potatoes and some glorious homegrown green beans}.

I also made homemade yogurt again as well as my very first ever batch ofhomemade granola. The kiddos and I are loving it- eating it for breakfasts andsnacks. Mr. Steady likes the granola with milk as a breakfast cereal. At thisrate, I’ll be needing to make more soon.

Monday

Breakfast: Homemade yogurt with peaches and granola,toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Open faced chicken sandwiches, steamedveggies

Sandwiches: homemade herb bread topped with homemade mashedpotatoes, shredded chicken and gravy

Tuesday

Breakfast: Homemade oatmealwith blueberries, toast

Lunch: Split pea with ham soup, sandwiches

Dinner: White Chicken Chili, homemade cornbread

Wednesday –Breakfast for supper

Breakfast: Homemade yogurt with fresh fruit and granola,toast

Lunch: chicken, bacon, cheese quesadillas

Dinner: Hamburger cream gravy on toast, steamedveggies

Thursday - Breakfastfor supper

Breakfast: Homemade yogurt with fresh fruit and granola,toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Sour Cream Blueberry pancakes, sausage

Friday

Breakfast: Cold cereal, toast, fruit or yogurt smoothies

Lunch: Homeschool Group Potluck- Bringing: 2 loaveshomemade bread

Dinner: Chicken fingers withcountry gravy dipping sauce, home fries, homemade bread

Saturday

Breakfast: Daddy Cook (eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast)

Lunch: Leftover Smorgasbord

Dinner: Dinner @ church

Sunday

Breakfast: Coco Wheats w/dried cherries, toast

Lunch: Crockpot: Sour Cream Chicken, steamedveggies, homemade bread

Dinner: nachos, cereal (if late),or other leftovers

Beverages for the week:

Milk, Water, tea, coffee, hotcocoa, Lemonade

Snacks for the week:

Cookies, fresh fruit- clementines& apples & peaches, cinnamon cranberry bread, popcorn, cheese & crackers,hot mushroom dip & crackers, yogurt w/granola

Desserts this week:

Brownies, root beer floats, choco-banana milkshakes

Past menuplans: click here. Other'smenu plans: click here

Linking to MenuPlan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Give Thanks- I'm a God Girl

2012-02-06T13:58:00.002-05:00

God is so good all the time… Ijust can’t capture all that goodness that He hides in just a single day… but Ican capture small pieces and those serve to remind me…

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Lord Thank You for these gifts….

His strength for hard days

Completed projects

The push to try new things

Uncommon grace

My brother’s safe return from hismission trip

How You make beauty from my mess

Celebrating friendship... and birthdays

Compassion extended to me from another

The gift of being someone else's answer to prayer

Prayer chains

Impromptu meal with friends!

Wonderful simple, quiet date night with Mr. Steady

Our new to us computer all up and running

Mr. Steady sharing his devotional reading with Mr. Conductor

God before me, God behind me... the security of this hemming in

How He meets me in the midst of the stuff... I am never alone

Listening to the birds with Mr. C

Spur of the moment special family fun

She made a special bible verse her life motto

The thump and hum of the washer and dryer... appreciating the convenience and every day help of them

When the heart knowledge that He daily provides becomes my present reality

Letting go of the try hard life.... daily

I'm a God Girl... from the top of my head to the soles of my feet

Thank You and Amen

2012-02-03T16:24:00.004-05:00

Source: facebook.com via Amy on Pinterest

Thank You

Amen

Hard Days His Strength

2012-02-02T18:19:00.000-05:00

Mama days...

Those days when I'm trying to be everything to everyone

and I feel rushed and under pressure

fading fast and failing to meet expectations.

Hard days.

Mama days use to bring me to the end of me quickly and dissolve me into an ugly mess of mad mom and waffling whiner. Not to mention I have, in the not so distant past, planned some extravagant pity parties.

But not today.

When I woke this morning I knew I wasn't gonna make it through this day on my own strength.

So why even start using it?

That's right. Not gonna put all my strength into making things work today.

Nope.

I skipped that part and went right to the good Lord and asked Him to be my strength today.

"Lord, I don't want to go at this today on my own strength. I don't want to ask you for more strength. I just want you to be my strength."

And you know what?

He is.

All. The. Day. Long.

He's met me each moment.
The hard stuff still hasn't been easy but because of Him the burdens are all things I am able to stand up under.
I know my days won't always be like this... because I'm me, there will be days when I choose to go at it full steam ahead under my own strength... I'll crash and burn and bemoan the waste of my day.
I pray though, that those days will not be the norm.
That instead hard days with Jesus' strength like today will be my new normal.
So I jot this down in my journal and date it.
Hoping to tote up a pretty little column of dates of hard days gotten thru on His strength
and not mine.

Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Frugal Fashionista in training

2012-02-01T15:45:00.000-05:00

According to Ms. Books I have become "quite the frugal fashionista".

So much so that she has persuaded me to join in The Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesdays linky party.

This is so way out of my comfort zone. But she's a good nudger.

And she volunteered to be my photographer.

She believes it will be good for me. She likes the concept behind the linky party and thinks I may need the accountability to not fall back on jeans and a t-shirt every. single. day.

Being a stay at home mom and a homeschooler has made it super easy to fall into the jeans and Ts category. I had not yet slid into the wearing-my-pjs-all-day mode... but I knew I was in a frump slump. I think it really hit me right before my birthday this year... I needed to step up my game.

I started slow- challenged myself to wearing "something nice" at least twice a week, not counting Sundays (which was previously the only day of the week I'd dress up). Now I'm down to grabbing my old faded jeans and t-shirt once or twice a week.

And I'm finding my own funky style. Which thrills me. It's about time!

Top: had for a few years from ?

Cardigan: from Goodwill [GW]

Jeans: 9 West from GW

Scarf: Pick Your Plum

Posey Pin: Made by me

Shoes: LL Bean grey flannel mary janes from GW

Love Mercy Bracelet: From Mercy House

Button bracelet: from a booth at the Country Living Fair

White Tank: Meijer

Lavender Tank: Old Navy years ago

Cardigan: GW

Jeans: GW

Black flats: Wal-mart

Nest Necklace: Made for me by Ms. Books

Love Mercy Bracelet: Mercy House (see above)

Hmmm. I'm thinking a skinny belt would have made this outfit look more pulled together- especially if the belt was purple! I don't have one but I've made a note to be on the look out. And I should have paired another bigger posey pin on the cardi. While I thought it went together nicely when I planned it out last nite- looking at this picture makes me think I've got a wimpy carnation pinned to my "lapel". See? I'm learning something already. I also didn't notice my tank had come untucked and really, I didn't want to go thru this whole photo taking process with Ms. Books again.... comfort zone issues...

Tutorial: Journal Making with Old Book Covers

2012-01-31T14:54:00.000-05:00

Things are pretty craft-tacular around here.
After using the old pages from the Reader's Digest Condensed books I'd picked up at Goodwill {GW} on this project last week, I was reminded of the project I had purposely bought them for.
This one.

Homemade Journals.
Putting Journal together How-To:

Tools I used:
Xacto knife with new blade
Eyelet setter Kit (mine is old from my serious scrapbooking days long ago)
Hole punch

Supplied Needed:
Old Readers Digest Condensed books with awesome cool covers
white and colored cardstock
scrapbook paper
Binding Rings
[I used 7 Gypsies brand purchased at a scrapbook store]
This is them:

Various embellishments {I used some scrapbook stickers, die-cuts, old stamps, pieces of ephemera like old receipts, ripped piece of an order pad, paint chip cards, a card from a friend, postcards...}

1. First you must cut the cover off the book. I used an Xacto knife for this. I cut right at the crease. If you use a new blade and apply enough pressure you should be able to cut all the way through on the first try. By the time I got to my last book cover I had to make a second cut from the inside to get all the way through.

If you didn't cut super straight and have some jagged edges- go back with your knife and clean it up a bit. I don't mind a weathered/rustic look and I'm not going for perfection so I only tidied it up the big pieces.

2. Next you will put the holes in your cover. I have a seriously old eyelet setter kit (10+ yrs) that I used for this job. If you have a Crop-a-dile it will go even faster. I am too ~~cheap~~ frugal to buy something new of tool I rarely use.

I should also mention that hammering is really really fun.

Really.

Because I have embraced the imperfect crafter in me and believe the imperfections add to the uniqueness...

I eyeballed where I wanted the holes. No measuring for me. And I made 3 holes.

Side Note- when you go to do the back cover- might I suggest you butt up the back cover (inside cover to inside cover) to the front cover that you already made the holes in and punch/hammer lightly through the front cover holes to the back cover to make marks. Use the marks as guidelines for where to punch. This will make it so you line up your front and back covers just so. My first two I did not do this and my middle holes didn't line up which required me to make a 2nd hole close to the first middle hole. Good thing that's the back cover of the book. I'm pretending its not there.

