{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 06/29/2020 }

Good morning everyone, hope you've had a good weekend.

Mine was a good one, but it always feels like it goes by so quick.  In other words, I was not ready to wake up early this morning Hahah

So let's get right on with our post for today, I can't even think straight at the moment, need to get my mind awake and ready for the day.

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead, stay safe, stay blessed.

♥♥The Weather♥♥
Pretty hot around here but the last 3 days has seen some quite significant storms coming in, out of nowhere.

Monday - Partly cloudy, 100
Tuesday - Sunny, 103
Wednesday - Mostly sunny, 105
Thursday - Mostly sunny, 99
Friday - Mostly sunny, 97
Saturday -  Partly cloudy, 96
Sunday - Mostly sunny, 94


♥♥How I am feeling this morning♥♥
Tired, but I think a lot of it has to do with the stress surrounding us.  Stress makes me sleep more and feel perpetually exhausted.            


♥♥On my mind♥♥
Our situation, everything that I need to do around here.             


♥♥On the breakfast plate♥♥
Just my coffee right now, with some vanilla creamer.      


♥♥On my reading pile♥♥
Say Yes to What's Next from Lori Allen.   



♥♥On my tv♥♥
Sid Roth's It's Supernatural
Homemaking vlogs
Gardening vlogs
I have not watched normal TV in weeks, maybe months now and don't miss it one bit.  By normal TV I mean the series that are on the major networks and so on.       


♥♥On the menu this week♥♥
I don't have it all planned yet.  Ok, so I do but I don't?  I am actually going to do a menu planning post with you today, which will be up later this afternoon.  Basically, I am trying to save money right now, so went to Aldis and Walmart, did most of my shopping at Aldi though.  I bought some meat, but with no plans in mind, so just need to work out what I'm making with it. 

So I'm leaving the menu empty for now, and will come back later and edit it.

Monday - 
Tuesday -
Wednesday -
Thursday -
Friday -
Saturday -
Sunday - 


♥♥From the camera♥♥
Went blackberry picking on Saturday morning and had so much fun.  Check out my previous post for a bunch of pictures that I took.
  

♥♥Looking around the house♥♥
I have quite a bit of cleaning to do.  Have a mountain of laundry to fold, dishes to wash.  I took a break yesterday and did the bare minimum, so need to get on track with everything today.        


♥♥Chore I'm not looking forward to today, or this week♥♥
We emptied out the pool.  Our pump stopped working properly and no matter what we did and what chemicals we added, the pool went green.  We need to move it anyway, so emptied it out yesterday, then I need to give it a good cleaning, move it to it's permanent position and refill. 


♥♥To relax this week, I will♥♥
If the pool is up and running, definitely be swimming since we are expecting triple digit temperatures.                             


♥♥On my prayer list♥♥
My husband's job situation.  He will be giving his side and defending himself on the 13th of July, and that is when the final decision will be made.  I'm praying for God's will, as always. 
The President, Vice President and their families. 
Our police men and women, first responders and military.
For America as a whole. I pray the Lord heal our nation, open the eyes of the people to the evil that is running rampant and keep us all safe.

{ Blackberry picking }

Imagine if you will, a Saturday morning, wide open spaces, fields of green, cows out on the pasture and blue skies as far as the eye can see.

We set off in the morning.  Me, my husband and daughter.  The 17 year old boy as always, would rather just stay home and sleep.  You know how teenagers are.

We weren't quite sure what to expect at the little farm, we had never been there before and heard about it through one of Jasmine's customers.  What we did know was that we needed some fresh air, some time out of the house where for at least an hour or so, we didn't have to think about our situation.

I will talk about it at a later date.  I want to jot it all down, to have another testimony of God's blessings and lessons, on my blog.  To have it recorded as part of our lives, as another difficult blip we encountered.

But I can't right now, I just can't seem to find the strength or energy to talk about it any longer.

All I will tell you is that he is being recommended for termination, but that a final decision has not yet been made.  He will have his say, his time to explain his side of things, on the 13th of July.  So is this all over?  Not yet.  We know that God can do whatever He chooses to, and it's not over until HE deems it so.

We are prepared as best as we can, but everything else is in God's control, after all it is HIS battle and not ours.

