{ Let's catch up }

Good morning ladies! 

 

It's been a while.  Couple of weeks at least, since I've sat down and just talked, shared, updated and had a cup of coffee with you all.

 

I have another busy day today, but I felt so pushed to come in and just share.  Share the photos I've been taking, because even though I haven't been posting them, they've been accumulating in my camera, and so this weekend, I did a photo dump, edited everything I had, uploaded it to my Flickr Account and cleaned out the card to start again.

 

So let's start, grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back and let me just chit chat for a few minutes.....hopefully, though if you know me you know that sometimes I just start talking and keep going.  *snicker*

♥ Deer ♥

I love this time of the year. The weather gets cooler, the leaves start turning and our property gets an influx of deer.  Big bucks, does and fawns, all colors and sizes.  It is fascinating and I always thank God for his works of art.  The beauty of this animals is just unlike anything else.  

 

 

♥ Cleaning and organizing ♥

In between my errands, chauffeur mom duties, cooking, etc.  I have been slowly organizing and cleaning out a room at a time.

 

I keep my house clean and tidy, but we all know that things tend to pile up, it's just normal for a day to day household, and we as moms are always going around trying to get things back where they belong.  But even as moms we tend to sometimes leave a pile of laundry on the couch for a day, or a stack of books in a corner of the room waiting to be put on the shelf.  

 

It's those little things that have been bothering me, so I have been making it a priority to pick up, organize and put away all the random bits and bobs around the house. 

 

♥ Preparing for the holidays ♥

I've started making plans for Thanksgiving, planning, buying food for the meals, working on Christmas gift lists and getting ready for the holidays.

I can not wait to celebrate, especially this year.  We have so much to be thankful for, even in the middle of the uncertainty and chaotic world we live in.  This Thanksgiving we will be giving thanks for another year gone by, for the blessings God bestowed upon us, for a new baby boy due in December and for my sister in law finishing her treatments on the 19th of November.  

With all this in mind, one of the first things I do every year, is make my fruitcakes.  It didn't happen last year though, if you remember it was right after my sweet mother in law passed away, so we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas the way we usually do.  We just didn't have it in us to do.

But, the fruitcakes are baked this year, and instead of the usual rum I use to drizzle on top, I decided to try something different.  Kahlua Salted Caramel Liqueur.  It tastes amazing in the fruit cake.  Yes, I always take a little bit to try and make sure they're good.  

Speaking of which, I need to go and give the cakes another drizzle this morning.

 

 

♥ Reading ♥ 

Reading has come back into my heart, with a bang.  I missed it so much.  I have this tremendous love for books.  My shelves are full, and anytime I am in a bookstore, I can't help but purchase one or two more.  There is just something about a physical book in my hands, that brings such joy to my heart.

 

Among the review books that I have, I also have my own piles of books waiting to be read.  I don't always have the time for mine because my review books take priority, but when I have a little break in that commitment, I immediately grab one of mine.

The review book I just finished is called The Book of Timothy and it is a true story, based on quite a famous case from many years ago.  It is the story of Timothy Nockels who was abused by a Catholic priest.  It's quite hard to read because of the circumstances, but a very good book nonetheless.

From my own pile, I have grabbed Francine River's A Lineage of Grace which tells the fictional stories, of 5 very important women in the lineage of Jesus Christ.  Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary.

I also have Sons of Encouragement which is also part of the same series, and tells the fictional story of Aaron, Caleb, Jonathan, Amos and Silas.  That sounds like a phenomenal book too.

 

♥ Sweet Elliott Time ♥

This little boy has crept into my heart and has been a life saver, since my heart broke in August, when my Marley left.  I don't talk about it much because I am still grieving.  

I have not been Ok. I still cry, I still miss him, I still don't understand why this happened and I still hurt like nothing I've ever felt before.  But Elliott has been my little shadow.  He is quite naughty at times, and that's expected since he is just a year old, but he follows me around, snuggles up next to me in bed or the couch for naps, and gets so happy when he seems me get up each morning.

He immediately starts purring, rubbing against my legs, drops and just lays at my feet, closing his eyes while I pet him.  He plays with me, he loves playing fetch with the aluminum foil balls, he loves laying in the kitchen while I cook.  He is just my companion and I thank God every day for him.

 

 

♥ Fall Cooking ♥

I love cooking all year long, but Fall and Winter time just brings forth all the stick to your ribs, filling, yummy stews and soups.  We've had soup a few times already, starting with the one I just posted above which was a Portuguese bean soup, with sausage and potato and carrots.  It was one of the best soups we have ever eaten, so good, so filling and thick and tummy warming.

 

I also made an Amish Chicken recipe which was delicious and so easy to make.  I'll have that recipe on the blog later today.

 

 

Curt is still working on his Master's Degree, he will be done in March of 2022.  He has been listening to the Lord and trying to figure out what and where He is leading him, and lately he has felt the pull to do Youth Ministry, so he has talked to our church pastor about it.  We are praying on it and will see where God takes us.

Jasmine has been doing amazing at driving.  She loves it, she has a renewed confidence about her that I am incredibly grateful for.  She is loving work, loving her cowokers, has gone out with them after work and is just living life to the fullest at the moment.  As always we pray for her and continually ask the Holy spirit to pursue her heart.

Nick is also starting his journey towards getting his driver's license as well, and he is trying to figure out where to go with his future.  He is not sure if he wants to go to college or go straight to work.  We are praying on that as well, that God continues to guide him.

I'm doing well, I'm still holding on to the Lord's hand and continuing on my own spiritual journey.  It has been life changing in so many ways, I am so much more aware of everything around me.  I never understood discernment until last year, and now I can't imagine life without it.

I hope to do a full post on discernment, what it is, and why you need it.

And that's it my friends.  You are all caught up on what has been happening around here.  Just plain ol' living, being with family and keeping our heads above the water in this crazy world.

Have a blessed Tuesday, thank you as always for coming by to see me and leaving such sweet comments.  I really appreciate them.

I'm going to end this post here, go and give my fruitcakes their weekly boozy bath, and make myself a salad for lunch, before I have to step out to pick Jasmine up from work.