A couple of my RD Condensed books had really nice flyleaf(s) that were too wonderful not to use. So I cut the pages out carefully with my Xacto knife.... note I didn't cut it straight each time and I refer you back to the above paragraph concerning imperfections...

A Pretty stack of cut and punched covers....

Don't forget to save the actual book pages for other projects!

3. Add your binder rings.

I also added a sweet little acorn charm to the middle ring of the blue book. Just Because.
I'm nutty like that.

Isn't that a cool flyleaf?! See the unique cutting?!

Be excited! You have made your journal cover!

My papers laid out and ready!

Continuing on...
4. Measure the inside of your book cover so you will know what size to make your pages. I made my 5x7.25 inches. I then proceeded to cut a bunch of cardstock and scrapbook papers. Use those pieces that are odd sizes- they'll add character to your book!
I used some of my white cardstock as "templates". I lined up the card stock with the front cover of the book, marked the holes with a pencil and punched them with a hole punch then used the punched cardstock as my pattern for punching the scrapbook papers.

5. Spread out your stacks of punched papers and scraps and whatnot (like paint chips). Into colors or categories or however it suits you. This will allow you to visualize the inside of your journal.
I was pretty random with my choosing- a couple blank white pages, a few color-coordinating pieces of scrapbook paper, slip in a paint chip card, tuck in that card from my dear sweet friend, hide a fun postcard in the back....
There's no rhyme or reason unless you want it!

paint chip cards... think outside the box!

6. Fill your journal with your punched papers

7. Embellish.

8. Use it!
In the photo above you can see Mr. Conductor's [this year] picture and a bunch of notations about him. I did this for each of the kiddos at the beginning of the book.

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Photo credit: Me

and Ms. Books

God Smiles and I tuck it away for remembering

2012-01-30T15:54:00.000-05:00

God smiles on me daily... this is just me trying to capture bits and pieces of it for remembrances...

Ms. Books quilt she made and entered in a talent contest

Me... making it

Mr. C and PawPaw

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Lord Thank You for these gifts….

Dry erase boards in my home that people can’t help but writeon

A surprise meet up with my sis in a store… right when I’mthinking it would have been nice to have had the time to visit her

Thrifty crafting that turns inspiring

Ms. Books branching out with her talents- be not afraid

Hearing her talk about the talents God has given her and howshe can use them for Him- Wow!

Walking around the corner and hearing my girls singing inharmony

Mr. Conductor’s imaginative Lego building… scattered allover my house

The "I did it!" Fist pumping feeling after making it all the way up the climbing wall

A clean dining room table

The ASL test Ms. Books gave us all… oh the beauty of “handtalking”

Watching Ms. Books sign a worship song as she sings it…breathtaking.

A day spent with family

Sharing happy news

A bright red cardinal in the snow

Children sharing generational inside jokes

Compliments on something about me I’ve been working on

Friends who pop in

Plans materializing

God’s perfect timing

Code words between friends

Circles of prayer

Making meals stretch and they still fill and taste great

Mr. Steady filling my car up with gas

Someone at church cleared the snow off our car (and otherstoo)

God’s great grace… for this good girl

He abides with me daily

Hugs

Small joys that lighten my heart

Working on projects alongside Mr. Steady

Growing older alongside my sister and enjoying the journey

Grocery bills that come out exactly to match what’s in thegrocery budget envelope

Watching my son hang out with my Dad

Hair cut “oopsie” that made us laugh- a new family story

Menu Plan includes some Pin-spiration

2012-01-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

The YellowFarmhouse Weekly Menu Plan

forJanuary 20^th- February 5^th

Notes:Just finished calculating mygrocery shopping for January and I came in about $20 under budget- yippee! Wewere also able to make some stockpiling purchases that will hopefully stretchour grocery dollars further. We made our quarterly trip to our favorite AmishStore and a big trip to Aldi. I have managed to stretch my last two Aldi tripsto once a month. I’m also finding that pushing my menu planning to six weeksworth has helped also by giving me my own “heads up” for shopping sales at ourlocal stores…. Hope to post about that here soon.

Monday

Breakfast: Baked apples, Cinnamon Cranberry Toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Curly noodle supper, homemade rolls

Tuesday

Breakfast: Homemade oatmealwith blueberries, toast

Lunch: Split pea with ham soup, sandwiches

Dinner: One dish chicken bake, steamed veggies

Wednesday – Breakfastfor supper

Breakfast: Homemade yogurt with fresh fruit, toast

Lunch: Nachos

Dinner: Egg, sausage and cheese waffle sandwiches {using frozen waffles from Aldi}

Thursday

Breakfast: Homemade yogurt with fruit and granola, toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Aunt Florence’s casserole, steamed veggies

Friday

Breakfast: Cold cereal, toast, fruit or yogurt smoothies

Lunch: Homeschool Group Potluck- Bringing: 2 loaveshomemade bread

Dinner: French Bread Pizzas

Source: myworldmadebyhand.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

Saturday

Breakfast: Daddy Cook (eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast)

Lunch: Leftover Smorgasbord

Dinner: Leftover Smorgasbord

Sunday

Breakfast: Coco Wheats w/dried cherries, toast

Lunch: Crockpot: Sour Cream Chicken, steamedveggies, homemade bread

Dinner: nachos, cereal (if late),or other leftovers

Beverages for the week:

Milk, Water, tea, coffee, hotcocoa, Lemonade

Snacks for the week:

Cookies, fresh fruit- clementines& apples & bananas, cinnamon cranberry bread, popcorn, cheese &crackers

Desserts this week:

IcedMonkey Bread (didn’t have last week), Applesauce cookies with caramel icing,brownie bites

Source: chef-n-training.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

Past menuplans: click here. Other'smenu plans: click here

Linking to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Homeschool Mothers Journal- Super Great Week!

2012-01-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

In our homeschool this week…
What an amazing week it has been. School was just "clicking" for everyone. Each and every single day was awesome for each and every single one of us. Wah-hoo! I know these types of weeks are rare gifts so I am treasuring and squeezing the goodness out of every single moment.
*heartfelt sigh inserted here*

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
I love this planner. It keeps me organized. And happy.

My favorite thing this week was…
Everyone finished their full day's work by lunch time. Every. Day.

What’s working/not working for us…
Doing every single science experiment for Zoology 2.

It just wasn't working out and it was stressing me out. We do the ones we can and I let go of the rest. I'm learning to be okay with that. I really didn't want to give up a bunch of my Crisco for that blubber experiment.... and so I didn't.

A friend reminded me that in public school we were lucky to do four actual experiments a school year. Armed with that reminder I am giddily ahead of the game.

Cool.

Questions/thoughts I have…
Does the two years required for foreign language study have to be the same language or can it be two different languages? Hmm.

Things I’m working on…
I created this artwork this week. I'm pretty geeked about it.
I'm also working on my curriculum order for the next school year... I know, I know- its way early but we've gotta budget for it so I need to know how much I need....

I’m reading…

Grace for the Good Girl. Yes, still. I keep re-reading and I haven't even finished yet. So much to think on that I keep going back.

I’m cooking…
This incredibly yummy bread. Loaves and loaves of it. Everyone likes it.

I’m grateful for…
The super great school week we just had.
And my Gratefuls list continues...

I’m praying for…
Another super great school week.
And for this.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
I have decided that Mr. Conductor has a Lego Building class for an elective. This justifies the copious amounts of Lego projects strewn hither and yon in my house.
And he's getting an A in it.
He's quite imaginative.
This is his latest plane- complete with swiveling rear gun turret. Top gun and blue lasers on the propellers.
And as he pointed out, "four bomb-droppers per side".
See what I mean?

God-Smack

2012-01-27T07:43:00.000-05:00

Just when I was beginning to struggle again with a difficult relationship in my life--
I find this hidden on my Facebook from Proverbs 31 Ministries ... specific to "Difficult Relationships".
Go now and read it then come back here to talk... 'kay? Good.