So we wanted out of the house for a little, just to clear our heads.







I wish I could describe the feeling of being out surrounded by rows and rows of beautiful berries, with birds chirping above, a little breeze blowing and nothing but land around us.

There is something magical that takes place when you ground yourself in nature, hand it to God and just let go.

We walked the rows and rows, looking for the best looking berries.  Many were not yet ripe, so we dug around under the leaves and in between bushes, to find the bunches of big blackberries.   And when I say big, I mean big.  We found some that were almost the size of the palm of our hand.















We came home with 8 pounds of blackberries and some raw local honey which I have been looking for, since the doctor suggested it for my allergies.

Not only did we have a peaceful wonderful morning, but it helped to put things in perspective and to give us ideas on what to do with our own land.  We have 3 acres, one of which is a huge field that is not being used for anything, other than mowing.  Let's not talk about that, it makes my husband cringe each time he looks over and sees that it needs mowing  LOL

One thing we talked about during this outing, was the need to do more things like this.  We get so caught up in the daily life, work, school, homemaking and so forth, that we let life just slip on by and don't enjoy it as much as we should.

When we were stationed in Arizona, we did things like this ALL.THE.TIME.   It felt like we lived life to the fullest, enjoyed every weekend, always found something to do as a family.  Then Curt retired, we moved to Idaho and from there, kids got big, life got busy and chaotic and we just stopped having fun.

It's time to get back on that saddle.

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend, I will be back tomorrow morning with my Happy Homemaker Monday.

Blessings to you all.
xoxoxoxo

{ Let them be kids by Jessica Smartt - TLC Book Tour }

Paperback: 256 Pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 9, 2020)

As every parent hopes to raise kids with good manners and values, Jessica Smartt’s practical guide fills the gaps of uncertainty and provides tips on how parents can equip their children in purity, faith, and creativity.

Former English teacher and homeschooling mother of three, Jessica Smartt felt the weight of helping prepare her kids for life, especially with all the outside pressures and influence of the world. She struggled with how she could raise her children with a sense of adventure, self-confidence, manners, faith, and the ability to utilize technology wisely.

Let Them Be Kids is Jessica’s offering of grace and confidence to moms, giving them practical ideas to meet these challenges. Her well-researched, tested methods, woven together with her personal stories and witty humor, deliver wisdom on the tough topics of life, such as

• family time vs. outside activities,
• being “cool” or not,
• boredom,
• technology usage
• sexual purity, and
• showing grace when kids disobey.

Part story and part guidebook, every chapter includes doable strategies and encouragement for the journey.

Let Them Be Kids helps moms feel confident and equipped with ways to provide a safe, healthy, Christ-centered childhood for their children. It leads them to conquer fear and find truth that transforms them and their families as it reminds them how to enjoy and cherish the special memory-making moments of building family values together.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Jessica Smartt

Jessica Smartt is a former English teacher turned homeschooling mama of three. A week after her first baby was born, she began her motherhood blog “Smartter” Each Day. Jessica and her husband live in beautiful North Carolina, where she loves hiking with kids (mostly), steaming coffee in the afternoon, family bike rides, and anything that’s ever been done to a potato.

Connect with Jessica

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

REVIEW
Motherhood, so many feelings that come from that single word.

The biggest feeling is that of unconditional, all encompassing, truest form of love.  They are our babies, from the moment they are conceived, all through the crazy toddler years, the harder teenage years and even into adulthood.

See, you never stop being a parent, it's not a job that ends when they turn 21 or move away from home, the circumstances just change, and their need for us too.  It's not that they don't need us, it's just that they need us in a different way.

When I accepted the review request for Let them be kids, I wasn't quite sure how it would apply to me at this point of my life.  My daughter is 21, my son is 17, so not exactly the little kid age anymore.  But I am so glad that I read the book.

One thing that caught my eye, is that every chapter in the book begins with The Gift of......

So often when we are caught in the humdrum of every day life, especially with little ones, where we have one on one side of the room throwing a tantrum, have just stepped for the millionth time over a sharp toy, and wiped snotty noses non stop, we tend to not look at our children as gifts, but as handfuls.

Jessica Smartt focuses on those things that we sometimes take for granted.  Family traditions, family values, habits, days of boredom and days of imagination.  But the book itself also touches on aspects such as instilling work ethic, manners and kindness, which I think transcends any and every age.

