{ 20 Year Blogiversary and Giveaway }

Monday February 6, 2006

 

Well I finally did it, got my own blog!

What better way to have family and friends keep up to date on what is going on with us, than having a place where they can come to, right?!?!

Well at least that's my plan. I'm an Air Force Wife and stay at home mom to our wonderful children. Jasmine who is 6 years old and halfway through First Grade, and Nicholas who is 2 years old, but going on at least 10. Yeah, you see for the longest time I kept wondering when he would start talking, cause I would see all the other 2 year old's blabbling away, and then as if from night to day it happened.

Now there are days that we have to tell him to be quiet, cause he just won't stop. LOL
But that's ok, it's just another part of being a parent.

So, this is my plan. Have this online blog where I can come to every day and let everyone know what is going on back here in Potato Land.

  

 

 

20 years ago today, I made my very first blog post.  I was a young mom, with littles and needed a way to connect with other women on the same path that I was on.

 

I don't know how it happened, but I came upon blogs and was fascinated.  These women were my age, had children around the same age and they shared their lives, their recipes, their tips and tricks and their beautiful homes.   If they could do it, so could I, so I jumped in without a second thought, I had no clue what I was doing, where this was headed and I certainly did not think that I would be sitting here 20 years later, still typing, still sharing, still fumbling around life but with grown adult children and a completely different life, in a completely different State.

 

I have shared so much over the past twenty years.  So much has happened, so much has changed, I've changed, I've grown, I've learned so much and I feel tremendously blessed to have stuck with this blog for 20 years.  That is incredible if I do say so myself.

 

I know some of you have been around since the beginning, some have come in halfway and some are new readers.  To all of you welcome back, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here, for taking time out to comment, to read, share your thoughts with me.

 

When I started this blog, I had no idea what God would have me do, and actually I wasn't very close to God at the time either.  We've had this back and forth kind of relationship since I got water baptized when I was around 15 years old.  Thankfully, when Covid came around, and certain things happened in our family, I pulled closer to Him and never let go.  The past few years as a devoted Christian woman of God have been some of the hardest, difficult, soul bearing years of my life, but also the most blessed, rewarding, saving, incredible too.  I would not change this for the world, so I am still here going along with His plan and His will and typing and posting and just letting Him lead me where He needs to.  

 

I have known for a long time that God wanted me to use this platform as a way to encourage other women, young and old, to live a life that is glorifying to Him and to our families.  To bring home the fact that what we do as homemakers, as wives and mothers, is so important to Him.  We don't need to be ashamed of our lives, we don't need to hide the fact that we stay home, and we don't need to be intimidated by others success.  What we do is something to be proud of and admired.

 

 

Being a homemaker is monotonous, there is no lie in that, but how we approach our daily chores and ins and outs of running a home, is what matters.  Choose to love where you are planted, love your home, love your life, love the laundry and the dishes and the messy house, it means you have a family and a home and a life.

 

I don't know if I have managed to inspire others to see things this way, if I have managed to inspire others to love being a homemaker, to turn to God more, to spend more time doing what is probably starting to feel like lost arts such as crochet and knitting, to watch more mindful family oriented TV and not the trash we see.  My hope is that if I have done that for even just one person, then I have served my purpose with this blog.

 

In honor of my 20th year blog anniversary, I thought it would be fun to take a look back over the past twenty years.  I am just going to dive into the blog and pick out whatever pulls me from 2006 all through this year.  Shall we take a ride together?

 

 

 

October 29, 2006 

A wagon ride at our local Pumpkin Patch in Idaho 

 

  

April 15, 2007

A trip to the zoo in Boise, Idaho 

 

 

June 24, 2008

My trip back home to South Africa, where my kids got to see where I grew up and meet their grandparents, greatgrandma, cousins and uncles and aunts 

 

 

 

 

December 29, 2009

A trip to Sahuaro Ranch with my sweet mother in law and father in law 

 

 

 

June 15, 2010

My brother Miguel and his family visited us in Arizona and we took a trip to Grand Canyon 

 

 

 

December 28, 2011 

Life in Arizona, Nick learned to ride a bike 

 

 

 

December 15, 2012

Our yearly trip to Flagstaff for snow and the Christmas tree 

 

