Happy Homemaker Monday - 05/12/2014

Good morning and Happy Monday!

We had such a blessed and fun weekend, filled with family time.  It was wonderful.  Now it's back to the grind right?  Another work and school week awaits us, but thankfully school is ending very soon, matter of fact the two boys are done for the year, it's only the girls that have work still pending, but that is expected since they're in high school and the work load is crazy.

Alright, let's move on to our HHM.....oh and by the way, I am coming to see all your HHM's from last Monday, this morning.  I didn't get a chance last week but I want to read them before the new ones go up today.  I will check on those during the day too, so no worries. :)

As I look outside my window:::
Bright blue skies, not a cloud in sight and it looks like the wind has finally died down.  It's the one thing that I really don't like about this place, the constant wind drives me crazy.

Right now I am:::
Still in my pj's.  I'm wearing soft pink fleece pants with these cute grey and darker pink hearts on them.  Drinking my coffee and writing this post up.

Thinking and pondering:::
About our move and the houses we've already looked at.  We have a few others to go take a look.  I can't believe we'll be moving again in about 2 or 3 weeks, oh joy.

On my bedside table:::
My Bible
The White Princess by Phillipa Gregory
Heaven is for Real by Lynn and Todd Burpo

On my tv this week:::
Monday:
Dr. Phil - Acquitted by a jury, but my ex husband still thinks I'm guilty
Star Crossed (last one today, can't believe they cancelled it)
Tuesday:
Dr. Phil - Second Part (will accused mother go to rehab?)
The Little Couple
19 Kids and counting
Supernatural
Cosmos
Agents of Shield
Wednesday:
Dr. Phil - Not so sweet 16
Catch up day (clear the DVR)
Thursday:
Dr. Phil - An Ultimatum for a Hoarding Mother
Reign
Friday:
Dr. Phil - Love scams
Hangar 1:  The UFO Files
Ancient Aliens
Saturday:
Ghost Adventures
Sunday:
Long Island Medium
Granite Flats
Salem
Turn

Listening to:::
Local radio station playing Coldplay's "Magic" 

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - Chicken with Green Peppers and Rice
Tuesday - Cheesy Garlic Pizza Calzones
Wednesday - Pork Roast, Potatoes, Corn
Thursday - Fettucine Alfredo
Friday - Creamy Mustard Pork with Rice
Saturday - Delicia de Frango com natas no forno (Portuguese Chicken)
Sunday -  Not sure yet
 
On my to do list:::
Laundry, one load to iron, one load of towels, two loads of clothes
Clear out the storage shed out back, take all the Christmas decorations to the storage unit, pack a few more boxes
Homeschooling

Happening this week:::
Monday - Tae Kwon Do
Tuesday - Packing , moving things to storage
Wednesday - Tae Kwon Do
Thursday -  Vacuum and mop all floors, grocery shopping
Friday - Change bed linens, library run

What I am creating:::
Making progress on the corner to corner blanket. 
Finishing up a crochet bottle cover for my water bottle

My simple pleasure:::
Reading Homesteading blogs

Homemaking tips:::
Set aside a time each day, to walk around the house and put things away and where they belong.  It helps cut down on clutter or an end of the day pile that is so overwhelming to deal with.

Looking around the house:::
It needs some tidying up.  The kitchen has a few dishes in soapy water that I need to wash.  The dish rack is full of clean dishes to put away.  Living room needs some tidying up.  Husband is at his computer desk doing some school work and Nicholas is on the couch watching a Youtube video.

From the camera:::
For Mother's Day, we headed to the Old Idaho Penitentiary, it was such an amazing visit.  I'll share it all with you in a separate post later today.

Prayer List:::
My sister in law Nadine, who just lost her father last week.  Her mother Auntie Olga, brother Justin and my brother Bruno who were all extremely close to Uncle Alan.
Friends and family needing prayers at the moment. 

Bible verse, Devotional:::
For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
Deuteronomy 30:16

PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!

