Friday Follow

Welcome to the April 30 Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Welcome to Friday Follow!  My blog is a place where I can talk about my husband, kids and being a Keeper of the home.  If you follow me I will follow you back.

Here are 10 things about me:

1. I'm a follower of Christ. My husband and I were saved on the same day 9-20-05.

2. My Husband is preparing for ministry.  He is finishing his BA degree in Christian Ministry.  He will then go onto Seminary at Liberty University.

3. We have 3 children, our oldest daughter turned 16 yesterday.  Our middle daughter turns 13 on the 8th.  Our son is 10.

4. We homeschool all of them.  We pulled them out of public school 4 years ago.

5. I enjoy gardening.  We have 2 vegetable gardens, and an herb garden.

6. We are trying to grow most of our food.

7. I am trying to loose weight, I have lost 26 pounds since February.

8. We are going through a rough patch, water damage to our house therefore we have to live with my parents.  But I am (trying) remembering that God is in control.

9. I love being a wife and keeper at home.

10. Cooking, and baking are my passion.

Cooking Thursday

This is something I make all the time.  I am not a recipe writer, my cooking style is more like add a bit of this and a little of this!!  But here goes my attempt.  Any questions just ask.

Mexican Lasagna

Corn tortillas

1 pound hamburger or ground turkey

taco seasoning (1 packet or homemade)

1 jar of taco sauce

shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook hamburger in a non stick pan, add taco seasoning at the end.  Add the whole jar of taco seasoning into hamburger.   In a 13x9 pan (sprayed with non stick spray) layer tortillas and hamburger mixture then cheese.  Add another layer of tortillas repeat until all the hamburger is used.  It will depend on how much hamburger you use in each layer as to how many tortilla you will use.  I usually go through one package.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

Visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM for more wonderful recipes.

Upcoming Review!!

I am SO excited....I recently found an amazing online group of stores.  CSN stores have 200 + stores with everything from bar furniture to bedroom furniture, toys to tools, and my favorite kitchen items, including cookware.  I spent WAY too much time browsing their online stores yesterday!!  That in itself is amazing because I am not a shopper....but online shopping that is a different story!!

When I was contacted by CSN and given the opportunity to do a review for them I must say I was thrilled!  Stay tuned for that review post.  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.  I have a feeling it will be a very FUN review!!

Although, we are not drinkers in any way shape or form there is some really cute bar furniture on their site. I really liked the International Caravan Iron Patio 3 Piece Pub Set, I can see that sitting in the lawn under the maple tree, where we can sit and drink lemonade or ice tea in the heat of the summer.

While you are waiting for my review go on over to the CSN stores website and have a look around...but beware...make sure all your housework or homework is done!!! :-)  I'm heading back there now to have a look around some more.

What have I been up to?

Well this has been some week!  It all started Friday when it was discovered that we had a pipe leaking and there was a little water in the laundry room....no big deal right?!  Wrong!  Saturday it turned into a big deal.  I woke up to a very soggy bathroom!  I first blamed the men in the family for "missing" the toilet...LOL!  But after closer examination I saw that the whole bathroom floor was wet...not only on the surface but below the linoleum.  We now have to completely gut the bathroom and redo it all.  BUT that is our only bathroom.  SO we are now living with my parents until we get it fixed.  Which could be at least 2 weeks!!  And to top it all off last night something started leaking from the transmission in our car.  AHHH if I were a drinking woman I would probably be drowning my sorrow!  So what is a woman to do stuck in the house?  I'm planning on having 2 weeks of crafting and baking!!  I'll just drown my sorrow in glue, yarn and fabric!

Here are some projects I'm planning on making:

These cute little market bags.

A few of these dishcloths.

Swiffer Cover

I'll probably do a couple more projects.  For today I'm making:

YUMMY White Bread!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies.  My Mom had this box she ordered from me a while ago.  They are just TOO good to let them sit on the shelf!!

Well I think that should keep me busy and content for some time.  I'm also reading a few books for review.  So how has your week been??

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

What a day this has been!  It all started yesterday when my daughter ran up stairs yelling Mom you need to get downstairs!  When I got down to the washroom there was water all over.  Leaking from the bathroom!  It didn't look like much at the time so my Husband went to work this morning as usual.  I got up this morning and saw that the whole upstairs bathroom was soaked.  Including the sub floor!  It all needs to be ripped up.  So in the mean time we have to move in with my parents for at least a week!

Seeds Family Worship CD review

When I was asked to review these CD's I was so excited.  But I never imagined I would  recieve 5 FULL CD's!   These CD's are blessings to anyone at any age.