 

October 26, 2013

Trip to the same Pumpkin patch we went to when we were first stationed at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho 

 

 

 

November 12, 2014 

Just a normal day in the life in Idaho 

 

 

  

November 12, 2015

Another day in the life but just a year later in Texas

 

 

 

January 22, 2016  

Just a slow day in the life, and a picture of my sweetest Lola

  

 

October 19, 2017

Shelling pecans, something I quite enjoy doing 

 

December 11, 2018

A sweet review that produced the cutest family pictures, ones I will treasure forever 

 

 

 

July 15, 2019

When I really started getting into gardening

 

 

September 28, 2020

Losing my mother in law was one of the hardest things for me 

 

 

 

November 9, 2021

I just picked the first random post I saw, because 2021 is when we lost Marley, and I still can't bring myself to look at the posts that year.  

 

 

 

August 20, 2022

A quiet Saturday 

 

 

May 30, 2023

The year we finally got chickens and I was beside myself with happiness

 

 

 

October 20, 2024

A morning at the base dog park 

 

 

 

March 21, 2025

The simple things I love 

 

 

 

I loved looking back on my life here on the blog, the different houses, the way we have all grown up and changed, our moves, our lives in Idaho, Arizona and now Texas.  Our pets, the ones that have passed on and the ones that we have now.  Just everything is a part of who I am and who I have become and I wouldn't change that at all.

 

I think it's easy to think that we would rather not have gone through some of the losses and the difficult trials, but they're all lessons and they have made us stronger.

 

So, now that we've had a look back, and by the way if you want to read the posts those pictures are from, you can click on the dates and it will take you to the actual blog posts....but anyway, as I was about to say, I want to end again by expressing my utmost gratitude to each and every single one of you, you have made me feel so loved and appreciated and I couldn't imagine being on this 20 year blogging journey without you all.  I love you each and every one of you.

 

For the giveaway, I will run it for a week, will close it next week Friday.  I am not going to make you jump through hoops like some bloggers do, you don't have to go climb Mount Everest, or find an extinct fossil to be entered into the contest.

 

I just want to know if you are a blogger, how long you've been blogging, and what if anything you like about my blog that has kept you here for all these years.

 

The winner will be picked at random using a generator online, and will receive a package from me with tidbits that represent who I am and the things I love.

 

• My favorite book
• A candle
• My favorite chocolate
• Something to do with cooking and baking
• A memento from Sheppard AFB
• Something crocheted by me
• And anything else I may think of to put in there

 

It's not much, but it's just a show of my love and appreciation for you all!

 

Contest is open to US only, I wish I could open it internationally but shipping would be crazy if I did.  Sorry my friends overseas.

 

Thank you again for stopping by and good luck ♥ 

{ Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life }

 ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

*Matthew 6:25-34*

 

Welcome friends to my little home!

 

Come on in, sit with me a little.  It is a gorgeous morning, albeit a little cold and we will be hitting 70 degrees later so there's that to smile about.

 

I have just put a load of laundry to wash, emptied and refilled the dishwasher and got the house sorted and tidied.  I also just started reading my bible again from the beginning and went ahead and got that done, well, not the whole thing obviously but the first chapter.  There is something very comforting about starting it all over again and I know I'm going to learn more and find more and be amazed yet again.

 

As I was watching the outside cats and the birds in our yard yesterday, I was once again reminded that they do not fear, they do not worry about anything, and Matthew 6 came to mind.  Oh how I want to live just like that, fearless, not ever thinking about where this or that will come from, but knowing that God will provide as He always does.

 

We worry too much about things that we don't have control over.  It's time to stop!

 

Today I am actually trying to figure out what my giveaway for my blogiversary tomorrow, will be.  I wasn't quite sure what to do, but I've decided that the best thing is to just do a sort of basket with all the things that I love, or things that represent my blog and me.  So far, I am thinking a candle, a book, a favorite chocolate, something crocheted, you get the idea right?

 

I don't know exactly everything already but once I do, I will be sure to share it.  If it's something you are interested in entering be sure to come back tomorrow for the official blogiversary post and giveaway.