{ Friday Loving }

❤ dark stormy skies making me feel like I'm sitting right there, on those clouds

❤ quiet rainy days that make sleeping even better

❤ glistening rain drops hanging from tree leaves

❤ gorgeous crochet projects that bring a smile to my face

❤ mid afternoon cups of tea

❤ homemade breadcrumbs

❤ wonderfully scented blossoms in the front yard

❤ beautiful reminders of spring

❤ watching the bees going about their business

❤ bouquets of lilacs drying on the shelf

❤ lemon and mint water

❤ dinner preparation

❤ early evening sunlight

Friday's Letters - 05/09/2014

Dear House....I wish I liked you as much as I thought I did when we first moved in, but honestly, I am looking forward to moving out in about 3 weeks.  Thank you for sheltering us for the past 10 months.

Dear Baby Birds.... It was such a pleasure watching you grow from little eggs into the cutest baby Robins ever.  I am enjoying watching you learn to fly.

Dear Books.... You bring me so much joy.  I love opening your pages and letting you take me far away into a beautiful land of imagination.

Dear Rain.... I enjoyed seeing you yesterday and this morning, there is nothing like your scent and your glistening drops left hanging on the tree leaves.

Dear Blog....  I am missing you very much lately.  I want so badly to go back to the way things used to be, and I count down the minutes and days until I can finally go back to normal blogging.  It's been almost a year since we started this crazy chapter in our lives and unfortunately many things have suffered, including you.  I'm so sorry.

Dear Crochet.... I thank the Lord for the day I took it upon myself to learn you.  You have kept me sane through so many not so good moments in my life, thank you.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 05/05/2014

Good morning friends, how was your weekend?

I had a pretty good one, Saturday was spent packing boxes and moving things to storage for our upcoming move, and yesterday my husband took the kids and I to the Zoo and the Idaho History Museum.  Had a wonderful day!

Now, it's back to a working/school week.

As I look outside my window:::
The sun is trying to shine through the clouds.  We've had very nice temperatures and beautiful blue skies, but this week we are getting a little more rain.  It's currently 47 degrees.

Right now I am:::
Sitting at the kitchen table and typing up this post.  Drinking my coffee and also enjoying some toast with some Zucchini Apple Butter which is delicious. 

Thinking and pondering:::
On life, on how no matter how much you help or do for others, some people are never happy and you're never good enough.  Sad but true! 

On my bedside table:::
My Bible
The White Princess by Phillipa Gregory

On my tv tonight:::
Monday:
Granite Flats
Turn
Star Crossed
Tuesday:
The Little Couple
Supernatural
Cosmos
Wednesday:
The 100
Thursday:
Reign
Impractical Jokers
Friday:
Hangar 1:  The UFO Files
Ancient Aliens
Saturday:
Ghost Adventures
Sunday:
Long Island Medium
Granite Flats
Salem
Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Listening to:::
Nothing but the hum of the refrigerator. 

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - Enchiladas, Salad
Tuesday - Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Herbed Rice
Wednesday - Roast chicken and potatoes
Thursday - Spaghetti, Garlic Bread
Friday - Mushroom Swiss Burgers, Curly Fries
Saturday - Chicken with Green Peppers and Rice
Sunday -  Cheesy Garlic Pizza Calzones

On my to do list:::
Laundry, got two loads to wash.
Pack a few more boxes and move them to the garage and then the storage unit
Go by the realtor
Go to the bank
Homeschooling

Happening this week:::
Monday - Tae Kwon Do
Tuesday - More packing
Wednesday - Tae Kwon Do
Thursday -  Tae Kwon Do
Friday -More packing and moving to storage

What I am creating:::
Making progress on the corner to corner blanket. 

My simple pleasure:::
Taking a ride with my family and enjoying the beauty around us

Homemaking tips:::
Make as much as you can at home.  It is cheaper than buying store bought...for example Tortillas, Hamburger and Hotdog buns, Bread, cleaning supplies etc. 