Seeds of PURPOSE

Seeds of PRAISE

Seeds of FAITH

Seeds of COURAGE

 The Power of ENCOURAGEMENT

My kids absolutely LOVED these...ok so did we.  They play them all the time.  I must say it makes learning scripture very easy.  Especially since one of our daughter has learning disabilities and struggles to memorize.  Putting scripture to song is great!!  I've even found myself singing the songs.  They make great car, home and anytime songs.  Our 16 year old daughter even asked to have them put on her IPod!!  Who could ask for more???  Go on over to Seeds Family Worship and check them out.

I'm even working on getting them to come to our Christian Camp to perform!!

Book Review--The Bridegrooms

This story is what I describe as Jane Austen meets Little Women.  I LOVED this book.  It takes place in Ohio during the 1880's.  I am SO in love with this time in history that when I saw this book on the next tour I jumped at the chance to read and review it.  This is the first book by Allison Pittman I have read but will definatly not be the last.

I found myself transported right into the Allenhouse home.  With the sister talking about hair, clothing and suitors.  Who can forget their father who is a doctor.  When a man is hit in the head with a baseball he is transported to Dr. Allenhouse.  The house is filled with many visitors, which make the Allenhouse sisters all giddy with the extra attention.

I highly recommend this book...especially if you enjoy historical fiction.  I read this book in ONE day.  That almost never happens.

I'll leave you with a quote from the book:

"I often wonder what God sees

When He's looking down at me.

And if He hears the words I say

Before, after, and when I pray.

I wonder what my God would say

If He sat down with me here today.

And if His thoughts are always kind

Or are they sometimes more like mine."

I was given this book by Waterbrook Multnomah free to read and review.

Friday Follow

Welcome to the April 23 Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades!

Welcome to my blog those of you who are here from Friday Follow!  Grab a cup of coffee or tea and have a look around.  My blog is a bit of this and that.  I post recipes, family happenings, things God has laid on my heart, and homeschooling happenings.  I also have a number of book reviews each month and I review for Molly's Money Saving Digest.

So follow me and leave me a comment, I'll come follow you! 

Cooking Thursday

We are living on a very limited budget.  I have to be very creative on what I make and use.  I have started making a lot of our own "convience" mixes.  Not only do they save us a lot of money, they are also better for you.

Chili Mix

1 cup dried chili peppers

1/4 cup cumin

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Use more or less cayenne pepper according to taste. Remove stems and most of the seeds from the peppers. Shred coarsely. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor container and whirl until powdered. Let chili powder settle before removing food processor lid (This comes from experience!! LOL!).  Place in glass jar to store.  To use I start out with 1 tablespoon of the dry mix then adjust as I like.

Soup Mix

2 1/2 cups green split peas

2 1/2 cups lentils

2 1/2 cups pearl barley

2 s c alphabet macaroni or rice

1 c dried onion flakes

1/2 c celery flakes

1/2 c parsley flakes

1 1/2 s t. thyme, optional

1 1/2 s t. white pepper, optional

Mix all ingredients together. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir before using. Makes 10 c. of mix.

TO COOK: Combine 1 c. of soup mix with 4 c. of water or seasoned stock in large pan. Add 1 c. of cooked chopped meat, if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pan. Simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes, or until peas are tender. Add 1/2 t. salt if desired.

MINESTRONE VARIATION: Combine 1 c. of soup mix with a 16-oz. can of stewed tomatoes, 2 to 3 c. water or stock, 1 chopped carrot, 1 to 2 chopped potatoes, and 1/2 t. basil. (Optional: 1 clove minced garlic). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pan. Simmer 45 to 60 minutes or until peas are tender. Add 1/2 t. salt, if desired.

Visit Diary of a SAHM for more recipes!

Review---Molly's Money Saving Digest April

Here is how Molly describes the April Edition of

"Here's a taste of what you'll discover when you order the April Digest today . . .



Thirty links and homemade ideas to keep kids happy and occupied on those inevitable rainy days!


A week's worth of kid-friendly recipes and kitchen fundamentals for cooking with children!


Understanding money and thrifty concepts for kids--they'll do a cost comparison experiment in the kitchen with Molly!


Inspiration and motivation from Molly's special guests and experts to help you live your own flexible, frugal lifestyle!


Fresh ideas, and four new forms to help organize and simplify your life!


Attractive projects you may never have seen that'll propel your repurposing productivity!"

This issue has been great!!  How many times have your children said to you..."I'm Bored!!"  In the April Issue I especially love the section on rainy day activities....4 WHOLE pages worth of websites for great indoor activities.  All of these are very inexpensive and most use items you have around the house.