God is so timely. He knew I needed a smack upside the head... with his gentle hand as a reminder!
And I find it quite interesting that there are cards out there for this... I wonder- are these cards to be sent to the person you have the difficult relationship with or to encourage a person you know who is dealing with a difficult relationship.
I'm thinking it's the latter.
The few times I have tried to send a card, email or letter to someone I have a difficult relationship with it has backfired on me. Badly.
We all need encouragement in dealing with the difficult relationships in our lives.
We need reminders that God is the God of all our relationships even the lousy ones. There is nothing outside of His power or His influence.
I've always thought I was suppose to do everything I could to fix any difficulty in any relationship. Looking back I see where that reasoning has failed time and time again. Me thinking I should always try and fix things, not once thinking to pray and seek if this was what God wanted. There was one particular friendship in my teen years that I could never "fix" and it cut me deeply. The more I tried to fix it the more I was required to not be me. Um, to my adult way of thinking-- that's not right.
My first lesson- some relationships are not meant to continue.
I've never really thought I was in any harmful relationships, I didn't hang out with "bad" kids... but now I see that I've had my share of toxic relationships that were unhealthy, unproductive and downright bad for me.
Hmmm.
Lately I've come to a different way of thinking about a couple of particular difficult relationships I've been dealing with.
I'm stopping the worrying, the fixing, the agonizing, the analyzing (of each conversation).
And I'm gonna simply Let.It. Be.
I love how she words it in the post:
A difficult relationship does not define me. His love defines me.
A difficult relationship will refine me. His truth refines me.
I won't pretend for a moment to write from a place of victory here, if victory in a difficult relationship is defined as settled, restored, united in truth and love. That may not happen this side of heaven, though my heart desires peace and has pursued it diligently.

I agree, I won't pretend it's gonna be fixed or great or even good this side of heaven. I am learning to be content in the midst of that. I can pursue peace in these hard relationships but I must surrender my desire for it to be settled my way, in my timing and let God do what He does best... Be God.
Some days are harder than others... there are days when the difficulties smack me in the face again, days when I analyze a conversation and realize that I was slammed, days when I converse with the person on pins and needles with worry and concern tightening inside me as I work to weigh my words and struggle to not offend... all the while knowing and weighing that some of my very core family beliefs and life choices offend this person.
There are days when I continually surrender these difficult relationships and then there are days when I don't think about them at all.

My decision is to choose to see these particularly difficult relationships as tools for God to grow and stretch me. I have concluded that I will never fit into the mold these others have tried to shape and build to define me and my interaction with them. So I must stop striving to do so. Its a set up for failure.
I've stopped praying for God to help me to behave when I interact with these people. Behave? What was I thinking?! Instead I pray for His mercy and grace to so pour over me that it flows out of me. I pray for His eyes and His compassion. I pray to be the me He wants me to be.
See? That's growth right there!

Pin-Spired!

2012-01-26T08:39:00.000-05:00

Had a seriously fun project day yesterday afternoon with my girls.
First we took a trip to Hobby Lobby- armed with a 40% off coupon and Pinterest ideas swirling in my head. I managed to keep myself under control and walk away from HL having spent under $15.00.
That's a seriously good deal. Especially when I think of all I did with $11 and some change.
Here are my Pin-sperations:

Source: Uploaded by user via Amy on Pinterest

and this one...

Source: Uploaded by user via Amy on Pinterest

At Hobby Lobby I purchased:
2-pack 16x20 canvases for $7.99
1 package 4 inch red vinyl stick on letters [brand: Headline Sign] $ 3.99
{note: vinyl letters were found with stencils down the last art supply aisle and I picked 4" because of the price, the size and the number of letters in the package matched up with what I needed... such as 3 "L"s}
2 containers Ceramcoat Acrylic Paint in North Sea for $1.27 each
I used my 40% off coupon on the canvases [making them $4.49- that's only $2.25 each!]
With tax my total was $11.68

Mod-podging paper

Add caption

Mod-podging again

waiting for mod-podge to dry

Doesn't look too bad with the red letters even!
I started using a ruler to line the letters up and then I gave up and just eye-balled them. It was quicker for this impatient crafter and I think it looks pretty good.

2 coats of North Sea- dry between coats

eventually these canvases will hang above the piano

Pin It

Also needed for this project-- stuff I had on hand:
paint brushes
Mod-podge
Pages from old books
Krylon Matte Finish Spray

{side note for It is Well Canvases- I think I'm going to wipe a brown glaze over it all to "antique" it a bit and soften the look of it.}

Once my creative juices get flowing it's hard to stop... and I just loved the paint color I picked out...
So much so that I took down the shelf in the living room and decided to paint it too.

And- I've seen this on Pinterest and decided I too wanted to display My Word of the Year.

Source: lemonademakinmama.com via Amy on Pinterest

I had the 5x7 canvas already in my craft box and I used scrapbooking alphabet stickers I had on hand. And more of that lovely North Sea colored paint.... plus mod-podging on more book pages

I'm liking that pop of red next to the Word....

About the book pages: I bought a few old Readers Digest Condensed Books at Goodwill with the idea of using the really cool book covers for homemade journals... So glad I saved the pages too- nice and old and discolored... All I did was use an exacto-knife to carefully cut the cover and then again to cut out a few pages...

Aren't those awesome book covers...

On Marking Dates and Making Plans

2012-01-24T15:31:00.001-05:00

In some ways I like change.
And in others not so much.
One thing I thought to change up was my daily, weekly, monthly planner.
I have tried a few different ones, had finally hit upon one I liked and wouldn't you know it-
this year I decided to opt for a change.
Mostly to save a bit of $.
I have decided I don't like it.
And I'm going back.
For the past five years, almost all our homeschooling years, I have used the Polestar Family Calendar and planner.

Updated to add: I just noticed that my link for Amazon has the family calendar price skyrocketed up to $43.93. I don't know why this is... you can go here: to the Polestar website and get it for $10 plus shipping and handling.

I love it's spiral binder that allows for it to stay flat.

I love its big box monthly calendar and monthly planning two-page spreads.
I love the heavy feel of the pages.
How my pen just glided across the page....
And the little perforated bottom corner that you can tear off to help mark where you are at for ease of reference.
I love all the room for notes for each week- including spaces entitled: Family Appointments, Meals/Kitchen and Home. Plus nice lined "To Do" and "To Buy" lists.
Lots of room for notes, which I am found of making.
And doodling.
Which I am also fond of doing.
I love the family profile pages in the back, items loaned/borrowed pages.
And all that room for notes.

Why did I switch?
Cost.
I ordered the planner from the publisher.... in Canada and had to pay extra tax/shipping.
It ended up costing me around $24.00 for the calendar/planner.
The one I switched to was a digital download I got on sale last summer for 10 bucks.

I liked the colorful look of the calendar I switched to...
And the daily bible verses on each monthly calendar.
I loved the monthly money management pages, the extra Christmas and Holiday pages.
I loved all the extra pages... the planner is geared towards homeschoolers and included articles and note pages, goal pages, greeting card registry and so much more.
What I didn't love:
The aggravation of printing it out properly. I was forever printing the wrong back side...
If I tried to go cheap and print it out on "draft" setting the colors were too light.
I have used it for the last two months and I find all the color that drew me to it to be distracting.
The weekly breakdown two page spread that I at first loved for all its detailing, has also proved to be a distraction.
It left me feeling overwhelmed.
That I wasn't accomplishing all I set out to do.
I didn't care for that reminder.

So what's a girl to do?
In the past I would have put my foot down and bullied myself into using the calendar/planner I had paid good money for... but when I weigh the cost of printing along with my printing oopsies as well as my clear distraction.... and think on the fact that I just plain don't like using it...
I opted to go back to my trusty planner of the past.
Which I just so happened to do a search for on Amazon. And wonder of wonders, I found my dear-to-my-heart calendar/planner marked down to $8.47 and since I have Amazon Prime- shipping is FREE!
Wha-hoo.
I couldn't click- "order" fast enough.
However... I have decided on a compromise.
I still love those extra pages in my new planner.
So I'm gonna keep those and use them.
So- in my mind, it wasn't a wasted purchase.
And it is a lesson learned.
Sometimes its good not to change.

No do-ing... Be Still. Pray.

2012-01-23T20:05:00.002-05:00

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father.

He loves to help.

You'll get his help, and won't be condescended

to when you ask for it.

Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.

People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves.

Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way,

adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

James 1:5

The wind is battering against the house.
It rattles and howls something fierce tonight.
I just got off the phone with one of my closest friends and the news isn't good.
She's been in Colorado for a week- packed up all five kids and hit the road heading to her family.
Because her brother is in the hospital with pneumonia complicated by epilepsy and a host of other issues.
It has been a roller coaster of days... bad days, up days followed by steady and then dipping way, way down.
Things were looking better... and now they are not.
They weened him off his meds and the ventilator by Saturday but he never woke up. Not once. His oxygen dipped way down today and he is now 100% vent dependent. They are not sure if it is because of brain damage due to lack of oxygen or not. The doctors are now think he has ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) that sometimes happens after a trauma or severe illness. This is a very serious condition, often fatal. She doesn't know what to do now. He could potentially be on the vent for a long time. She doesn't know if she should come home & regroup or stay until they know more. She is asking for prayers of wisdom in making decisions over the next few days. She is physically & emotionally exhausted.
Her dear hubby is here at home- working and waiting. Decisions need to be made and she is struggling.
I tell her we are so sorry to hear this.
I tell her we are praying.
Mightily.
I know He knows.
I pray for clarity for my friend, for peace and grace to rain down on her.
Why is it that with praying being our best and biggest option, I still feel helpless.... sitting here wishing there was something I could do.
Do.
I'm a do-er.
I'm a fixer.
And once again, I've come up against something that I can't do anything about.
Something I can't fix.
God gently nudges me that it isn't up to me. That this battle isn't mine to fight.
That all He asks is for me to be still and allow Him to step in.