Back in my day, when I got bored, I played with dolls, I draw, I colored, I made up silly games, but mainly, I went outside to play in the back yard.

Now we live in a time where we pop our kids in front of a tv screen or hand them an I pad or a cellphone with a cute game on, to keep them entertained when faced with the dreaded "Mom I'm bored".

Jessica Smartt, engages the viewers with ideas and advice on how to beat the boredom without turning to technology.

She touches on subjects and topics that every parent goes through and at times needs a little help.  As I said above, my children are older and I only wish that I had this book to look back on when they were little.  I remember those frantic days where I counted the minutes until my husband was home, so I could pass the kids on and get at least 30 minutes of peace.

Thing is, even though it's hard at times, we need to let our children be kids, be themselves, be creative.  It is a book that includes more Christian and conservative view points, as well as ways to incorporate God into your children's upbringing.

Thank you to TLC Tours and the Thomas Nelson publishers,  for providing me with a review copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 06/22/2020 }

Good morning sweet friends, I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend.

Our Father's day was wonderful, it started with church and both kids came with us, which was a huge blessing.  Next we met up with my brother and sister in law, for a quick lunch at Denny's.  It was so nice to go out to eat after all these months, to have some good laughs and enjoy yummy food.

The rest of the day we hung out at home, just relaxed and even got in some afternoon naps.  We all know those Sunday naps are the best aren't they?

Before those naps though, Curt and I had been out in the garden putting cages around the tomato plants and some wooden stakes to hold up the Zucchini plants which are HUMONGOUS.  And that my friends, is when I got the surprise of my life.  I actually screamed and scared my husband LOL

We have Zucchini coming in, but we were able to harvest our first one.   Check out the photos of that in my "From the Camera" section.  Let me know what you think.

I ask that you still keep my husband in your prayers, we have not yet heard anything about his job.

Now, let's get on with business shall we?

♥♥The Weather♥♥
Pretty hot around here but the last 3 days has seen some quite significant storms coming in, out of nowhere.

Monday - Partly cloudy, 91
Tuesday - AM Thunderstorms,86
Wednesday - Partly cloudy,88
Thursday - Partly cloudy,90
Friday - Partly cloudy, 89
Saturday -  Partly cloudy, 90
Sunday - Partly cloudy, 90


♥♥How I am feeling this morning♥♥
A bit tired.  I was sleeping well, then a storm came in and woke me up at 1:25 AM.  Took me well over an hour to fall back asleep.  Aside from that, I am feeling fine.          


♥♥On my mind♥♥
A mental list of what I need done today.           


♥♥On the breakfast plate♥♥
As usual this early in the morning, just my cup of coffee.  Finishing off the last of the Almond Joy Creamer.    


♥♥On my reading pile♥♥
Have a book review coming up later this week, for Let Them Be Kids.  I'm also starting the next book on the list which is Say Yes to What's Next from Lori Allen.  A book about life makeover for women approaching 50.  

♥♥On my tv♥♥
Sid Roth's It's Supernatural
Usual sermons, homemaking vlogs, gardening etc.     


♥♥On the menu this week♥♥
I have to work on the new menu, as I'll be going grocery shopping on Friday. 

Monday - Lasagna, Homemade Garlic Knots
Tuesday - Sausage and Potatoes Skillet, Salad
Wednesday - Tacos, Mexican Rice
Thursday - Roast Chicken Breasts, Crispy Roasted potatoes, Fried Zucchini
Friday -
Saturday -
Sunday - 


♥♥From the camera♥♥
My first zucchini from the garden.

I actually screamed when I saw it.  At first I had no clue what it was, I kept looking and thinking "why is there a dark pipe in my zucchini plant?"  Hahahah

When I realized what it was, I let out the biggest scream ever.  My poor husband got a fright.

This zucchini is 4.005 lbs.  WHAT???  I am so proud of myself, since I grew these from seed.
  

♥♥Looking around the house♥♥
It is quite dark this morning as we have cloudy skies outside.  The kids are still asleep.  I have the sound of the fan whirring above me, and birds loudly chirping outside.      