We are also on a cupcake fix here.  Probably because we love cake but are trying to cut down on what and how much we eat.  Cupcakes are perfect!!  There are a lot of recipes in this issue for cupcakes and muffins. 

You really can not go wrong on Molly's Money Saving Digests because at only $4.95 you get a great amount of information on saving money!!  These are not just for Homeschoolers!!  Everyone can and will benefit from these.

Molly even has a blog with a ton of information on it as well.  Econobusters (don't you just love the name?)  go on over there and have a look around.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Cold this morning but is supposed to warm up to 60.

Things that make me happy:

when my children think I'm smart....they are all approaching the teen years and you know parents know n.o.t.h.i.n.g!  LOL!

Book I'm reading:

Bible (Romans 6-9), Julie and Julia, The Bridegrooms, Divanomics, a few new cookbooks my hubby got for me!  I'll do a review after I've had a chance to go through them. 

What I'm enjoying on TV:

very little....I watched The Waltons:Season 1 this weekend.

On the menu for dinner:

leftover turkey...I made a turkey on Thursday

On my To Do List:

Co-op group lessons

Finish 2 papers for my Bible class

spend time with family

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

This was SO good.  It tasted like a big peanut butter cookie!!

Peanut Butter Bread

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients then add peanut butter.  Beat well, add milk and mix again.  Pour into well greased bread pan.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

In the craft basket:

card making...I won a stamp set off of a blog this week!! I can't wait to recieve it!

Looking forward to this week:

Finishing up my Bible class

My son's Blue and Gold banquet for Boy Scouts

Tips and Tricks:

To leave your home smelling fresh: wash your curtains but do not dry them...hang them up a little damp.  Open the window and let the breeze dry them.

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Hubby made me a sign this morning!

My favorite blog post this week:

I do not have a favorite of mine this week.

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):

On the blog hop this week I read so many great blogs.  But my favorite by far was Goodbye House! Hello, Home.  The title caught my eye at first.  We as homemakers really should say goodbye to the house and say hello to home....no matter where you live.  Big house, small house, apartment, ect!!

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:

Being home is the greatest gift of all!!  We have been so busy lately, especially on the weekends.  It was nice to just stay home this weekend.

On my mind:

our garden!!  We are watching the peas growing and I love it.  We have 2 gardens full of peas.  We are planting so much this year, I hope to have enough to get us through the winter.  I'm also going to try to make pickles this year.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”- 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

UBP '10 After Party Party!!

I'm sad its over!!  As some of you have read, I participated in the Ultimate Blog Party Hop this year.  This event is sponsored by 5minutesformom.com  If you have never been to this site you really should stop by.

I can't believe all last week I must of gone to over 100 blogs!!  Now I have to name 3 that I have really enjoyed.  WELL that is so hard because there were so many of them. 

These are in no particular order.....
Goodbye,House! Hello, Home!  After visiting her blog and she stopping by mine we came to realize that we have a lot in common.  She is my new BBF (Best Blogger Friend) :-)

Little Family in the Big Woods This blog first caught my eye because of the Big Woods in the title...since I love Little House on the Prairie.  She has so much on her blog.  Stop by and read a bit.

Come Have a Peace I often have trouble with peace.  For whatever reason I struggle with this.  I'm so happy to have found this blog.  She offers wonderful Bible Studies, posts on many other topics.  Go on over and be prepred to be blessed.

I can't just pick 3 so here is one more I have really enjoyed:

Offering Hospitality So often in recent times hospitality falls between the cracks in life.  I remember my parents always had people over to the house after church.  We rarely have company over to the house.  We just left life get in the way to fellowship with others.

This was such a fun week of reading and meeting many new bloggers.  I look forward to next years blog party.  I have many ideas and I might even have a give a way.

Cooking Thursday--Quick Chicken Corn Chowder

Quick Chicken Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts(I used left over turkey)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 3 ears)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and jalapeño; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 5 minutes).

To see other recipes for Cooking Thursday visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Very nice...I think it is supposed to be in the 60's

Things that make me happy:

a clean home!!!

Book I'm reading:

Bible

Books for review

Books for my Bible class

What I'm enjoying on TV:

NOTHING!  We are doing a TV/Media purge here.  Including computer time.

On the menu for dinner:

Beef Stew in the crockpot

On my To Do List:

write 2 papers for my Bible class

Clean

Laundry

Work on my craft room!!

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

some new bread recipes...anyone have some?

In the craft basket:

nothing much

Looking forward to this week:

Bible class on Tuesday

Kids club at church on Wednesday

Then nothing else the rest of the week.