 

I'm keeping this one short, just wanted to come in and share that wonderful uplifting verse with you.  I do hope you are all having a wonderful day, can you believe we are already practically at the end of another week?  Goodness! 

{ A slow mindful day all to myself }

There is a common misconception, that if you are a stay at home mother, or homemaker, you do not need nor deserve a day to yourself, because after all, you are home all day which means you have the days off anyway.  

 

I've always been fascinated by this way of thinking, and I believe that it comes from a place of ignorance and not really knowing what a homemaker does all day.  True, we don't have to leave our homes to go out to work, but being home does not mean that we sit around doing nothing all day.  Matter of fact, I often find that it's harder for me to sit and do something for myself, because the feeling of guilt is tremendous, and honestly there isn't always time anyway.

 

But I also believe that it is as important for a homemaker to have me time, as it is for anyone else who works outside the home.  I won't get into the ins and outs of our daily life, what I do, what I am busy with, I think I've talked about that ad nauseam here on the blog.  

 

Over the years I have started making sure that I make time for myself.  At least once a week, I have a day that is for me, where I make myself stop, read, watch whatever I want, do a puzzle or whatever else I want to.   

Reading of course, always at the top of my list.  I have been really enjoying the Megan Soja trilogy.  The writing is wonderful, home and family stories that just flow.  It is a quick and easy read, and I just finished this second book, so will be starting the third and last called Scars of the Revolution.

 

Some scars are born from duty, others from rebellion—theirs were carved by both.

Libby Caldwell has been in love with Isaac Harrison for years, ever since her late father befriended him. While her head knows there is no hope of sharing her life with a British soldier, her heart is much more difficult to convince, especially now that he is quartering in her home. With Boston under siege and battle looming, each day together forces her to recognize how deep her feelings truly are…and how forbidden.

Bound by duty to both his family and country, Isaac is determined to serve honorably in the King’s army, despite never wishing to be a soldier. But quartering with the widow and daughter of his old friend places another obligation on his shoulders—that of their well-being. The more time he spends with Miss Caldwell, the more that duty begins to feel like something personal, something he cannot allow.

As the siege of Boston tightens, Libby finds herself drawn into a dangerous game of espionage that could save the Patriot cause—and destroy any chance of a future with the man she’s growing to love.

Will betrayal and war keep their two worlds forever apart? Or will they look to the One whose love knows no bounds to bring them healing and a future?

  

Watching tv is and has been one of my favorite things to do, since forever.  I loved it as a child, a teenager, newly married and now in my 50s.  But I don't like many of the mainstream, contemporary shows, and I really dislike reality tv so you won't catch me watching that at all.

 

But give me a sweet family show or a period drama and I am fully immersed.  I just recently started watching Emily of New Moon and I'm loving it, maybe because it very much reminds me of Anne of Green Gables.

 

On slow days like today, the art and process of making a special coffee is something I love.  Grinding the beans, pulling the espresso by hand, or just even using the Nespresso machine to create a frothy delicious, very much Cafe style coffee to enjoy, while staring out my window into the fields and trees before it.

 

I don't always have the time to sit and work on a puzzle, and if you have cats you also understand the necessity to have the right setup, or even attempting such a hobby is hopeless.  

 

I recently bought myself a very simple puzzle mat, what I wanted was the full board with the drawers and all that fancy stuff, but they are so ridiculously expensive and not something I could justify buying.  So, I settled for this one, there are no drawers, just a small piece of wood that slants into 3 different positions and a foldable puzzle mat.  It works, and it allows me to do this hobby that I so enjoy doing, and at the end of the day that is the only thing that matters.

 

Another thing I do is to light candles and create a cozy atmosphere.  I light candles all year long but some days, when I have a self care or me day, I especially like having candles all around me, they seem to bring me calm and help my soul to rest.

 

Have you ever felt like your mind is constantly going, and you can't seem to turn it off no matter how much you try?  Well candles, for me, seem to make my brain immediately slow down, it's almost as if it looks at the flame and smells the beautiful scent, and knows it's time to relax.

 

The next thing I enjoy doing on these days, is to play a computer game.  I used to be a huge gamer back in the day, Curt and I would spend hours playing online together, but obviously as I've grown older, that doesn't appeal to me anymore, I would much rather be sat with a book or a good tv show.