Do not be afraid.

Stand firm

and you will see the deliverance

the LORD will bring you today...

The LORD will fight for you;

you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:13a & 14

I wear that verse in a heart-shaped prayer locket around my neck as a reminder.
Wearing it for four years now... it is a reminder that God still wants for me.
God wants me to be still.
He's in charge.
So I pray.
It is the best and biggest option.

Won't you join me?

He continues to bless

2012-01-23T16:21:00.001-05:00

God is so good all the time… Ijust can’t capture all that goodness that He hides in just a single day… but Ican capture small pieces and those serve to remind me…

1263-1280

Lord Thank You for these gifts….

Helping our friends move in and begin to settle in their newhouse

That house being an answer to their prayers… us praying withthem and for them

After moving them in and starting to put the house to rights…we sat down and prayed together thanking God for their home, for answeredprayers and asking His blessing over the new home

Homemade birthday gifts- Ms. Books made this for herbff/cousin:

Source: makeit-loveit.com via Amy on Pinterest

Courageous is out on DVD- and we got it. And we've watched it. Twice.

Behaving is overrated

Blessed sleep after a day of hard work

Bold sermons

Living broken and open even when it's difficult and I want to hide away

This crazy non-wintery weather has produced a lower heating bill!

Being held by my husband- my forehead touching his neck... the release of tension his simple touch gives me

Watching my girls practice sign language- such beautiful hand music

Good school days that bring joy and keep you going

Scripture that is so relevant it hits you right between the eyes and takes your breath away

For learning the trick of rubbing a bar of soap on a sticky zipper (whew!)

Hearing my children pray

Flexible menu plans

Menu- repeats, skipping and replacing

2012-01-23T15:50:00.000-05:00

The YellowFarmhouse Weekly Menu Plan

forJanuary 23^rd through 29^th

Notes:Sometimes you’ll find some “repeats”on the menu plan… this happens when for whatever reason- we don’t have thatmeal the week before- I then tweak the weekly plan to include the “skipped”meal and add the meal it replaced to a later week.

Monday

Breakfast: Cinnamon cranberry bread, sliced apples

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Santa Fe Casserole, greens salad

Tuesday

Breakfast: Homemade oatmealwith blueberries, toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Campbell’s Mac-n-cheese casserole, steamedgreen beans

Wednesday

Breakfast: Homemade yogurt with fresh fruit, toast

Lunch: Deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches, picklespears, chips

Dinner: Italian Wedding soup, mini-subs

Thursday

Breakfast: Homemade Caramel Apple Oatmeal, toast

Lunch: mini-subs, chips, picklespears

Dinner: chicken and noodles, homemade bread, picklespears, steamed veggies

Friday

Breakfast: Cold cereal, toast, fruit or yogurt smoothies

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: dining-out as afamily

Saturday

Breakfast: Daddy Cook (eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast)

Lunch: Leftover Smorgasbord

Dinner: Leftover Smorgasbord

Sunday

Breakfast: Coco Wheats w/dried cherries, toast

Lunch: Fundraiser dinner @ church: Baked Potato Bar

Dinner: nachos, cereal (if late),or other leftovers

Beverages for the week:

Milk, Water, tea, coffee, hotcocoa, Lemonade

Snacks for the week:

Cookies, fresh fruit- clementines& apples, cinnamon cranberry bread, popcorn, cheese & crackers

Desserts this week:

Iced monkeybread, milk shakes, brownies

Past menuplans: click here. Other'smenu plans: click here

Linking to MenuPlan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Pinterest Fail & Success: Bread Baking

2012-01-23T13:49:00.000-05:00

Last week was my first Pinterest fail.
I followed the directions to the letter for this blueberry bread

Source: breadmakingmachinesnow.com via Amy on Pinterest

I questioned the recipe as I was making it as the directions were totally backwards for how I am use to making bread in my bread machine. Dry ingredients sifted together? With the yeast? And added first?
Wha???
I also had to make a guess on what size loaf it made as the recipe didn't specify.
Anyhoo- the recipe was a big fat bomb.
It didn't really rise or mix thoroughly. There was about a quarter inch of flour on the entire bottom of the loaf.
I cut into it trying to salvage some of it- doughy. Really doughy.
Ugh.
Considering all the wonderful stuff I've made, cooked and baked via Pinterest, I was due for a misstep.
However- I didn't give up.
I liked this recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Bread as it was less involved and had less ingredients than the one in my bread machine booklet

Source: bettycrocker.com via Amy on Pinterest

Success!
This recipe is sooooo super yummy.
I made it the first time with raisins. The second and third times I've made it with cranberries. That means in the last 5 days, I've made this bread 3 times. We love it. Our dear sweet friends love it and my parents love it. [Took a loaf to our friends and we all gobbled it up, took it to share at my parents last nite and we ate 2/3 of the loaf!]
We had it for breakfast this morning- toasted and lightly buttered. Delicious!
I haven't broken down the cost on it yet but I do know that a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread at the store isn't cheap so I'm pretty confident that mine comes in under their price.
Cinnamon Cranberry Bread
1cup water
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
3 cups Bread flour
2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
3/4 cup dried cranberries or Craisins

Place ingredients in bread machine in order listed except for cranberries. Add cranberries as recommended by bread machine manufacturer (look up "add-ins"). My machine has a handy little compartment for adding "extras" and so I don't need to listen for a beep or time it for my add-ins.
Set your bread machine for sweet or basic/white cycle or if you've got a wonderful machine like mine- set it for fruit/nut bread. Use Medium or Light crust color.
When machine is done- remove baked bread from pan and cool on wire rack.
This is my bread machine:

If you're like my family- you'll let it cool a little bit and then slice it up for some warm baked yumminess.
This is a wonderful breakfast bread too!

Good Girl says 'Behaving Overrated'

2012-01-19T19:13:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I read this post by Shannon over at FlowerPatch Farmgirl
I love her writing. Seriously.
Makes me wish I could call my kids "homies" and get away with it. 'Course I laughed hilariously at Ms. Books once when she yelled out the car window "Hey, peeps!" to the DPW guys working digging a hole.... thought she was weird. So I best stick to calling my kiddos- well... kiddos.
Anyhoo- I digress. Such is life.
I just had to comment on Shannon's post. I'm not a big comment-er, really I'm a lurker... but I just had to because she put out a prompt and it was right there and had been there all the live long day.
This is how she wrapped up her post: "Now what I really want to know is this: What was your bright-shiniest boomerang moment today? What was your bosom brussel? I promise it was there, somewhere. Find it and spill it."
And this is what I wrote:
In the midst of my morning devo time that was seriously running into breakfast time... God hit me upside the head with this: I've never asked you to behave. I've simply asked you to be mine.
Wowzers. Been tripping over that phrase all day.

And I'm still tripping over it.

The thoughts I'm thinking have grown from my reading Of Emily Freeman's book Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try Hard Life. I mentioned it here.
I bought this book when it came out last fall and gobbled up the first four or five chapters, highlighting my heart out and scribbling in the margins and then I stopped.
It sat on my nightstand staring at me.
Read Me.
Read Me.
Read Me.
I just couldn't because I was still chewing on what I'd already read.

It was too much meat and potatoes for a girl that had been slurping smoothies.... like when it tires out your jaw to chew on a tough piece of meat for too long? Yeah, just like that.
I couldn't quite wrap my mind around all that I was reading because never before has it seemed to me that an author cracked me wide open, saw what was inside and wrote my story as Emily has.
I am a good girl. Raised in the church.... a family church started by my great grandfather. And was a fourth generation card carrying member of that church to boot. The first really big, really bad thing I did was leave that church after 36 years.
Of course, I should mention it ended up being the beyondest bestest thing I could ever have done too...
But it seemed like a wrong thing to do and good girls don't do wrong things... um, and if we do, we hide it as if our very life depended on it. People were mad, frustrated and upset with me. They spoke out loud their disappoint, which is a knife wound to the chest for a good girl.... to have disappointed someone.
The whole thing tore me up and left a gaping wound. I couldn't hide this "bad" thing I had done as it was so big and so public and so... there. Right-out-there there.
My whole life has been wrapped up in trying to live behind the image I created of what I thought others wanted to see and I was failing miserably.
Let me say this: I recovered. But there was stuff I swept under the rug and stomped down on. Emily's book made me bring it out and inspect it.