Looking around the house:::
It's very quiet, everyone is still asleep.  There is a box in the living room waiting to be taped up and moved to the garage.  I need to tidy up here and there too.  The kitchen needs some tidying from the weekend, things always seem to collect on the counters. 
  
From the camera:::
Beautiful day spent at the zoo.

Prayer List:::
My husband decided that the job he was doing was not a good fit for him, he was working very long hours, it was interfering with his college work and it just didn't feel right.....so he is back looking for some kind of job.  Praying for the Lord to guide him. 

Bible verse, Devotional:::
Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:2

PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!

Friday's Letters - 05/02/2014

It's Friday, and that means it's time for another Friday's Letters.  I am so late getting this up, our internet has been so cruddy today, it's going in and out all the time.

I also had to pay bills and run errands, grocery shop etc, this morning with my hubby, and I JUST got done putting everything away.   I can finally sit down for a little and get this post up :)

Dear Friday....Thank God you're here!!!  I've been so busy this past week and I've longingly been staring at the calendar, waiting, just waiting for your arrival.  I'm so happy to see you :)

Dear 39 almost 40 year old body....you have been so great to me so far, but I can tell that you're getting old and changing.  I am trying very hard to keep up with you and to take better care of you, but I can't do it alone.  Won't you help me a little while longer?

Dear weight....you and I have gone back and forth for so many years.  Just when I think I have you under control you slowly creep back in.  I'm not overweight, but I could stand to lose 15 pounds and I am trying to do that, so let's meet halfway?  I do my best, and you slow down, deal?

Dear water....I know in my heart that you are the best thing to drink.  I just wish I loved you as much as a cold glass of soda all bubbly and stuff.  I am trying to drink more of you, I honestly am, but I struggle.  I am going to continue dressing you in lemon slices, maybe I'll find you more appealing that way.

Dear Spring....Oh you are definitely here.  I am loving the 80 degrees, the beautiful skies, the green grass, the blooming Lilacs and the chirping birds.  Please don't leave!

Dear Husband....I know that you are once again unemployed and that you were not happy with your previous job.  Your heart is set on Scientific things, and that is your passion.  I know it hasn't been easy for you since retiring, and I only wish I could make this all better, but I can't, only thing I can do is continue to love you and support you and remind you that we are OK.  You work so hard, and I just know in my heart that everything you are doing is to ultimately find you the job of your dreams.  Let's hang in there together, just a little longer.  I love you!

Dear Smoothies.....I have a renewed love for you and I know that you are the healthiest thing I could drink at the moment, well, aside from your buddy water.


If you wish to join in, leave your link below so that I and others can come by and visit :)

Books and Lilacs!

It is such a beautiful glorious Spring day.

My windows are wide open letting in the breeze, the birds are chirping loudly outside, we are at 77 degrees and the sun is shining.

I'm sitting here in shorts people, in shorts, and a tank top and flip flops and I couldn't be happier.  Well, I could be if I wasn't so deathly pale white and in desperate need of some sun.

I truly cannot wait to spend more time outdoors, to watch the sprinklers going, to smell the fresh cut grass and the barbecue grills going.

Everything looks nice and green, and I attribute that to the rain showers we've been getting, last week we even had hail, but it's good because we need all the precipitation we can get.



One of the things that has been loving the rain, are the Lilac bushes, we are surrounded by them, they line the streets, they line the neighborhoods, there are tons in all the houses, I actually have 1 big one in the backyard and 4 in the front.  Oh the scent is amazing, it's one of my favorite flowers.

I just had to bring some of that beauty inside.

Two Lilac jars now sit on my living room window sills, not only do they bring in a pop of color, but they allow for a wonderful scent to permeate the air.

So, this past week I was extremely busy.  We had State Testing that the kids needed to attend, which meant all four children Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  The good part is that it took place at our local library, and if you know me well, you know it is one of my favorite places on earth.

I love going to the library and spending hours there.  I took my laptop and while the kids tested, I was able to get my Happy Homemaker Post up, check my email, facebook, edit some photos etc.

And I also picked up a few books, but of course.  Want to see my list?

There's a little of everything in there.

This one I actually started reading at the library and couldn't put it down. I've always been curious about the Oregon Trail and the wagons and how they moved from place to place, what they took, what happened etc. This book takes you along as a husband and wife, son and a relative retrace the steps of the westward expansion starting in 1840. Fascinating to read.

I even ready it while I'm working on my corner to corner blanket.

Then there are the Foxfire books, which I'm sure many of you know about and have read. I have wanted to read them for a while, but our previous library didn't have all of them, there always seemed to be a missing book or two. I found the first and the third volume at this library, so I grabbed them.

What I most like about these is the tons of information that they provide. They really do teach you a lot about self sufficiency and homesteading. Two things that I would love to one day say I am good at.

As for the rest of the books on the list, here they are:

An Amish Miracle by Beth Wiseman
The White Princess by Phillipa Gregory
The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini
The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook

Today I have been catching up on my housework and laundry.  It's incredible how when you are out of the house for most of the day for just 3 days, how everything seems to go haywire.  You could have sworn that I never clean the house the way things were looking around here.

But it's all back on track.

I finished my menu planning, paid all the bills, worked on my budget, got the laundry under control and now all that is left is some sweeping and mopping.  I'll get to those tomorrow.

I need to get started on dinner, the family has requested Hamburger Helper, which I honestly could do without, not a fan at all.  But once in a while, I don't mind.

Also plan on watching something on TV, not sure yet what.  I might continue on with The Americans, I'm enjoying that one a lot.  Oh and speaking of things I've watched, I watched a documentary earlier from England about the poor care that a lot of the elderly get in nursing homes.

It broke my heart and I sobbed through the whole hour.  I can't understand how it's acceptable to mistreat these people, to hit them, to swear at them, to humiliate them and laugh in their faces.  It's not right and something needs to be done about it.

The amount of times I wanted to reach through the screen and protect these elderly, or just give them a hug, a simple gesture of kindness, anything.  They are so alone.  Heart breaking.

Anyway, I think I've chatted long enough, I have things to get to around here so I better get on with them. 

If you could please say a prayer for us.  We have the upcoming move at the end of the month, and my husband is once again on the job hunt.  I just ask the Lord to provide as He has always done with us, to find a job that my husband will really enjoy and be appreciated at, and a good home for our children.

God Bless, and thank you for visiting my little corner of the world :)

Happy Homemaker Monday - 04/28/2014

Good morning my friends.  I apologize for this post going up a little later than usual, but I am actually at the library right now.

This week we have State testing, so all 4 kids are currently busy and I am waiting on them.  I could go home because we are but 5 minutes away, but unfortunately all 4 are sick in some capacity or other.  The worst one right now is Nicholas, and then Tiffany, then Colby and Jasmine who started with a sore throat this morning.

So, I'm staying put in case one of them needs me.  Luckily though, like I said above, the testing is at the library so I can enjoy some coffee, some books, some wifi and some rest.  Praying that all 4 kids feel ok.

Alright, on to our Happy Homemaker Monday......

As I look outside my window:::
It's very bright and sunny today with not a single cloud in the sky.  Thankfully the winds have stopped.  I see some cars in the parking lot if I look out to my left, and to my right I see cars driving by.

Right now I am:::
Sitting in the study area with my laptop, typing up this post, and enjoying the quietness and the scent of books all around me.  You know what I mean!!!

Thinking and pondering:::
On the testing, on all the work we still have to do aside from the testing, and on the move....of course.

On my bedside table:::
My Bible
Kleenex, Vicks and my body lotion

On my tv tonight:::
Monday:
Granite Flats
Turn
Star Crossed
Tuesday:
The Little Couple
Supernatural
Cosmos
Wednesday:
The 100
Thursday:
Reign
Impractical Jokers
Friday:
Hangar 1:  The UFO Files
Ancient Aliens
Saturday:
Ghost Adventures
Sunday:
Long Island Medium
Granite Flats
Salem
Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Listening to:::
Nothing but silence, oh and the click click of my keyboard as I type this post.

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - Crockpot Pork Meatballs, Spaghetti
Tuesday - Chicken and Chourico Rice
Wednesday - Homemade Cheesy Garlic Pizza
Thursday - Sausages, Mustard Mashed Potatoes, Onion Gravy
Friday - Crockpot Chicken Lickin'
Saturday - Fish and Chips
Sunday -  Crockpot Macaroni and Beef

On my to do list:::
Laundry, got everything done but the whites, and I need to wash the Tae Kwon Do Gi's for tonight
Finish Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping
Homeschooling

Happening this week:::
Monday - State Testing
Tuesday - State Testing
Wednesday - State Testing
Thursday -  Catch up on Housework
Friday - Catch up day, sewing, crochet, reading, blog reviews etc

What I am creating:::
Still working on the corner to corner blanket, it's been slow because I haven't had much time to really get into it.

My simple pleasure:::
Baking



Homemaking tips:::
This one is referring to baking as well.  I usually like to get everything done on a Sunday and freeze it for the week, so I make a huge batch of pancakes and waffles, muffins and even bread, then freeze it and during the week we just take out what we need.

Looking around the house:::
Well more like looking around the library.  It's very quiet, I'm surrounded by bookshelves which makes me very happy.  There is an elderly gentleman sitting at the far end of the room working on a computer, and I can hear two ladies chatting over at the coffee shop.
  
From the camera:::
Rainy day yesterday and as much as I love the rain itself, the dark skies contrasting with the green trees is even more beautiful.

Prayer List:::
My husband's 90 days probation for his job, is coming up next week, praying for that.
Praying for our move, that we find the house we really love and are able to get into that one and out of this one without having to pay double the rent.

Bible verse, Devotional:::
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
1 John 3:21-22

PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!

Saturday!!!

Hello everybody, how is your weekend going so far?

Mine has been quite busy actually, not surprising right?  Well yesterday was my daughter's birthday, she turned 15 years old.  Oh my word, how is it possible that she is already 15?

I was speaking to some friends on Facebook this morning, friends who I made through my blog when I first started back in 2006, so they have been following along and watching my children grow.  They were so shocked that she is already 15 years old because it seems like just yesterday I was sharing photos of her just starting Kindergarten.

Time just flies.

She has grown into such a beautiful young lady, she is smart, she is funny, she is sarcastic and quirky and a gamer girl.  She is not a girly girl at all, but once in a while she will dress up and get all dolled up and enjoy it....but not very often, she is more comfortable in t-shirts and shorts and hair up in a ponytail playing video games.

We just love her for who she is and we're so happy to see her blossoming.  I just can not wait to see her continue to grow, it's so exciting.  Did I ever tell you that she wants to become a Forensic Scientist?  Yeah, that's my child!  So proud.

She is a huge fan of everything British, not surprising there LOL So last year for her birthday I made her the Tardis Cake, remember that one? Well this year, I decided to go with a bit more of a sophisticated look, so I wanted a quite simple cake but still incorporating one of her favorite shows, which is the BBC's Sherlock.

I'm so thrilled with the way it turned out, I just love the profiles in black, and she loved it to bits.

I am nowhere near a cake pro, not even an amateur, let's just say that I have fun trying to decorate playing around with the fondant. Maybe one day I will think about really learning cake decorating, but for now it's just for fun.

Today was quite busy for us. My niece had a dance competition in Twin Falls, so my brother and sister in law went straight there after work yesterday and then up again this morning at 6am to head back again for another day of competition.

They asked us to babysit their dog Jax, and I of course said yes. But it's not so easy because he is quite a naughty feisty little thing.

We tried to keep him with us, but he wasn't getting along with our pugs, was peeing everywhere, whining and chewing on everything and getting into fights with Miss Lola.

We decided it's best to take him back home, so we did that last night around 10:30pm and they were supposed to have stayed overnight in Twin Falls, but ended up coming back home so it worked out just fine.

Today though, we picked him up at 8am, brought him over for a few hours and then had to take him back again and then checked on him another 3 times until my brother returned home around 5pm.

Lots of driving back and forth for the little one, but it's ok, I didn't want him to be completely alone because he's still a puppy.

This picture was taken right before he peed all over my quilt LOL Naughty dog.

Anyway, between all this, hubby and I headed out and got a storage unit here in town. We need one, but it will also be very helpful come time to move. They were having a great special at the moment so we ended up paying just $40 for two months. Not bad at all.

I wish I hadn't gone out though because the wind today has been absolutely horrid, it's whipping the trees back and forth and causing havoc with everyone's allergies.

I can hear the tree up against the house just slamming into the side, and this tree is the one where the Robin has made her nest and has her babies, so I keep going out there to check on them.

They're all huddled together. I am always so scared that the wind will cause the branch to give out or knock over the nest or something. Ugh!!!

Thankfully within 5 minutes of me being out there trying to support the tree branches somehow, the mama came back to sit on her babies.

She is so sweet :)

So yes, a little bit of running around, lots of laundry going in the meantime, and some yummy food being prepared for dinner.

Is there anything like the aroma of curry cooking on the stove? Oooohhhh I just love all these spices cooking away.

Right after dinner, I got everything washed up and the kitchen clean and I thought that I was ready to just take a shower and relax on the couch the rest of the night, but had to run back out to Albertsons to pick up milk.

While I was there I also picked up some more cough syrup and Vicks for my boy. Both he and my niece started getting sore throats on Thursday and since then they've slowly been starting to get sick, today they're both down for the count. She came home from her dance competitions and took a shower and was in bed.

My son is about the same, he already had his shower and is in bed too. I gave him some cough and cold medicine, rubbed some vicks on his chest and tucked him in. I hear him coughing from back there but I'm hoping that soon he will get sleepy and get some much needed rest.

And that was my Saturday.

Tomorrow morning we are heading to church, we actually haven't been in a few weeks and need to get back to it. I can't wait :)

Hope you're all having a good Saturday, I'm going to sit back, relax, crochet and watch the movie Labor Day.

Goodnight friends :)

Friday's Letters!

It's been such a busy week, I can't believe the last time I blogged was on Monday.  Oh boy!

Anyway, it's time for Friday's letters, and if you want to join in I've added a Mr. Linky to the bottom of this post.

Dear Jasmine....Happy Birthday my baby girl.  I can't believe that you are turning 15 years old, where has the time flown?  Thank you for being the smartest, prettiest, funniest daughter I could ever have wished for, and I am so excited to see you grow into a young woman.  I love you!

Dear Weather....ok, ok, I know you are in charge, but seriously???  It's practically May and I'm quite done with the cold and the dreary and the frost.  Where is my Spring?

Dear Kitchen....you truly are my favorite room in the whole entire house.  Thank you for letting me be myself, for experimenting and for cooking delicious meals for my family.

Dear Lola....if you only knew how much I love your little tongue.  It always seems like it's way too big for your mouth, but the way it hangs out has to be the most adorable thing on earth.

Dear Bella....oh my sweet old pug, you are getting on in years and I see you starting to struggle every day.  I wish I could make your back legs better, but unfortunately I can't.  All we can do is love you and hug you and continue to nurture you for as long as you live.

Dear Coffee....you are my best friend, where would I be without you?  You make mornings so much better.

Dear Blog....I love you, like really really love you.  I am sorry that I haven't been the best of bloggers with my crazy busy life lately, but I promise to try.

Dear Robin....You are such a good mommy to those 4 little babies.  I love watching you feed them and take care of them, and I can't wait to see them grow and fly out on their own.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 04/21/2014

Good morning everyone, well, it's Monday, are you ready for it?  I think I actually am ready to get this week going.

Way I see it, it's one more week closer to moving and getting settled into my new house....and summer break too :)

Anyway, let's get on with our Happy Homemaker Monday!

As I look outside my window:::
I'm actually having to squint, the sun is shining so brightly.  It's windy though so the chairs on my deck are moving to and fro and the trees are whipping about.  I'm so over this wind, it messes with my allergies big time.

Right now I am:::
Drinking a cup of hot coffee with Italian Sweet Cream Creamer, thinking about what I should eat for breakfast.  I'm not really very hungry but I know I should eat something and I just don't know what.

Thinking and pondering:::
On what I have going on this week, not a lot, thankfully.  Also thinking about my blog and how much I want to get back into my daily blog visits and seeing what everyone is up to.  I spend so much time scrolling through Facebook and there's nothing going on there, so I am going to start taking that time and visiting my blog friends.  More and more, I miss the old bloggy days and what blogging really meant, just women sharing their lives, their families, visiting each other, encouraging each other.....now blogs seem to be something completely different, more people are vlogging on Youtube, blogs are mostly about giveaways and reviews or people on soapboxes going on and on about how the way they do things is the right way.  It's just not a very pleasant atmosphere, in my opinion.

On my bedside table:::
My Bible
My Kindle - reading The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
Simple Abundance:  A daybook of comfort and joy

On my tv tonight:::
Monday:
Granite Flats (need to finish watching last week's episode and the new one from last night)
Turn (watch episode 1 and 2 and 3)
Star Crossed
Tuesday:
The Little Couple
Supernatural
Cosmos
Wednesday:
The 100
Thursday:
Reign
Impractical Jokers
Friday:
Hangar 1:  The UFO Files
Ancient Aliens
Saturday:
Ghost Adventures
Sunday:
Long Island Medium
Granite Flats
Salem
Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Listening to:::
My son talk to me about the game he is playing.  I don't understand anything he is saying or what it means, but it's important to him so I just nod and say yes and smile.  The joys of motherhood right?

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - Tamale Pie
Tuesday - Sausages and Mash
Wednesday - Hamburger Helper, Salad (not my favorite but was requested by the family)
Thursday - Crockpot Bean and Bacon Soup (forgot to put it in the crockpot last week)
Friday - Jasmine's Birthday so out to dinner
Saturday - Homemade Garlic Cheese Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza
Sunday -  Baked Fake Steak, Stuffing, Mash

On my to do list:::
Laundry, haven't done it in, oh.....one day *shake my head*
Change bed linens
Sweep and Vacuum
Homeschooling

Happening this week:::
Monday - Housework, Lucky Leaf Review/Giveaway, Tae Kwon Do
Tuesday - Housework
Wednesday - Tae Kwon Do
Thursday -  Tae Kwon Do
Friday - Jasmine's Birthday
Saturday - Niece's Dance Competition in Twin Falls

What I am creating:::
Working on my corner to corner blanket


My simple pleasure:::
Watching and photographing birds

Homemaking tips:::
When you are writing out your schedule for the house, make sure to include time for yourself.  It doesn't have to be a long time, but even a few minutes here and there will make a huge difference in your day.

Looking around the house:::
Nicholas is on the couch playing a game on his laptop, with Lola sleeping next to him.  My husband is getting ready to leave for work and Jasmine is still asleep, of course.  I have some dishes in the sink to wash, and others that need putting away on the rack.  Living room needs a little tidying up and I'm hoping to get all the floors mopped, but we'll see, with all the laundry and housework and homeschooling, I may end up just being able to sweep. 
  
From the camera:::

Prayer List:::
Our upcoming move, finding the right house for us
Friends and family

Bible verse, Devotional:::
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.
Deuteronomy 30:19

PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!