 

However, some days I still enjoy a sweet game on the computer, but whereas before they would be complicated games, I much now prefer a game like Sims or anything similar where I am creating a home, gardening, walking around a sweet village.  I love cute graphics and cartoon like characters.

 

I just started playing Palia which is free to play and exactly the style of game I am enjoying.

 

 

Slow mindful days for me, also include creating a meal that is not rushed, and often a new recipe that I have been saving.  Our dinner tonight was a Chicken Changezi Curry from my new cookbook called The Slimming Foodie Easy Meals Every Day by Pip Payne.  Pip also has a website so be sure to go on over and give it a look, she has tons of delicious looking meals available.

 

It is filled with delicious recipes, I don't think there is a single recipe in the book that I wouldn't like.  And if they're all like this one, then oh my goodness, I cannot wait to make the others.

 

I will have this recipe up for you on the food blog later.  I am trying very hard to get back into posting recipes on there, I know I've been awfully neglectful and I need to change that.

 

I hope this post has in some way inspired you all to take time for yourselves, give yourself a me day, whether that means doing similar things to mine, or going to get your nails or hair done, going to the movies or a lunch with a friend or family member.  Whatever it is, make sure to take a day for yourself, a day where you can be slow and mindful.

 

We all need that! 

{ Why I am still blogging }

 

 

In just 3 short days, I will have been blogging for 20 years.  I can't believe it's been that long, and I don't know how I have managed to hold onto this little slice of the internet for that long, without giving up, walking away, or deleting the blog like so many others have in the past.

 

Looking back on it, it is a huge achievement.  In a world where everything is so fast paced, and constantly changing from one thing to the next, it is a true testament to stay in place, to hold on to your morals, your values and your roots, so to speak, and not give in to the need for the next new big thing.

 

When I started this blog I was a young mom, with a 7 and a 3 year old.  Life was hectic, I was trying to find my way, learning as I went, and blogging had just kicked off.  It was my place to come and share my day, to sit and take a breather between blowing noses and giving out snacks.  I was exhausted and needed a way to relax and to be with like minded women.

 

I started sharing daily posts, never anything super interesting just what we were eating, what I was crocheting, making, thinking doing, my tips and tricks as a homemaker, wife and mother.

 

Through the years I have changed so much, things I loved I no longer enjoy, things I never thought I would enjoy I now love.  It's funny isn't it, we change so much as we get older, it's like becoming a whole new person at times and trying to learn to live with them.

 

The one thing that has always remained in my love for sharing my homemaking life, in hopes to inspire or motivate someone to look at their homes as a place of love and hope.  A place that is kept as a haven for the family, and most importantly a place to honor and glorify God.  Everything I do is always with Him in mind and for Him.

 

I have seen so many others give up on their blogs, just walk away, delete it all and not look back.  I don't think I would ever have the courage to do, because within these pages, in this little corner of the vast internet is a life, a life of 20 years filled with memories, photographs, ups and downs, moves and joys and losses.  And I don't believe that is something to be thrown away, but rather cherished.

This blog is filled with so many interesting posts made over the last 20 years and I'm sure if you love homemaking and family as much as I do, you will surely find something here to enjoy reading or looking through.

 

So why am I still blogging after all these years?  Why not just walk away?

 

Well, I love sharing my life, I love using this platform to inspire others and I truly believe that God wants me to remain here, doing exactly what I've been doing for al these years, and as long as I feel that pull from Him, I will continue here in this little corner.

 

I will have a post up on the actual blogiversary on the 6th of February, and will take you back in time to some older posts.  I also want to have a little giveaway on that day, just to say thank you to all my readers who have stuck around for this long.  

 

If that's something that interests you, be sure to come back and check out that post.

 

I'll end this post with a little snippet of what I have been up to today:

 

Paid bills

Got my 10k steps in

Did laundry and cleaned the house

Watched some tv

Read a few more pages in my book

Received a few more books in the mail

 

Now, I have a Walmart delivery that just arrived, so I need to go and grab that from the front door and put it away.  

 

I hope you're all having a blessed Tuesday, if you're a blogger too which I'm assuming most of you are, how long have you been blogging and what keeps you here?  Would love to know ♥