Ew.
I'm still not done with the book. Mr. Steady remarked the other night that he's never seen me take so long to finish a book. I told him this: "Its too much. I can only read a little and then I have to put it down. It's turning me inside out." He asked why I would continue to read something if it was hurting me. My reply: "Its not bad hurting. The book is good. Way beyond good. I'm struggling with wrapping my mind around it all."
And so, as we snuggled in bed, I turned to the first chapter and read him the parts I underlined, along with the notes I made in the margins.
If there's one person I can be messy, broken me with it's Mr. Steady.
Thank. The. Good. Lord.
I've been reading him snippets each night and since he understands me, he understands why its hard but yet its good.
So I'm re-reading a book I haven't finished yet.
Go figure.
And here I sit, typing unfinished thoughts from a book I have yet to finish.... and I'm learning, oh so much.
Learning to live broken because it's really the only real way to be. And for a good girl that grew up a fixer, it ain't easy. By no means.
But it is crazy good in its all out messiness.
I'm not behaving but I'm HIS the whole live long day.

Here are my thoughts scribbled down today:
Nobody teaches you what it means to be messy and broken and real. That the Christian life can't be tied up in a pretty pink ribbon and paraded around in white patent-leather Easter shoes.
Nobody told me messy was okay. Or that being a good girl didn't matter like I thought it did.

Squash it

2012-01-18T11:19:00.000-05:00

Sharing a new recipe I started using this fall... It originates from here:

And here it is with my bitty tweaking.

Hearty Squash Casserole
1 cup yellow squash, shredded {or sub in same amount of zucchini}

photo from www.extension.umn.edu

2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 can (14.8 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano, drained (reserve juice*)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 boxed chicken-flavored stuffing mix
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 1/3 cup water *
*(pour drained juice from diced tomatoes into measuring cup first then add water to make 1 1/3 cups)

Grease a 3 1/2 quart casserole dish (Note: I use my 9x13 stoneware baker and I don't grease it). Layer squash, potatoes, onion and tomatoes in dish. In a bowl, fork together melted butter and stuffing then spoon over tomatoes in dish. In another bowl, mix ground beef, soup and water together; spoon over stuffing mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until bubbly and vegetables are tender.

I love that this recipe calls for shredded squash, which means I can cook this up when squash isn't in season fresh but is however, shredded and frozen in my freezer. Makes me wish I'd bought more of the stuff when they were selling is seriously cheap at the farmer's market. How could a frugal foodie like me not be shredded and freezing summer squash before this year? Gasp!

Note: The diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano is pricey. I bought Hunt's brand. I've learned to look for when my local stores are having a sale on Hunt's brand canned tomatoes and purchase three or four cans.
I haven't yet had the courage to try and figure out the right proportions of herbs to make this myself with regular diced tomatoes.

Make me an abiding woman

2012-01-17T11:09:00.002-05:00

This is for me today...

Source: daeofourlives.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

Could it be for you too?

Plotting dinners, Pinterest and New Recipes

2012-01-16T18:55:00.001-05:00

The YellowFarmhouse Weekly Menu Plan

forJanuary 16^th through 22^nd

Notes: Late last week, I was able to sit down with my coffee and my menu planning paraphernalia and plot out at least our dinners all the way through March 4th. That's seven weeks of planning! That means I'll be able to look ahead at sales for upcoming recipes plus it was quite useful on our big shopping trip to the Amish bulk store this past Saturday. I've incorporated some new recipes from Pinterest and my latest Gooseberry Patch Cookbook, which excites me as I hate getting in a menu planning rut and serving the "same ol', same old."

Monday

Breakfast: Mama’s cheesy scrambled eggs, toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Three Cheese Pasta Bake [from Pinterest], homemade garlic bread, steamed green beans

Source: southernliving.comvia Amy on Pinterest

Tuesday

Breakfast: Homemade yogurtwith fresh fruit, toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner (lots of leftovers here)

Dinner: Hearty Squash casserole, homemade bread

[I love recipes that use up the squash I have frozen and stacked in the freezer!]

Wednesday

Breakfast: Homemade oatmeal with blueberries, toast

Lunch: Ravioli, homemade bread

Dinner: Crockpot: Corn Chowder with bacon, homemade bread

Thursday

Breakfast: Fruit and yogurt smoothies, toast

Lunch: Cups of yesterday's soup, toasted homemade bread

Dinner: Santa Fe Casserole, greens salad

Friday

Breakfast: Raspberry Yogurt Muffins (new recipe), clementines or applesauce

here's a muffin recipe- not the one I'm using but similar- will post mine after we've tried it!

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Pacos [Taco fixings on baked potatoes- don't forget the salsa!]

Saturday

Breakfast: Daddy Cook (eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast)

Lunch: Helping friends move- potluck lunch: bringing pickles, chips, brownies

Dinner: Leftover Smorgasbord

Sunday

Breakfast: Coco Wheats w/dried cherries, toast

Lunch: Crockpot: Chicken and Dumplings, greens salad (should have had last week but didn't)

Dinner: nachos, cereal (if late),or other leftovers

Beverages for the week:

Milk, Water, tea, coffee, hotcocoa, Lemonade

Snacks for the week:

Cookies, fresh fruit- clementines & bananas & pineapple, toast & homemade jam, popcorn, muffins, goat cheese and crackers, hard-boiled eggs

Desserts this week:

Monkey bread, Sundaes and banana splits!

Past menuplans: click here. Other's menuplans: click here

Linking to MenuPlan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Gifts in this life

2012-01-16T16:06:00.000-05:00

God is so good all the time… Ijust can’t capture all that goodness that He hides in just a single day… but Ican capture small pieces and those serve to remind me…

1241-1262

Lord Thank You for these gifts….

Heart touching surprise gift from my Dear Sweet Friend

The sickies are gone!

My husband’s constant watch care

Ms. Books steppin’ up to the plate- my 2^nd incommand helping hold down the fort!

Science experiments with hardboiled eggs

Egg sale- 1 dozen for 99 cents… we bought 3.

The things we do well in this home- like hugs and forgiveness and prayers and LOUD

My first recipe published in a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook and crossing that off my bucket list!

Cute Clementine oranges ready for a quick snack-loading up on Vitamin C

Using those orange peels to make a homemade cleaner.

Making yogurt in my retro crockpot... it's been way to long

Snow for the kids

Blue tea kettle whistling, blowing steam

Dark chocolate hot cocoa

Smooth rocks sitting out, reminding me of glorious family vacations

Trying out new recipes together

The music that is my children's laughter

Sharing all out worship with my family

The whole family shopping together... knowing I'm teaching my children the frugal lifestyle can be fun

His teaching me trust

Waking up happy

One Word.... Trust

2012-01-16T14:49:00.001-05:00

Trust.
My word of the year.
I first wrote about it here.
The word first jumped out at me and pretty much hit me upside the head when I started reading this book

I am still reading this book. Its meaty. I gotta take my time and chew slowly.

I have grown up a "good girl" and I've lived long a life that thought it was all about pleasing Jesus the most.
Let me share this right from my green highlights on page 64:
"Given the choice to please God or to trust God, good girls become conflicted. We know we're supposed to trust God, but trust is so intangible. It almost seems passive in the face of all there is to do."
That is part of what hits me upside the head- I'm a "do-er". Always gotta be doing something. I wanna be Mary sitting at Jesus' feet and soaking it in but I know I'm Martha working her bum off in the kitchen and tsking and stewing about her sister...
Going on to page 65: "Choosing to please God sounds right at first, but it so often leads to a performing life, a girl trying to become good, a lean-on-myself theology. If I am trying to please God, it is difficult to trust God. But when I trust God, pleasing him is automatic. Anything we do to get life and identity outside of Christ is an idol, even service to Christ."

Trust. Working to let go of my Martha-ness and embrace the Mary in me. To let go of the pleasing and BE STILL in His presence. To Trust Him with this year and all that it will or won't bring. To trust Him with our family plans for this year as big, huge, small and itty bitty as they may be (and there are some super big ones!).
To trust Him to work things out... to not jump ahead of Him but be the Christ-follower I am meant to be.

Answer this question:

Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit,

working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves,

does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving

or because you trust him to do them in you?

Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham?

He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that

was right with God.

Galatians 3:4-6

It seems so simple... Trust.

Already I am learning. There is real freedom in trusting God with my ordinary every day life. New contentment in this common life I lead... new hope purposing to grow as my trust grows my faith and plants seeds of amazing zinging hope....

Wow.

And just in case... 'cuz I'm that type of girl...

I've got this verse tucked in my back pocket- a quick reminder:

Do your best, prepare for the worst—

then trust God to bring victory.

Proverbs 21:31

5 Minute Friday: Awake

2012-01-13T18:31:00.001-05:00

Joining 5 Minute Friday with Gypsy Mama today....
Stop. Drop. Write.
Guidelines here.
Today's word:

Awake
At 5:30 am on a day I get to sleep in.
The bed is warm and the room is not.
I opt for burrowing deeper under the covers... right up to my nose.
My mind speeds up instead of slowing down to drift back to sleep.
Playing back scenarios I wish I would have handled differently.
Things I forgot to do.
Things I need to do.
The grocery list....
There is only one way to quite my overactive mind when its 6 am and I've missed a precious half hour of sleep...
Prayer.
I begin with praises... hailing Him for who He is.
Move on to my thankfuls... this goes on awhile and sometimes I fall back to sleep here and other times the thankfuls remind me of the
Petitions.
Needs- we have so many and know so many with so many more... needs.
My mind drifts here and I usually fall back to sleep.
A good sleep.
That makes up for that missed hour when I woke up.
Or was it God waking me?
Hmm.

Sickies come to visit

2012-01-12T14:10:00.000-05:00

A girl should know not to brag about never hardly if ever getting sick.
Those words come back to haunt you.
I had a bad cough that hung on for over 2 weeks in November. And I lost my voice for a few days.
That never happens.
And then..

Yesterday
The flu.
Oh man. I have completely forgotten what being sick is...
as in more than awful.
However
I have an amazing husband. [No kidding].
Who upon hearing the words, "I threw up three times in the middle of the night." called in to work and took the day off.
He took care of me.
He did school with the kids.
And he made me be still.
He did the grocery shopping [big storm coming].
He and Ms. Books made supper- a new recipe I was going to try and they made it! [Thank you menu planning]
It was good, even if I only had the broth part...
He and the kiddos watched Netflix downstairs while I watched the same one upstairs on the laptop- family time in a round about way even if we couldn't all be together...
He put the kiddos to bed after they piled in the doorway to blow me kisses good-night.

I spent the entire day in bed. As it was the closest to the bathroom.
I think the last time I spent an entire day in bed is when I was on bed rest right before having Ms. Books.
I did a lot of thinking
and praying.
I did a lot of nothing.
Thought to myself, "Well, Lord. You did tell me you wanted me to be still. However, this wasn't how I envisioned it."
Ah, how His plans are not our plans.
God showed me that my family can, for one whole day, take care of themselves.
That Mr. Steady can take care of a whole big school day (although he said he does have a new appreciation for how I get it all done with 3 of them).
That they hate me being sick just as much as I hate it when any of them are sick.
That I am loved beyond measure.

Learning to sit still--another layer of be still

2012-01-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

I like to call myself a serious multi-tasker.
Mr. Steady says I have adult onset ADD.
It seems that I usually need to be doing two things at once.
One such example: I like to do Sudoku while watching TV.
And knitting can be done just about anywhere.

Where I seem to have the most trouble is in our schooling... the first couple of hours of our day when I need to be sitting and instructing my second grader, Mr. Conductor. I start him on his math at the kitchen table and then I start doing dishes or prepping for supper or wandering back and forth from other rooms. He moves on to his reading and I start the laundry in the other room-- telling him, "Read louder."
It distracts him and usually ends up with us both being frustrated.
Not a good start to our days here.
Late December, when I was working on Christmas gifts, I found a nice compromise.
I sit and knit.
Or do a small bit of hand sewing.
It keeps my hands busy but my eyes and ears on the boy.
He's not frustrated by all my movement and lack of focus.
And I'm not frustrated by thinking of bunches of other things that need doing.
I still have things to do but I've learned a couple of other tricks too...
I get the first load of laundry prepped the night before so all I have to do is turn it on when I come down in the morning.
If I feel I must fold the laundry- I sit right next to him and fold it... whether we're in the kitchen, the schoolroom or the sun-filled living room. I have come to terms with the fact that one does not always have to fold laundry in the actual laundry room.
I also keep a notepad next to me so that when ideas, or to-do's or parts of the grocery list pop into my head, I can write them down for later instead of getting up to do them before I forget.

It can still be hard for me to sit still at times but I'm learning right along side him and the girls.
Another laying of learning to Be Still.

No Sweets Week

2012-01-09T15:46:00.001-05:00

The YellowFarmhouse Weekly Menu Plan

for January9^th through 15^th

Notes:It’s the first menu plan of the new year! We're still eating winter comfort food around here. My girls have found after a week without mama's cooking that they really miss oatmeal- for the taste and because it sticks with you longer than cold cereal. I'm glad to be back to the oatmeal too. No desserts are planned this week- that doesn't mean we might not create something... just means all of us feel sugared out from the holidays- none of us really craving anything sweet. Instead, we've been enjoying fresh fruit. Not a bad way to start the year off!

Monday

Breakfast: Pancakes, sausage and cheesy scrambled eggs(yesterday’s church breakfast leftovers)

Lunch: Loaded baked potatoes

Dinner: Sloppy pizza burgers on homemade buns, chips

Tuesday

Breakfast: Homemade oatmealwith cranberries & blueberries, toast

Lunch: Improvised chicken & noodles (using Sunday's leftovers)

Dinner: Slowcooker Ravioli, green beans

Wednesday

Breakfast: Pancake and egg sandwiches

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Nanelle's Potatoes & Ham (from Gooseberry Patch's Quick & Easy Autumn cookbook),

steamed veggies, dill pickle spears

Thursday

Breakfast: Homemade oatmeal with blueberries, toast

Lunch: Deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches, chips

Dinner: Salsa Chicken, tossed salad

Friday

Breakfast: Homemade yogurt with fruit and granola, toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Omelets a la Mr. Steady (made to order!)

Saturday

Breakfast: Daddy Cook (eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast)

Lunch: Leftover Smorgasbord

Dinner: Leftover Smorgasbord

Sunday

Breakfast: Coco Wheats w/dried cherries, toast

Lunch: Crockpot: Chicken and Dumplings, greens salad

Dinner: nachos, cereal (if late),or other leftovers

Beverages for the week:

Milk, Water, tea, coffee, hotcocoa, Lemonade

Snacks for the week:

Cookies, fresh fruit- clementines& apples, toast & homemade jam, popcorn, snack mix

Desserts this week:

we're not planning on anything-- we are "sweeted" out after all that Christmas dessert etc.

Past menuplans: click here. Other'smenu plans: click here

Linking to MenuPlan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

A Life of God-worship

2012-01-09T14:17:00.000-05:00

God is so good all the time… Ijust can’t capture all that goodness that He hides in just a single day… but Ican capture small pieces and those serve to remind me…

Our youth group's traveling altar- every name
signed is someone who has accepted Christ.

1219-1240

Lord Thank You for these gifts….

A life of God-Worship

Beyond amazing youth retreat- four days

My nephew coming to Christ

2012: Trust... putting my whole everything in His hands

Good-night kisses from my children

Singing our special bedtime song together with my boy

Mr. Steady leaning over and whispering in my ear, “I loveyou.”

The sun shining through the stained glass windows of the sanctuary as we sing of Jesus shining down on us

No snow and warmer than usual temperatures mean a lowerheating bill

The gift of making amazing lifeasweknowit plans with God andMr. Steady

This song

God is still God in my desert times

The notes I've tucked in my bible, written in the margins over the years... still relevant

Mr. Steady's crooked grin

Sassafras's deep dimple under her eye

Mr. Conductor's cowlicks

Ms. Books amazing freckles

Me smiling so big because I just can't help it

Sleeping in my own bed next to my snoring hubsy after 4 days away

Being told that I matter to someone

Surrender

Ann has declared 2012 the year of The Joy Dare. Daring allwho choose to commit to declare that this calendar year they will tabulate1,000 gifts. I start the year with #1219 and so I take the Joy Dare- workingtowards my goal of numbering up to 2219 gifts this 2012. That’s roughly 21 “thankfuls”a week or 3 a day.

Care to join me in counting your thousand thanks?

Ann has a wonderful January Joy Dare to get you started- 3 aday.

Dry desert quenching

2012-01-09T07:09:00.000-05:00

Isn't it interesting that you can hear a song once, twice... twelve or more times and you think, "Nice song."
And then one day, ONE day... the words of the song totally and completely hit you upside the head and dig right into the heart of you.
Impact.
BIG Time.
That happened to me just yesterday...
With this song.
Fall Apart by Josh Wilson (click for lyrics)

Here's where it gets me...
Why in the world did I think I could- Only get to know you when my life was good
When everything just falls in place-- The easiest thing is to to give You praise
Now it all seems upside down
'Cause my whole world is caving in-- But I feel You now more than I did then
How can I come to the end of me-- And somehow still have all I need
God, I want to know You more-- Maybe this is how it starts
I find You when I fall apart

... It hits me hard because I've just come from here.
Writing and speaking these words:

Jesus couldn't be my everything until

I was willing to be nothing.

It all led me to some deeper thinking... the retreat, words spoken to teenagers, words--conversations shared with teenagers... hearts speaking.
And I was asked-- more than once-- what about the dry times?
What about the times when I try hard and God is quiet?
When I feel like I'm in the midst of a spiritual drought and I'm holding water right here in my hand... I'm reading my bible, I'm studying faithfully....
Why is He silent and What do I do?

The hardest places to be aren't always in the valley of pain and suffering.
It can be hard to be in-between.
It can be hard to find God, to hear God in the everyday ordinary living...
What do you do when your world isn't caving in but you feel dry?
When everything just falls in place-- The easiest thing is to to give You praise
Easy then... and I have begun to find it easy(ier) to give praise in the valleys of hardships too... but can you praise in the midst of the desert?
In the dryness-- when your heart cracks like dry dirt from dehydration?
I have experienced dry spells... times when I know God is still there but He is silent. When I have done everything to keep Him near, knowing I didn't stray, Yet the quiet is thunderously loud and I can about taste the dryness in my mouth.
What about those times?
I think those times are some of thee hardest and therefore it is of the utmost importance that I continue to pray, to seek, to read and write and talk to Him and sing and praise and trust.
Ah, trust.
I must continue to make the statement- No matter what I will praise Him.
And I add to that: No matter what I will trust Him.
Even when I don't feel Him.
So- Why in the world would I think I could only get to know You when life is good?
Or difficult-- when You are all I have in the midst of suffering?
Why only in the mountains and in the valleys?

I will trust You- no matter what.

Even when I can't hear you. Even when I can't feel You.

Keep me yearning for You. Seeking hard after You.

Quench my thirst.

Fresh and Following

2012-01-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

Anotherfresh new year is here...

anotheryear to live!

To banishworry, doubt, and fear;

to loveand laugh and give!

-WilliamArthur Ward

We ushered 2012 in asleep... as we had big plans coming with the new year.

A small celebration... family dinner... in honor of my parents' 40 years of marriage.

Then Ms. Books and I off to a four day youth retreat with our church youth group.

Kissing Mr. Steady, Sassafras and Mr. Conductor good-bye to spend four days with approximately 45 teenagers, knowing sleep would not be a priority.

And it wasn't.

The theme of the retreat was Surrender.

I spoke of that defining moment in my life when I realized I had to totally and completely surrender all that I was and all that I had or thought I had to God and become nothing.

Jesus couldn't be my everything to me until I was broken and willing to be nothing.

Perhaps some day I'll share that here... it was quite the deal to crack myself wide open and spill it all out for those teenagers. I was amazed at how quiet they were... I saw how some of them began to see me differently... just because they knew another piece of my story or maybe the first piece...

I came home yesterday... sleep deprived and emotionally turned inside out... I hugged my babies and cuddled my man and simply was.

Was in the moments right there... nothing expected but just being. Just being together, connected. The evening was quiet. We ate pizza and piled into the living room with blankets and pillows and watched a fun family movie. I wanted to laugh and to just simply be nothing more than in the moment.

I needed to recharge.

Four days into the new year and I was inside out and upside down.

For real good reasons.

I have always spent each new year with family and friends, having fun, eating too much good food, playing games watching football and dozing...

This year I spent my new year in a new way... not for myself but for others...

Most importantly I spent the first day of the New Year for Him. Setting aside my plans and desires to spend my time and talents for Him. What a concept!

Lives were changed over the course of those four days. Teens came to Christ. Others surrendered pieces of themselves they never could let go before. Others spent time renewing and reconnecting... I really don't think anyone walked away without a change of perspective, new eyes to see things differently.

I am still inside out and a bit upside down... and I think that is as it should be. Four days left their mark on me-- physically, emotionally and spiritually.

You can't just jump back into your normal everyday reality without an adjustment period... even though my schedule and my children expect it.

Today is discombobulated... I put in laundry, add the detergent and forget to turn the washer on. I make breakfast and leave it sitting on the stove. I make notes and more notes, start a project and wander off to start another. However- My mind is focused. It is reviewing the past four days and praying for kids who shared pieces of themselves with me, kids who need prayer, powerful purposeful prayer. My mind and my heart talk with Jesus today. Sharing with Him my thoughts, talking through some important and not so important stuff, sharing hopes and goals, going over my to-do list with Him and making Him an integral part of my everyday reality.
My heart is jumping up and down excited for the new and crazy I believe He has just around the corner for me. It makes me want to run ahead but I will not.

In order to be a Christ-follower I've gotta follow.

That's key.

Lead the way Jesus...

2012 is gonna rock.

Photos from Youth Retreat: Everyone had a white flag and was given the opportunity to surrender... tying their white flag to the cross. What an incredible visual. As you can see- there is still an empty nail there. Waiting...

2012: Trusting Wholeheartedly

2012-01-02T07:10:00.000-05:00

2010 was about Abiding
2011 was FRESH JOY

2012... What will your Word of the Year be?

Oh yes, I've known it for a few weeks now... it's been percolating right under all that fresh, sweet joy...
Trust.
2012 is about trusting God with my big stuff and my lil' bitty stuff. My in between and my "why would you even think to worry about that" stuff.
Trusting God with...
My plans.
My heart.
My home.
My school.
My marriage.
My family.
My everything.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

It's not about me understanding all that is in front on me in this coming year.

It's about me trusting Him with ALL my heart that His ways are the best ways. His paths are the ones me and mine will choose to walk no matter how narrow or steep or overgrown those paths might be.

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

Hope, joy, peace... yours to be filled... as you trust.

And then you'll overflow.

Oh, be still my giddy heart.

We have such plans for 2012... but they all take a backseat to God's desires and His perfect timing.

God has used 2011 to prep us for what He's got coming in 2012. I'm sure there will be hard times, difficulties and I'll lose my temper a bit and my patience a bit more as things go along...

No matter what-- I will praise Him and place my trust in Him and His goodness, His grace and His mercy.

Can't wait to see what He'll do with it!

Joy Unspeakable- Counting on God- My 2011

2011-12-31T17:06:00.000-05:00

And so we come to the close of 2011.
My YEAR OF FRESH JOY.
I am fairly giddy as I look back on this year... 2011... and how God time and time and time again showed me, taught me and gave me FRESH JOY.
Here I sit at 38 years of age and now I have begun to really practice Philippians 4:4-- Rejoicing Always.
This year God has most assuredly shown me time and time again that my joy is not dictated by my circumstances-- not limited to what is going on around me-- not gauged by the amount of stress in or not in my life or measured by the length of depth of my current trials or woes...
It simply comes from a deepening daily relationship with Him and letting go of mostly everything else... or shall I continually working on letting go... it remains a process for me.
My 2011 was chock-full of FRESH JOY moments-- moments to learn, to embrace it, practice it... from Grandma's passing to our house being painted.
God has most amazingly shifted my perspective this year. He has taught me to search for the glimmers of new --FRESH-- joy in whatever circumstances I am in...
While I am still sometimes slow on the uptake, I see so much more clearly.
2011 was a year of abundant blessings as well as some trying trials. My life hasn't been perfect by any means-- I haven't suffered greater or less than years pass but somehow those suffering times just didn't linger as long inside me. The dark wasn't ever altogether dark, always a bit of light at the very edges-- always something to hold on to...
I am humming... I'm singing... I'm dancing...

Joy Unspeakable that won't go away

Just enough strength to live for today

So I'll never have to worry what tomorrow may bring

'Cuz my faith is on the solid rock and

I'm counting on God!

Sing it with me- click it!

Versatile... blogs and rabbit trails

2011-12-28T14:12:00.003-05:00

My number one reason for blogging is my need to write. I simply MUST write.
However- I will be the first to admit it is always a joy to find someone loves to read what I write.
It never ceases to surprise me either... and so it was with great surprise that I found another dear Amy had nominated me for The Versatile Blogger award.
Thank you Amy!

In accepting the award I am to share seven unique things about myself and nominate seven other blogs I personally find versatile.

7 Unique things about me...

1. We bought a blue ray player for the express purpose of watching Netflix. Our whole family is hooked on old TV shows such as The Andy Griffith Show and ahem, The Dukes of Hazzard. Yeah, we're eclectic like that.

2. I am left-handed through and through with only one exception- I learned to knit right handed. Everything else is lefty and that's just how I like it.

3. I take joy in being different, slightly off kilter, half a bubble off plumb and slightly nutty. Oh, yes, I pretty much march to the beat of a different drummer....

4. Once upon a time not so long ago, I took my oldest, Ms. Books, and her bff to a local big box grocery store, let them walk a bit ahead of me, pulled plastic "bubba teeth" out of my purse (that I'd been hoarding there for just such an occasion), slipped the teeth in and called out to the girls- "Hey, Girlth Wait Fer Me!" I may or may not have completed the look with a slight limp and an eye twitch... Oh the joys of finally reaching the stage where I can now embarrass my children instead of the other way around.

5. I homeschool. And belong to a small Christian homeschool group that meets at my church... and am known by the children as Nutty Mrs. Amy... one has to wonder how kids come up with these knicknames....

6. I filled up well over half of my computer's memory with photos. Seriously.

7. Not only do I love Love LOVE Pinterest and am a pinning fool... I actually, really truly put many of those ideas to use, have made some of the projects and have found it to be a great resource for home improvement projects and how to's...

7 Blogs I personally find versatile...

1. SouleMama- I love Amanda's photos. I love her descriptions of farm family life.

2. The Homespun Heart- Monica's sweet heart comes through in every post. I love how she shares her crafts, schooling, mothering and more.

3. Flower Patch Farmgirl- I started reading Shannon's blog earlier this year and just had to dig into her archives to read more. I love that she is real through and through. She dares to be different. And different is good. Very good.

4. The Whimsical Bee- This is my Sis. Nepotism? Nah. She's good. I love her thinking process. She needs to post more often but I'll give her some slack as she's the mama of a toddler and I am not so far removed from those years that I can't remember ever so slightly what life was like... as in "not my own."

5. The Frugal Girl- She loves Aldi and all things frugal just like me. 'Nuff said.

6. See Jamie Blog- Homeschooling, great pictures, prayers for her hubby, real sharing of family life...

7. Oh please forgive me... I simply cannot think of another one right now and I so want to finish this post... which I started hours ago before getting sidetracked by life- laundry, photo ops, Lego jousting matches, a stop to watch a silly cartoon with the kiddos, lunch, writing a quick grocery list, a couple of phone calls, some bill paying, some blog reading...

One of my tricks to being versatile is that I am so quick to rabbit trail... one thing leading to another and another and another....

Thank you most sincerely Amy of Simply Necessary for this nomination.

You are too, too kind.

Anticipate... Gratitude

2011-12-26T15:27:00.001-05:00

God is so good all the time… Ijust can’t capture all that goodness that He hides in just a single day… but Ican capture small pieces and those serve to remind me…

1204-1218

Lord Thank You for these gifts….

Wonderful changes

Anticipation…

A quiet week

Our wonderful weekend… God with us.

Continuing family traditions

Candle light

Little boy wiffle-snoring snuggled next to me

Singing a cappella

His warm fingers wrapped around my cold ones

Sun streaming in windows… warming my face

Christmas dinner leftovers… yum!

A new green roof on a lovely old barn

Wonderful whispered plans... my heart gallops at the thoughtof such things…

Simple gifts

Homemade

Please excuse the mess...

2011-12-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to do this for quite awhile now-- giving my little home here a new look...

This family's crazy fun life hasn't allotted me the time to do so until now.

Because this week is our quiet week. Our restful week. Our choose something you really want to do or do something you've really wanted to do for awhile and haven't been able to week... I now can.

Designing a new blog header and messing around on here was my to do I wanted to get to done.
I'll be messing and tweaking it here and there as this week progresses... trying to see what I like.

A new year is coming...

Wonderful changes are afoot...

Very last menu plan for the year

2011-12-26T11:35:00.001-05:00

The YellowFarmhouse Weekly Menu Plan

forDecember 26^th thru January 1st

Notes:Lunches are still diner dinnershere- making best use of the leftovers. Still cooking up lots of comfort foodtoo. This is our quiet week of rest before the chaos of the new year creeps upon us.

Monday

Breakfast: Candy Cane Coffee Cake, fruit

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: fully loaded nachos

Tuesday

Breakfast: Homemade oatmealwith blueberries, toast

Lunch: Diner Dinner

Dinner: Cream Chip Beef and Mashed Potatoes (usingpotatoes from Christmas dinner)

Wednesday

Breakfast: Creamy cheesy scrambled eggs with bacon, toast

Lunch: Diner dinner

Dinner: Peppy Macaroni (using ham from Christmasdinner) and tossed salad (leftovers from Christmas dinner)

Thursday

Breakfast: French Toast, fresh fruit

Lunch: Dinerdinner

Dinner: Squash casserole, homemade bread

Friday

Breakfast: Cereal, toast

Lunch: Diner dinner

Dinner: Family Fun Nite withFriends- Bringing: pizza dip and chips, shrimp ring, stuffed mushrooms

Saturday NewYear’s Eve

Breakfast: Daddy Cook (eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast)

Lunch: Deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches and soup

Dinner: Finger foods! Sliders, homemade French fries,spinach dip and homemade bread

Sunday New Year’s Day

Breakfast: Raspberry cream cheese coffee cake andselection of fresh fruits

Dinner: with family

Supper: at church

Beverages for the week:

Milk, Water, tea, coffee, hotcocoa, Ginger Ale. Eggnog

Snacks for the week:

Cookies, fresh fruit- grapefruit/oranges/pineapple,cheese and crackers, popcorn, pumpkin cranberry bread

Desserts this week:

ChristmasCookies, brownies, ice cream, fudge

Past menuplans: click here. Other'smenu plans: click here

Linking to MenuPlan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

His birthday and He gives me gifts...

2011-12-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

My Grandpa carved his and my Gram's initials
and the heart on this tree sixty plus years ago....

There was no snow this Christmas.

That's okay.

We had a weekend full of worship and family fun.

We went hiking.

And gatoring. [that's our term for woodland jaunts in my parents' John Deere Gator.]

We baked. Our family tradition- Candy Cane Coffee Cakes... started by my grandfather 40 plus years ago and continued on by my mama, my siblings and me. It is our traditional Christmas breakfast.

We worked together. Mr. Steady, my dad, my brother-in-law and some wonderful friends spent two days re-roofing my parent's barn. A green metal roof. I love it.

We visited.

We laughed.

We remembered together.

We prayed together.

It was a wonderful, magical time suspended. The days were fluid and flowed into each other and around us... we had tons of time to just be together.

Oh, these are the holiday moments that I stage in my head... the perfectful wonderfulness of it all.

And this weekend it was our reality.

What a blessed gift from Jesus.

A Savior has just been born

2011-12-25T07:15:00.000-05:00

[An Event for Everyone]

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood.

They had set night watches over their sheep.

Suddenly, God's angel stood among them

and God's glory blazed around them.

They were terrified.

The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce

a great and joyful event

that is meant for everybody, worldwide:

a savior has just been born in David's town,

a Savior who is Messiah and Master.

This is what you're looking for:

a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.

-- Luke 2:8-11

Merry CHRISTmas Dear Readers!

May God be real and present to you and with you today.
May your heart simply overflow with blessings large and small.

A Contented, Common Life

Sweet Sassafras' Special Day

Homemade Fabric Softener Q & A

40 Bags in 40 Days AGAIN!

The other side of a hard week with great thanks

Menu Plan with 2 Pinterest recipes

Hard Homeschooling Days

Week 3- finding new quirks: WIWW

Another Tutorial: Chalkboard from a painting

Heart Day Love

Its Monday... today's menu and hopes for a better tomorrow

Grateful for this present hardness

Sweet Laundry Loveliness: Towels

Worship here-- God is crazy good like that

Laundry Day's Pressing Questions

Week 2: What I wore

Pinspired Again! Light it up!

First Full Week of February Meal Plan

I also made homemade yogurt again as well as my very first ever batch ofhomemade granola. The kiddos and I are loving it- eating it for breakfasts andsnacks. Mr. Steady likes the granola with milk as a breakfast cereal. At thisrate, I’ll be needing to make more soon.

Give Thanks- I'm a God Girl

Thank You and Amen

Hard Days His Strength

Frugal Fashionista in training

Tutorial: Journal Making with Old Book Covers

God Smiles and I tuck it away for remembering

Menu Plan includes some Pin-spiration

Homeschool Mothers Journal- Super Great Week!

God-Smack

Pin-Spired!

On Marking Dates and Making Plans

No do-ing... Be Still. Pray.

He continues to bless

Menu- repeats, skipping and replacing

Pinterest Fail & Success: Bread Baking

Good Girl says 'Behaving Overrated'

Squash it

Make me an abiding woman

Plotting dinners, Pinterest and New Recipes

Gifts in this life

One Word.... Trust

5 Minute Friday: Awake

Sickies come to visit

Learning to sit still--another layer of be still

No Sweets Week

A Life of God-worship

Dry desert quenching

Fresh and Following

2012: Trusting Wholeheartedly

Joy Unspeakable- Counting on God- My 2011

Top Posts of 2011

Versatile... blogs and rabbit trails

Anticipate... Gratitude

Please excuse the mess...

Very last menu plan for the year

His birthday and He gives me gifts...

A Savior has just been born