♥♥Chore I'm not looking forward to today, or this week♥♥
The carpets.....the carpets that I despise and that my husband is holding on to for dear life.  Hahahah


♥♥To relax this week, I will♥♥
I finished Genesis last week and am starting Exodus today, can't wait.  It's what I've been doing lately to relax.                           


♥♥On my prayer list♥♥
My husband's job situation.  Praying for a good outcome that is according to God. 
The President, Vice President and their families.
Our police men and woman, first responders and military.
For America as a whole. 

{ The beauty in gardening }

Life begins the day you start a garden. 

– Chinese proverb

Have you ever stopped to think about the beauty in so many tasks around us?

I mean, ok, we look at certain tasks as work and don't quite think of them as beautiful or fun to do, but I find that some are so good for the soul.  They relax you, andthey have a way of calming your heart and thoughts.

Crochet is one of those for me, so is baking, and reading and so on, but another that I didn't quite get to start enjoying until much later in my life, has been gardening and anything to do with planting.

Whether outside touching digging your hand into the actual dirt on the ground, or pottering around with containers inside your home. 

Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years.

 – Unknown

My daughters work had a huge sale, 50% off pretty much everything, and knowing that I love gardening and growing my own veggies, fruit, herbs and flowers, she grabbed a few goodies for me.

She is sweet like that.  :)

As you can see above, I got Kitchen Herbs which came with parsley, basil and chives.  Lavender and Chamomile, Daisies and Strawberries, Lavender and some Thyme (the thyme is not pictured because she had gifted it to be a few days prior to this photo).

I got everything set up on the kitchen island and then got right to business.

If you've never tried these little kits, they are the perfect way to get started with your gardening journey.  They provide everything you need and come with clear instructions to help you get going.

I have to say, I used to be so scared of growing anything because anytime I tried, it died.  I either over watered, under watered, didn't place it in the right window, gave it too much sun or not enough.  It was a bit frustrating, but I learned along the way that a little research on each plant, goes a long way.

Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.

 – Allan Armitage

It is so calming.  I put on some worship music in the background and just pottered around for a while.  It didn't take very long to get all the seeds started and in their containers. 

I also took some wooden sticks and labeled each so I would know what exactly was growing.  As you get used to planting there are some that you immediately recognize, but I'm not quite to the point where I know each and every single plant I am growing, just by looking at their leaves.

They've all been put on my kitchen window sill which seems to be a favorite spot for all my plants.  It is a part of the house that doesn't get direct sunshine, but plenty of light.

They seem to thrive there and pretty quickly start growing.

In the outside garden, life is springing up in a rush.  My Zucchini plants are huge, and I mean HUGE.

My tomato plants are equally growing in leaps and bounds, and the same goes for the beans, potatoes, basil, leeks and green onions. 

I don't think my lettuce survived and neither did my okra, or at least not that I can see, truth be told I can't even find it.  We have such high winds at times that I plant things and they sometimes get thrown around and start growing in different areas.  Hahaha

Nonetheless, I am finding such peace in my gardening, whether outside or in.  There is a special joy in watching something you plant start to grow.

How are your gardens doing?

{ The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton - TLC Book Tour }

Hardcover: 352 Pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 2, 2020)

Sometimes it takes losing everything to find yourself again.

Lily Bishop wakes up one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated, but a flyer at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community provides a refuge while she contemplates her next steps.

Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor years ago—just before her husband ran off with his assistant. Now she runs a tight ship, making sure the residents follow her strict rules. Rose keeps everyone at arm’s length, including her own family. But when Lily shows up asking for a job and a place to live, Rose’s cold exterior begins to thaw.

Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship, and Lily’s salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets. Lily soon finds herself drawn to Rose’s nephew, Rawlins—a single dad and shrimper who’s had some practice at starting over—and one of the residents may be carrying a torch for Rose as well.

Neither Lily nor Rose is where she expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there’s more to life and love than what they’ve experienced so far. The Summer House weaves Lauren K. Denton’s inviting Southern charm around a woman’s journey to find herself.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 

About Lauren K. Denton

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. In addition to her fiction, she writes a monthly newspaper column about life, faith, and how funny (and hard) it is to be a parent. On any given day, she’d rather be at the beach with her family and a stack of books. Her debut novel, THE HIDEAWAY, was a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon Charts bestseller. Her second novel, HURRICANE SEASON, released in spring of 2018, is a USA Today bestseller. GLORY ROAD will release in March, 2019.
.

Connect with Lauren

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

REVIEW:

I read my first Lauren K. Denton book, last year.  I had not previously read any of her work but was so pleasantly surprised, and she is now an author I keep an eye out for.

In The Summer House, we meet Lily and Rose.

Lily is hit with some devastating news, in the form of divorce papers from her husband.  She was not expecting it, was completely caught off guard and has no clue what to do or how to move on from it.  To make matters worse, her husband and her had just moved to a new town in Arkansas. 

While she's figuring out what to do, she decides to take a job as a hair stylist, at a local retirement community.  She has no plans, no concrete ideas on where her life is headed but figures that she may as well be doing something with her time.  Of course, little does Lily realize that this moment is going to throw her life upside down even more, but in a good way.

Before I go on, be aware that this is a story that is told from two points of view, that of Lily and the other of Rose.

Rose.  A name well known in the small retirement community also referred to as Safe Harbor.  Rose is not exactly a warm and welcoming figure, she doesn't let anyone in, she doesn't care for friendships or relationships, aside from her beloved nephew who is a single dad to a sweet girl named Hazel.

She brings Lily on board. 

Her icy appearance and demeanor are not exactly what Lily is expecting but in each other, the two women find a bond that quickly becomes indestructible.  The walls that have been built for a very long time, start crumbling away for both Lily and Rose, and for Lily that means a renewed relationship in Rawlins, Rose's nephew.

What I loved about the story is that it touches on the beauty of friendship between women.  It is a story of broken hearts, hardened harts that over time once again find the joy of human connection.

If you're looking for a great summer read, this is it.  Grab a copy and settle in for a sweet story of redemption and love.

Thank you to TLC Tours and the Thomas Nelson publishers,  for providing me with a review copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

{ Be a light in the darkness }

My heart is heavy.

I've avoided talking about the current situation in our country, because so many people are talking, talking, talking, and talking.  Voices are constantly being shouted, being demanded, being forced upon the population.

Instead, I have focused on praying, on being in the Lord's word and on sticking to my lane.  I've prayed over the country, the President and especially over the youth that is so misguided and so completely in the clutches of the devil, that they can't see straight.

I say misguided because the enemy is an expert on misrepresentation, on deceiving and lying and making things seem what they are not.  Much like in the Garden of Eden when he got Eve to disobey God simply by presenting things to her in a way that made her feel she was being wronged.

Repeatedly I have asked God what to do. What do I DO?  What is my place in all this, what is my purpose, how do I help or use my platform?

The answer was loud and clear.

Be a light in the darkness!!!

I think may of us bloggers have been feeling like we don't know how to help, while quietly praying in the shadows and hoping to be able to have the right words or the right actions to help in some sort of way.

At the moment, we have warriors on the street, men and women of God preaching the Lord's word, putting their lives at risk, trying to reach the hearts and souls of our young people.  I follow a few of them on Instagram and I pray for them daily.  I won't go put myself out there, and that's ok, because I think that God understands and knows that we all have different purposes, different journeys but together we work for HIS purpose and HIS glory.

What I have found in this time that Curt and I have been facing this uncertainty, which came completely out of nowhere for us, is to not only be deep in prayer and closer to God, but I've been making it a purpose to pray for everyone and anyone that I come across that has a need, or not.

Some ask for prayer, others just mention their struggles, and yet a few more say nothing but I feel led to pray for them.

I can focus on what is happening to me directly and mull it over, cry over it, beg, weep and so on......or.....I can ask for prayer, leave it in God's hands, put on my armor of God and go out there in body or spirit, shining His light brighter than ever.  Showing people that even through our own struggles we are here for each other, and you can still learn from someone going through a similar situation.

As Christians we are tested, over and over and over again.  God wants to see how we react to certain obstacles that are placed in our path.  Some he places Himself, but most are placed there by the enemy and allowed to be done so by our Father, in order to test our faith.

Some obstacles don't even phase me, I just move right on and don't give it thought, and then others like the current job issue, shake me to the core.  What I am learning through these tests is to not react to what is thrown our way.

I heard a great teaching yesterday, where the Pastor was explaining that a few months ago they had a policeman give a talk on how to react if there is an active shooter situation.

And he said there are 3 things you should do, if you're ever caught in the middle of it.

RUN, HIDE, FIGHT!

So you run, if you can't run you hide, and if you are found or can't hide, you FIGHT.

The Pastor was explaining that we need to take those 3 things and apply them to the spiritual attacks by the enemy.  When he shoots something our way, we run.  We run to GOD, not from God and we don't just sit there and take it either.

We run to God.

Then we hide.  We hide behind God because nothing will get to us if we live in his shadow.

And lastly we fight.  We pray, we put on the armor of God, we equip ourselves with His word and we stand our ground.

Boy was that a wake up call to me.

All this to say, the atmosphere of anger, violence, disrespect and destruction that we are experiencing around our country, is an all out attack by the enemy.

As Christians we NEED to take up our weapons (God's word) and we need to fight.  We should be praying now more than ever.

"Oh but I don't really know anyone, and the few I do won't listen to me.  I'm not a big influencer.  I don't reach that many people."

Excuses!!!

This is what God has been putting into my heart lately.  There are no excuses, the time is now.  We need to pray, we need to shine His light, we need to share our testimonies and bring forth the goodness so that it can overshadow the fake media news that do nothing but incite more violence.

We don't reward violence with violence.  We don't fall into those traps.  We don't surround ourselves with negativity and toxic people, and that goes for friends and even family members.

This is the time to rise up and to take charge.

I don't care if only one person sees my posts or reads them, or watches one of my Instagram stories, or clicks on one of my Instagram posts.  That one person may be needing the truth, may be needing salvation, may be needing peace and comfort and to know that even though chaos is spreading around us, there is a place where we can abide in love and peace.  God's arms.

So don't be afraid to speak out.  Use your platforms for the good, don't buy into the narrative and feed into the negativity and violence that already exists.

You are God's warriors, just like I am. 

I pray the peace of God over each and every single one of you who may come to read this post.  I pray that the Lord give you the spirit of discernment, of grace, of mercy, and that he begins to break any strongholds the enemy has tried to place in your lives, your family and your homes.

No one is out of this spiritual battle.  Not one single one of us gets to sit it out, but we do get to decide which side we're fighting for and my decision is a simple one.  Have you made your decision yet?

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 06/15/2020 }

Good morning my friends, I hope this post finds you all doing well.

Last week was another bust for me.  I had all these plans to post and take photos and blog and nothing came to happen.  It was just not a good week for me at all.  The situation with my husband's job is still not resolved, but I know that God is behind it, He is leading the way and it will be resolved when it needs to be.

I want to thank you all for the constant barrage of prayers and support.  It helped me immensely last week, when I allowed the enemy to sink me into one of the deepest and darkest holes I've ever found myself in.

Since then, I have reopened my Bible, have been surrounding myself with positivity, watching just Christian shows, praying incessantly and yesterday, my husband and I found a new church.  It felt so good to be back inside God's house.  True renewal of our spirit, and for the first time in two weeks I got to see the old Curt.  He was happy, he was smiling, and that in turn renewed my soul.

Anyway, we are still very much in a spiritual battle, and I'm talking about all of us now.  The things I see happening around us shock me, and they shouldn't because I was born in a country that saw a lot of this happening, we were forced to leave when I was just 2 years old.  I then lived in Portugal and South Africa, and as you know South Africa is not a safe and easy country to live in.  This kind of destruction, the riots, the burning of buildings, that is what I grew up around so when I came to America I was beyond happy to be away from it.  Now, it feels like I'm right back and it's pretty sad to see.  The good news is that God wins and very soon this will all end.

But, let's not dwell on that, let's just send our prayers up, and move on with our day.  I wish you all a very blessed week.

♥♥The Weather♥♥
It's been so hot around here.  Thankfully this week we are not hitting the triple digits again, although still going to be quite hot with high 90s.       