Tips and Tricks:

After using a lemon in a recipe use the rest of it to clean your counter/cutting board.  For the counter rub it over the counter cut side down.  For the cutting board sprinkle salt and with cut side down work in small circles.

My favorite blog post this week:

Since I've been participating in the Ultimate Blog Party 2010 I've been to A LOT of blogs.  I encourage you all to go check some out.  There are a bunch of great prizes to be won!!

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):

Melissas Bargin Blog:  Who doesn't like a bargin?  She has a ton of money saving and bargins listed on her site.

Favorite Picture: (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share): We have been studying about the Civil War.  We went to the local cementary and saw graves of local soldiers who were in the Civil War.  Here is Matt and Andrew trying to read the stone.  This soldier died in Libby Prision.

Lesson learned the past few days:
TV brings a lot of garbage into your house.  It is not so much the shows...although they have a lot to be desired...the commercials!!  Some are VERY horrible!  Not something I want my children to watch.  I am surprised at the things we as Christians are allowing into our homes via TV and computer.

On my mind and things I'm praying about:
Our ministry opportunity at our church.  We are very excited about this upcoming opportunity.
My new Niece...Bethany Rose...pictures later...my sister had ovarian cancer 3 years ago and was told she would never have children...well God is SO good!!  Now I'm praying my sister and her husband look to the Lord and accept Christ as their Savior!!

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”- Luke 9:23-24

To see other Happy Homemaker posts or to join in on this weekly meme visit Diary of a SAHM.

This Little Prayer of Mine--Book Review

This book was provided to me by Waterbrook Press for review.
Written by Anthony DeStefano, Illustrated by Mark Elliott.  This Little Prayer of Mine can be purchased through Random House.

This book was such a blessing!  Not only to me but to my daughter.  She loves to read but often has trouble doing so.  This book was so well written that she was able to understand it completely.  After she read it she said to me they prayed in the book just like I do when I'm talking to Jesus.  This book assures children of all ages that God listens to them no matter what and that he is watching them no matter what or where they are.  Prayer isn't just about asking God to give them something, it is a way for us to share with God our deepest fears, concerns and hopes for the future.  This book shows children that God cares deeply for them, even when they have done wrong, they just need to ask God for forgiveness.  I HIGHLY recommend this book to those with children of all ages.

I caught Hannah reading this book on the deck the other day.  So far she has read this book about 6 times.  I can not say enough about this book!

The Ultimate Blog Party 2010

Head on over to 5 Minute for Mom to visit some of the blogs you can even enter some of the wonderful give a ways.

Welcome to my place here on the web.  I started blogging a while ago so I would feel creative.  You know how it is...sometimes you just need people to listen to you! LOL!

A little about me:
1. I've been saved since September 20, 2005.
2. I've been married since November 5, 2005...busy year!
3. We have been homeschooling for 4 years.
4. I am trying to be the woman God has created me to be
5. I love being a SAHM.
6. Somedays I do not...see above
7. My husband and I have been called into ministry...just waiting on the Lord's direction.
8. I'm a coffee drinker!
9. I am NOT an organized person..I have to work very hard at it.
10. I love to cook...the kitchen is my creative outlet.
11. I like to create scrapbooks and faithbooks
12. We have 2 large gardens and an herb garden
13. We are starting to grow most of our food.
14. I like to spend time with my children just talking with them.
15. I enjoy being an aunt....spoil spoil and spoil then send them home.
16. I do not like to do things with out my husband.
17. We go camping every weekend in the summer.

There is much more, but I need to get some work done around here before going to see the newest addition to our family....who was born yesterday!!


My top prize picks: It is almost impossible to pick my favorites....

Of course the GRAND prize of a Toshiba Laptop!!
Any of the gift cards or gift certificates, including a $200 Apple store gift card!!
US-5 Baking magic for kids
US-7 Tupperware Prize Pack
US-18 Goodie Basket for Mom
US-46 Scentsy Plug In warmer and 3 scents
US-62 Bible in 90 days NIV Bible
US-72 Your Shape for Nintendo Wii A fitness video game
USC-53 What's New Cupcake
US-83 Mickey's 5 in 1 Tasty Baker by PopArt
USC-56 Cook It Together cookbook
INTL-12 $50 gift certificate to Penny Raine
INTL-13 Homekeeping Printables Pack (6 of them)
US-105 Get Fit Pack

I think you get the point....there are SO many prizes to be won!  Go on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and check them out and link up for your chance to win some of these.