Monday - Mix of clouds and sunshine, Abundant sunshine, 94
Tuesday - Mostly Sunny, 94
Wednesday - Sunny, 97
Thursday - Mostly Sunny, 99
Friday - Partly cloudy, 97
Saturday -  Partly cloudy, 98
Sunday - PM Thunderstorms, 98


♥♥How I am feeling this morning♥♥
I am feeling refreshed, I am calm and at peace.   It is such a blessing when you allow God to take over and stop allowing the enemy to cloud your thoughts.        


♥♥On my mind♥♥
What I need to do today.  I have to get the house cleaned, I've been doing just an overall clean but not a deep clean like the house needs.         


♥♥On the breakfast plate♥♥
Just had coffee with some Almond Joy Creamer.  I love coconut so this is one of my favorite creamers.  I'll probably have a sandwich later.  


♥♥On my reading pile♥♥
The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton.  I have a few others on the list to read, plus some new reviews coming in the next few weeks.     

♥♥On my tv♥♥
Sid Roth's It's Supernatural
A lot of sermons, prophets and pastors on Youtube.   


♥♥On the menu this week♥♥
I went grocery shopping on Saturday morning.  It was nice to see the commissary stocked again, there were only a few items here and there that were missing, but not much.  They also have removed the limit on the amount of meat you can purchase, but here's the kicker, they have upped their meat prices to ridiculous amounts.  $8 a pound of ground beef, $10 for a package of cubed steak (usually  between 1 and 2 dollars).  It is so sad to see the state this country is in.  What is happening???

Monday - Meatballs and Spaghetti, Homemade Garlic Knots
Tuesday - Strogonoff Chicken, Rice, Beans
Wednesday - Smoked Sausage Cheesy Rice, Steamed Broccoli
Thursday - Beef Curry
Friday - Sub Sandwiches
Saturday - Alfredo Pasta, Salad
Sunday -  Buffalo Ranch Chicken Wings


♥♥From the camera♥♥
Meet the new member of the family.  We weren't able to find a home for him, no one is taking in animals, so he is here to stay.  Not what I wanted, but then again it is what God wanted, so we will go with it.

This is Elliott.  Jasmine has claimed him as her own.  He is the cutest and sweetest little kitten.  We have been taking care of him for the past 3 weeks or so, and thankfully he is doing great, has grown, has put on weight and is a happy little boy.      

♥♥Looking around the house♥♥
It is quiet, but for the sound of the air conditioner in my bedroom.  The sun is streaming in through the windows, which gives that beautiful glowy calm atmosphere.  I love morning sunshine.  Jasmine is off today so she is still asleep and so is Nick.    


♥♥Chore I'm not looking forward to today, or this week♥♥
The ongoing struggle with the pool.  I'm getting very close to just emptying it and restarting.  So definitely not a chore I'm looking forward to. 


♥♥To relax this week, I will♥♥
Keep reading the Bible and watching calming shows on the TV.                          


♥♥On my prayer list♥♥
I am leaving my prayer list exactly as it was last week, because we need to keep praying on these things.  The only thing I'm adding is my husband's job and situation.  

The President, Vice President and their families.
All Americans who are being caught in the crossfire of these devastating riots.
For our police men and woman, first responders and military.
For this nation who has completely lost it's way.  I pray for the Lord to lift the veil that is covering so many people's eyes and for the spirit of Grace and Discernment to come into the lives of every single man and woman.  
My husband's job situation, for God's will to be done.

{ 31 Days of prayer for America - Day 10 }

We ask you Lord, to refresh mothers

in the honor of fulfilling the glory of motherhood. Strengthen them with grace, wisdom, and love in serving their husbands and children. Let mothers would reflect Your own love and nurturing nature. (Proverbs 31:25-26, 28)

{ 31 Days of prayer for America - Day 9 }

Father, let our earthly fathers look to You

as the ultimate spiritual head of the family, and serve their families by carrying the responsibility for the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of their wives and children.Bring absentee fathers to a faith and radical life-change. Let Your character be clearly seen in the lives of all fathers.(Ephesians 6:4)

{ 31 Days of prayer for America - Day 8 }

Lord, return the state of marriage

to a place of honor in our country. We praise You for sturdy marriages that model Your commitment to the Church. Let hope and healing now come to those marriages that are strained and breaking. (Hebrews 13:4)

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 06/08/2020 }

Good morning my friends, I hope this post finds you doing well.

It is early Monday morning, and I've just seen hubby off to work.  He has been teleworking from home the past almost 3 weeks, and is finally back to the classroom this morning.  I'll tell you waking up at 5am again wasn't easy, but we are thankful that he can resume his classes.

Truth be told, I think he was getting cabin fever just sitting around when he is used to working every day.

I have two days of being at home, Jasmine is off today and tomorrow, so I plan on making the best of these days, get some new plants going, I have some ironing I need to do, some cleaning and baking etc.

I am not going to talk about the current state of our country, I need to remove myself from the craziness for a few days or week, to allow my soul to recharge.  It is all too sad, too frustrating to watch and we need to turn to God and let Him take on this charge so we don't end up overwhelmed.

I'm hoping to get some posts up this week as well, already have the camera charged and ready to go.
Let's get on with our post.

♥♥The Weather♥♥
Insanely hot already, we've been hitting 100 the past few days.  We have another pretty hot week coming up.     

Monday - Abundant sunshine, 98
Tuesday - Sunny/wind, 91
Wednesday - Sunny, 92
Thursday - Sunny, 98
Friday - Partly cloudy, 99
Saturday -  Sunny, 100
Sunday - Sunny, 100


♥♥How I am feeling this morning♥♥
Pretty good, even the early wake up call didn't leave me feeling too bad lol  I am however already feeling quite hot.  The whole perimenopause and super high temperatures just don't mix very well.  LOL      


♥♥On my mind♥♥
As always, our nation.  But I don't want to dwell on that, it's in God's hands.  I also am thinking about all my to dos and trying to figure out which day to do them in.   I was able to convince my husband to remove our carpets from the living rooms YAY!!!! 

Now just need to find a day and just pull them.  He is convinced it is all going to take 2 weeks *eye roll*.  If you don't know that is husband code for "really don't want to pull the carpets".  We've had a peek at our floors underneath and they seem to be in very good shape, nice wooden floors, so I'm itching to get in their and rip off the carpet, give the wood floor a good clean and wax and move on with my life.       


♥♥On the breakfast plate♥♥
Just had a cup of coffee, haven't had anything yet.  When I do have breakfast, it will probably be a slice of toast.


♥♥On my reading pile♥♥
The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton.      

♥♥On my tv♥♥
Just been watching my usual vlogs, and some documentaries. 


♥♥On the menu this week♥♥
I have meals planned until Thursday.  Friday I will be grocery shopping, so will get the new menu plan written up some time this week.

Monday - Chili dogs, homemade fries
Tuesday - Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Wednesday - Steak Fingers, Mashed Potatoes
Thursday - Lemon Pork Chops, Butter Rice, Corn Salad
Friday -
Saturday -
Sunday - 


♥♥From the camera♥♥
I have always seen these insect houses and thought what a neat idea.  I finally got one for pretty cheap at Tractor Supply, and couldn't wait to get it hung near my garden area.  Loving it, and so are the insects.    

♥♥Looking around the house♥♥
Kids are still asleep.  I need to get dishes in the sink washed, and the dry ones put away.  Also need to do some dusting today.  Aside from that, the house doesn't need much doing, it's one of the perks of having grown kids.  


♥♥Chore I'm not looking forward to today, or this week♥♥
Still fighting with the pool.  We have one of the cheaper vacuums which don't work very well, it takes forever and only really sucks up a little at a time.  With the constant winds and some rain here and there, it is constantly throwing all sorts of dirt into the pool.  I'm determined to get this pool fully clean though so I can enjoy it with these hot temps we are having.     


♥♥To relax this week, I will♥♥
Hopefully swim, read and try to catch up on some vlogs.                        


♥♥On my prayer list♥♥
The President, Vice President and their families.
All Americans who are being caught in the crossfire of these devastating riots.
For our police men and woman, first responders and military.
For this nation who has completely lost it's way.  I pray for the Lord to lift the veil that is covering so many people's eyes and for the spirit of Grace and Discernment to come into the lives of every single man and woman.   

{ 31 Days of prayer for America - Day 7 }

We agree with You, Jesus,

that the Church will be one, as You are one with the Father. Heal any divisions that exist between pastors and their congregations, and between denominations. Let our nation see the Body of Christ united in love for one another and toward those whom You have come to save. (John 17:21)