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat

1 cup water

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), divided

1 plum tomato, diced

1 clove garlic, peeled

3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)

1/4 teaspoon salt (I omit this because the cheese has a lot of salt)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided

Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.

Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.

Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

To see other Cooking Thursday posts visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

My Great Grandmother's China

When my Great Grandmother passed away last year at the age of 98 she left me her china set that they got when they were married.  I was so honored that she gave them to me!  I remember eating off of them when I was a child.  My Great Grandmother believed in making every day a special day for your family. 

I've had the set carefully packed away in the attic for a year now.  One day while my daughters and I were watching a Jane Austen movie my daughters said they wished we had dishes like that.  It got me to thinking HEY we do have some.  Then I remembered what my Great Grandmother had always told me about making each day special.  Why keep something so beautiful tucked away unseen by all?!  I decided to get them out and use them like Mum-Mum (thats what we called her) desired.

There are so many pieces I am not sure what to do with all of them.  If anyone can tell me what they are I'd be eternally grateful.

This is a sugar and creamer set.  I'm assuming the plater underneath is supposed to be there.

Gravy boat, there are 2 of these.

Serving bowl, I have 4 of these.  I love the stains from use.  Or it could be someone put it in the mircrowave.

These are small bowl like plates, they are not very deep.  This is one piece I'm not really sure of.

Tea cups and saucer...These are my favorite!  I remember playing tea party with my Great Grandmother using these...I had Tang in mine.  I had my morning coffee in this today.

Serving platter.  We had our Resurrection Sunday ham on this.

 Upclose look at the pattern.  I felt as if my Great Grandmother is here while we are using these.  Yesterday was the first day.  But certainly not the last!

Dinner plates...one thing we noticed was how different the size of plates are now compaired to then....MUCH larger.  There are also dessert plates (not pictured), boy are these small as well.  But exactly what a portion should be.

We ALL loved them and look forward to family meal times using these for many years to come.  One complaint my son had was "Why are these so "girly"...didn't your Great Grandfather ask for some with fish on them?"  LOL!

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:

the temps have been so unusually warm, we had 85-87 last week!!  Unheard of in western NY this time of year.  Today is much cooler 65...I like that!!

Things that make me happy:

Spending time with family.  Resurrection Sunday was just the 5 of us.  We had such a wonderful day spent just as a family.

Book I'm reading:

Bible

a couple of books for review

Books for Bible class I'm taking at church.  Our pastor has started college level courses for us.  No transferrable credits in the college sense but I'm really liking the class.  We are studing Romans 6-9.

What I'm enjoying on TV:

not watching much TV lately.  We did watch "Jesus of Nazareth" this weekend.

On the menu for dinner:

leftover ham, corn pudding, green beans

On my To Do List:

laundry (I can check this one off...my WONDERFUL husband did it this morning)

Schooling the kids

pick up the car from getting inspected

start looking for a new truck (well new to us) the sway bar on the truck (I guess its pretty important..LOL) broke and now needs to be repaired.  We've decided to see what the Lord will provide in this area.  We have been putting SO much into this truck lately.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

We wanted to make these this weekend.  Just do a search for "He is Risen Rolls" using marshmallows and refrigerated bisquits.  We never got around to making them...but we are to keep Christ in our everyday so there is no reson we can't make them anyday. 

In the craft basket:

I want to learn how to knit

Scrapbooking

Cardmaking

Looking forward to this week:

MY NEW NEICE!!  My sister and her husband after many years of trying to get pregnant and my sister having ovarian cancer are finally welcoming their daughter on Thursday!!  She will have a csection.  I'm SO excited!!

Tips and Tricks:

To cut down on grocery costs plant a garden.  It doesn't have to be big.  It can be in a container on a patio.  I do not know what we would do without our gardens.

My favorite blog post this week:

Did not post much this week

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):

Homespun Simplicity 

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share): My Great Grandmother's China (post to follow)

Lesson learned the past few days:

We are very dependent on our cars these days.  When they break down we are sent into a "tizzy".  Don't know what to do, how to do it.  BUT I believe God uses all situations to get our attention.  Maybe God is telling you to slow down and listen to Him.  That happened to us this weekend.  Our car we took to get inspected and our son noticed something hanging down on our truck.  Well we took pictures and sent them to my brother who is a mechanic...it is the sway bar (keeps the truck from tipping over going around a corner) The Lord kept us safe while driving it around all day yesterday.  There are many things going wrong on the truck, we have started praying about replacing it.  We do not have a lot of money to spare to purchase one, but we know the Lord will provide a way for us to do so.

On my prayer list:

my sister and brother in law, family, our vehicle situation

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM.