NEW Yahoo Group!

I am excited to announce that I have started up a YAHOO group for Simple Family Supper! I will use this group to send out my free newsletter, pass out tips and recipes, and share in the support and encouragement to simplify our lives. Supper time shouldn't be stressful! Simple Family Supper is a way to eliminate the stress! Sign up today for this FREE newsletter group!!!




Click to join SimpleFamilySupper


Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

www.simplefamilysupper.com

No Complaining!

Complaining... America's pastime.... Is it mine?? Well, I have always felt I wasn't a huge complainer, but am I??? I guess the next two weeks will be revealing. I am joining up with Kristy and going on a 14 day NO COMPLAINING challenge!!!

I'm sure I will goof up a time or two (thanks for grace), but I am really, really, really going to try HARD to NOT COMPLAIN!!! I have heard experts say you can't quit a bad habit, you have to start a good one. Replacing a complaint with a positive will be my focus. Sometimes a positive will be me just not saying anything, while other times it will be pointing out the good in a situation. I also know that kids NEED to hear us saying GOOD things about their behavior. A little more positive attention could go a LONG way on some days!

Anyone up for joining me on this 14 day NO COMPLAINING challenge??

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!!!
Heather


Don't complain about supper!!!
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Summer time treat: home made chocolate pudding!

Making homemade pudding is EASY and keeps all the chemicals in processed pudding OUT! Homemade pudding is also loaded with calcium and protein... makes for a healthy treat! With milk prices going up we don't make it as often as I used to, but it is still a good summer time treat. For other frugal tips go here.

Hasty Chocolate Pudding
1 cup sugar (I actually use a little less)
2/3 cup cocoa powder
6 TBL cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
4 cups milk
4 tsp vanilla

1. In a microwave safe bowl whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt.
2. Whisk in milk, a little at at time, so the the mixture does not have any dry lumps.
3. Place this mixture in the microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes. Stir, then cook at 1 minute intervals, stirring in between, until shiny and thick. (3dditional 3-5 minutes total)
   
4. Stir in vanilla
5. Place a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Chill. Serve cold. **I speed the cooling time by placing my bowl of pudding inside a large bowl filled with ice water. Just be careful to keep water out of pudding. Stir pudding every so often and replace ice water as necessary.**
   

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Eliminating some "stuff".....

Ok, in my previous post I talked about "stuff" and my desire to purge! Now you might think that this post is opposite, but I want to eliminate all those plastic shopping bags that quickly add up. I have found some good ways to store and use them, but they I would like to have LESS of them. They are NOT good for the environment, either. I think that these bags from Lehmans are my solution.... what do you think???

Have a BLESSED day,
Heather

Simply.... Stuff!

I got a phone call last weekend.... some friends of some friends lost their home to a fire on last Friday. They are a family with 5 girls and their house was the family homestead, in the family for 150 years. So sad. I understand how they feel more than most. The year before I got married (I was still living at home with my parents) our home was destroyed by a fire. It is tough. It isn't something I would want anyone to go through. However, the one thing you learn when you experience it is that stuff is just stuff. Our family was all fine, their family was all fine... that is what matters. Is it easy loosing all your earthy possessions? NO! However, we don't come into this world with stuff and we won't leave with it...... Because I went through that situation I don't hold on to material possessions extremely tight. I enjoy the blessings God has given us (especially ones that reminded me of someone), but if we lost everything we would be OK. (Not to say I ever want to have to go through that again.)

It has gotten me thinking..... what causes me the most daily frustration and stress???? The answer: STUFF! What???? Yes, all the stuff that has to be cleaned, picked up, put away, organized, taken care of!!!!! Stuff accumulates so fast that it takes over!!!! It sucks life right out of me... constantly needing my attention. It steels time away from my family and friends. It robs my joy because it constantly makes me feel "behind". YUCK!!!

So This week I am really focusing on praying and seeking God about our "stuff"! What does He desire. Of course we must have the necessities, but more stuff is almost a curse! In order for us to live a "simple" life, I believe we have a lot of stuff that needs to go. I will be going through each room this summer purging stuff. I will be praying for guidance and wisdom... I don't want to be unwise and get rid of things I will have replace, but I also need clarity to see things as God sees them....

I am embarking on my summer adventure: The Great Purge!!!

Anyone else struggle with "stuff"?? Am I alone in it being the root of a lot of my stress and daily frustration??? Have you done what I am getting ready to do and eliminate??? I have come to the point where I have no desire to be measured by my earthly possessions.......

Please keep this family in your prayers... they have a long road to get down.
Heather

I am glad that supper time isn't a stress for us anymore! Join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

SUMMER vacation is here!!!! Keeping Summer simple...

Yesterday was the official last day of school for my oldest two! Robyn finished off the school year with a picnic to the park. Ethan, Nate and I joined the class for some fun!
Keeping summer simple is a HUGE goal of mine! For me that means we have a plan, a target goal. One of my favorite quotes: "If you don't aim at the target you will miss it every time."

I told Wes and Robyn that they can sleep in as LATE as they want to today, but the rest of the summer they have to be up by 7:30am. I have learned over the years that in order for summer to go smoothly and to keep everyone stable, happy and helpful we MUST stay on a schedule. I can hear the groans now.... "but it is summer!" Really, it works for our family. We don't keep a torture schedule, just a basic outline of how the day will go and what chores/responsibilities must get done. We also keep a tight reign on the tv/computer/play station. The kids "earn" their tv/computer/play station time by completing their assigned tasks with a good attitude.

We are going to have a "Little House on the Prairie" summer. Due to gas prices we are STAYING home as much as possible. We will go out for Robyn's games, church and one day for outings and errands. We are going to focus on building memories and having fun. We are going to participate in VBS and 4H.

Here is a look at our summer schedule: (It is kept flexible so that we can leave it for a day to do other things like go visit friends and family, participate in VBS and other things) I don't list our schedule with exact times. What works best for me is to have a "routine", an order we do things and target times to have things started and completed by. My "Target times" keep us on track!

Summer "Target" Schedule for a "HOME" day:

• Target time: 6:30 Heather up (thats me) Shower, Dress, make bed, personal Bible time
  
• by 7:30 all kids up (Ethan and Nate will RARELY sleep in that late, they are usually up by 6:30)
• Eat breakfast and read "Keys for Kids" for Bible time
  
• Morning Routine (the kids have their list of daily morning responsibilities such as get dressed, make bed, tidy check room, bring down laundry, etc. I have my own set of responsibilities such as start the laundry, tidy check my own room, tidy kitchen, swish and swipe bathroom, etc)
• Morning "House Blessing" chores (we divide up house cleaning responsibilities and everyone tackles one. 15 minutes)
  
• BARN chores: the animals want fed!
• Garden/flower check: If we stay on top of the garden it doesn't get to be a HUGE job
  
• 9 am: TARGET time for all the above to be completed.
• FREE play time for children, blog, email and homestead forum time for me. I will also use some of this time for gardening and other projects.
  
• 10- 11 am: "Home School" We home school every summer. I believe that it is vital to keep the kid's brains sharp! During this time we work on various subjects, projects, math drills, writing letters, etc. The goal is to do fun things that keep the kid's brains learning.
• Lunch
• Room Rescues (Clean up the kitchen and dining room from lunch and then go quickly through the house "rescuing" the rooms from any messes.
• Check on the animals.
  
• Free play** for children. I will work on laundry and other things that need done in/around the homestead/house.
• 1pm TARGET time: Afternoon rest begins! Ethan and Nate go down for naps (they still sleep), Wes and Robyn go to their rooms to have quiet reading time, personal devotions, work on 4H projects or sleep. I use this time to work on Simple Family Supper or complete "desk" work.
  
• Target time: 3pm Snack
• Afternoon chores : just a quick chore off the chore list (15 minutes). Team work!
• Free play for children (or they work on a project or help me )
• Supper Prep and Supper Time (Time for supper varies depending on if Robyn has a softball game or when hubby will be home from work.)
• Clean up kitchen
• Robyn Game?? Family Fun Play time!
  
• Garden, Animals
• Room Rescues
• Showers, PJ's, brush teeth, read books BED!
• 8:30 TARGET time: All children in their beds!

**Note on "Free Play": I believe that children need structure to their days, but that they also need time to just explore, create, imagine and day dream! During free play they are also welcome to work along side me on whatever task I am doing.

"House Blessing", "Swish and Swipe" and "Room Rescues" are all flylady terms. I discovered flylady 4.5 years ago and her teaching/mentoring changed my life. I PRAYED for help with my home management and God sent me flylady!!

"Keys for Kids" is a wonderful (FREE) publication. My parents did this with us when I was growing up and now my kids LOVE it!
What does a typical "summer day" look like in your home? I LOVE summer!!! I am excited to have my kids at home and totally enjoy summer time activities and tasks! This is by far my favorite time of the year.

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Don't let supper be a stress this summer! www.simplefamilysupper.com

Tour Tuesday

Tour Tuesday is here again!! I hope you have all had a wonderful memorial day weekend! To see last week's addition of Tour Tuesday click here. I will forever be a "nosy" person! I love to see into others lives and don't mind sharing some of mine.... lets just keep our "dirty laundry" piles to ourselves.... though my laundry is more caught up right now than it has been for a while! (YEAH!)



My husband and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on Sunday.
When I was growing up I prayed for two things relating to my future husband: I prayed that he would be taller than me and that he wouldn't be a dairy farmer..... ( my grandfather was a dairy farmer and my uncle still is.... dairy farmers never get a day off. For some reason cows want milked every day.. twice a day at that! The nerve!!! Next time you drink a glass of milk send up a little prayer for dairy farmers... they are one dedicated bunch.)
God has a sense of humor, Chris is 6' 6"!!! He is a country boy, going "farmer", but isn't and never will be a dairy farmer! God truly blessed me with this man!
Last Thursday we went on a "get-away" of sorts! Thank you again, Mary Lou! (My mother in law stayed with the kids over night).


While Chris and I were on our "get away" we went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. We realized we haven't been to a movie (just the 2 of us... no kids) since we got married!!! WOW! We enjoyed our selves and even treated us with a BIG tub of popcorn (with butter) and 2 large cokes. (a splurge for sure... but once every 12 years is probably affordable!)









We came home and went FISHING with the kids Friday night! The blue gill were really biting!
Here is Ethan with his first catch of the year....










Here is Robyn.... waiting for a bite.... she can now bait her hook and take the fish off!!! She caught several!











Wes with one of 2 Bass he caught (in addition to several blue gill).



















Nate and I with his FIRST fish!!!!!!
He LOVED the experience and caught about 6 total!!!! He did a great job. He didn't want to leave.... I think it is official: all the kids love to fish!












The "MESS" of fish!! We packaged it up to save for a big fish fry.















Here is the mystery of the week: When we went to bed the bags were in perfect condition. When we got up in the morning the top soil bags were torn open.... What type of creature would do this??????? Any ideas??





Some fresh bread!!! I am enjoying this recipe. It is easy to mix up and is yummy!!!!











The iris opened up this week!


















Nate sure does love his dog! I think it is mutual!














Here we are at the back of the barn... facing towards the road (see the house in the upper left corner? My garden is in the fenced in area on the left.)

Remember what this area looked like last week? The mess of tangled roots is gone! We spent pretty much the entire rest of the weekend working back there. We had to drag away the roots, fill in the holes, smooth over the surface and clear out some random junk. Then hubby cut open the barn to create a door to the barn and he built the corral!!! The stall he cut access to was FULL, I mean FULL, of old rotten hay. It took 3 pick-up loads to haul it all out.

We are getting some cows in about a month... getting ready! I TOTALLY understand why pioneers could eat butter, eggs, bacon and potatoes everyday..... if I worked this hard day in and day out I would, too!


My handsome hubby working away on the corral. He is the hardest working man I know... he works circles around me and I am no wimp! I can't believe how much we got done this weekend!










Wes helping his Dad!














Isn't this the life???!!!! They don't have to fork out hundreds to lay in the mud... they get "spa treatment" everyday! I tell you what, nothing tastes quit as good as meat raised on your own property!








OK.... What kind of eggs am I going to get today??? This is what I found when I went to get the eggs!!!! I guess the cats have finally found out how comfortable the coop is! LOL!!!








I hope you have enjoyed this week's addition of "Tour Tuesday"! I can't wait to go on your tour!! Post a tour on your blog and leave your link!

Have a BLESSED day!
Be a BLESSING!
Heather




It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Have a GREAT weekend!

I know it is only Wednesday, but we are heading out of town Thursday morning. I have a busy day today: finish the June addition of Simple Family Supper, complete laundry, pack, run some errands and teach Bible Study tonight.

Where are we going? Well, Hubby is going to a supplier's training in Indianapolis and they are providing him a hotel room. I get to go along!! We will just be gone 2 days, but it is still a "get away". Our anniversary is on the 25th, so I guess this is our anniversary trip! I'm taking some books and my journal.... it should be relaxing. A BIG thanks to my mother in law for staying with the kids over night!!! We couldn't do this without her!

We get back Friday evening and the weekend forecast is BEAUTIFUL!!! I'm sure we will be OUTSIDE all weekend!!!!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Tour Tuesday

It's TUESDAY!!! Yeah, time for another "Tour Tuesday"! If you are like me, you are nosy! I love to see what others are up to, what their homes, yards, animals, barns, homesteads, gardens, etc are like! Here is your chance to see some more into my life and to let us have a peak into yours! Please just don't show us your dirty laundry... I have enough of my own! Go here to see last weeks addition of Tour Tuesday where I showed you all how I "see" my Grandmother throughout our home!

OK... here we go with this week's tour! We HAVE to be outside... no way am I posting inside pictures of my house this week. I CRAVE weather like this all winter..... now that it is here you won't find me inside (till dark)! My house is a disaster, but the yard is looking great (and I am ENJOYING myself)!



This is my best friend! MY shovel! Nobody better mess with it! My hubby sharpens it every year for me, so I have to be careful.







Here is one of my flower beds.... I found the barrel at a garage sale this spring. The wheel came from my Grandma (see last week's post) when she moved away from the family homestead. I'm not sure what it was originally used for, but I like having it in my yard.






The garden is starting to grow... though you can't see much yet..... the strawberries are in FULL bloom (the bottom left). I am having visions of strawberry shortcake, strawberry cheesecake, strawberry jam, strawberry Sundays, ..... oh, yeah... more tour!

I also planted two 150 feet rows of sweet corn. The farmers that farm the fields around us have been generous enough to let us put some sweet corn along the edge of their field!



This snow ball bush is outside my kitchen window... it is LOADED right now!!!!


















Behind the barn.... there used to be a ton of trees right up to the back of the barn.... my hubby cut all but one of the biggest ones down this spring. We were left with a bunch of stumps and roots that needed removed. The farmers that farm the land around us did us a HUGE favor by ripping them out with their back hoe!!!! THANK YOU, Browns!!!


We now have THREE pigs!!! Pork chop isn't lonely anymore. They lined up nicely for this picture.... smallest to largest.... Mr. Ham, Miss BBQ and Miss Pork Chop. They are growing great!








Here are "my girls"! The chicks aren't so little anymore.... They are enjoying the nice weather, too.

















Our neighbor used to have chickens a long time ago.... she gave us this perch this week. Hubby did some repair work on it and then we moved it in.... They are enjoying it.








OK... here is a picture of the harsh realities of country life.... one of my baby chicks got out... this is what I found the next morning.....











Lets end on a happier note! Last Wednesday night my Ethan "Graduated" from Preschool. Ethan had a wonderful year at preschool and enjoyed his program. I am always impressed with the songs and poems the kids recite... this year I was AMAZED.... Ethan participated in his first bell choir!












Well, we have reached the end of another "tour"! I invite you to participate! I enjoy your tours very much!!! Go post a tour and leave your link!!! Have a great day!
Heather




With weather like this I won't be spending very much time in the kitchen.... but my family won't go hungry! I have my menus planned and the meals are easy! Join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Free Subscription!

No strings attached!!! Go HERE to sign up for 2 free years of Country Home!! Thank you, Money Saving Mom, for posting this link!

A penny saved is a penny earned!!

Choosing Simplicity requires careful spending of our money. Anyway, our Grill was destroyed 2 years ago when a storm knocked down a BIG tree.... my sister gave us their extra grill..... it worked, till now. Boy have we had a craving for grilled food. We went and looked at grills a couple of times..... we decided that we would wait.... watch for clearances later this summer. This weekend we decided to look at replacement parts and my hubby decided to give replacing the "guts" of the grill a try. I will tell you... this is a stretch for my hubby! This man can BUILD anything, but he doesn't feel real comfortable with mechanical things.... He did it!!!!! He completely took apart the grill, cleaned it with my favorite store bought cleaner (Greased Lightening) and put in all the new "guts"!!!!!! (to see my favorite homemade cleaner go here) The replacement worked, totally worked (We now even have "ignition")!! Complete with new lava rocks we have a *new* grill for $25!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tonight we shared grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and grill toasted buns!!!!! YUMMY!! I know they tasted better knowing we SAVED at least $125 by not purchasing a new grill!!!

A penny saved is a penny earned.... My hubby works hard for our money! I am proud of him for being willing to step out of his comfort zone to fix this grill. Now, how can I take his example and step out of my comfort zone to be more frugal??????? Have you done something recently to save your family money?? We will NEVER have the "best" STUFF, but I'll take our repair jobs to debt any old day!!!!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Sleep!

Choosing simplicity sometimes means making sacrifices to get sleep. Last night I sacrificed a clean kitchen for an early bedtime. Robyn had her first softball game of the season last evening at 5:30. She did great... she is a natural catcher (I'm allowed to brag on my daughter, right?)! Anyway, it rained the WHOLE game! We were wet, miserable and HUNGRY when we got home at 7pm. I had Chicken cooked and ready to warm up... so I did that while all the kids took their turns in the shower. Chris got home shortly after we did (he often works late) and we all ate our yummy chicken. The kids hit the pillow at 8:30 and I immediately followed them! AAhhh to wake up feeling rested is wonderful!!! Waking up with a messy kitchen , not so wonderful, but worth it!!!!

What time do you usually go to bed?? I know that I need to consistently get more sleep than I do... without going to bed with a messy kitchen! Mornings are so much better after a good night sleep!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!!!
Heather

Planning ahead for our crazy supper times during softball season eliminates some serious stress! Keeping things simple means having a menu plan. Not only does planning a menu make life simple for us, I want to help you have a more simple life: www.simplefamilysupper.com

Mouth watering bread and "Better Butter"

Join others in frugal Friday here.

Nothing is quite as comforting as a piece of fresh out of the oven bread with REAL butter on top!!! "Better Butter" is a frugal way to enjoy a butter that SPREADS straight from the fridge! (see recipe below) Baking bread isn't as hard as most people think... myself included before I learned how. I had always used my bread machine, but when it died after 9 years of hard work we still wanted home made bread! I have a kitchen aid and a friend kept telling me that it isn't really hard to make.... hmmmm, really?? Could I do it?? Isn't it complicated?? After a try I was hooked! (I will work on putting together a "HOW TO" post on making bread.) For now here is one of our favorite recipes... you can use it in your bread machine or with a mixer (or by hand if you have stronger muscles than me :)

Honey Wheat Bread
(This dough can be shaped anyway you want... from rolls to traditional to French bread. Last night I doubled the recipe and made two bread braids.)

Whisk together and allow to sit for 15 minutes for yeast to proof. (it will foam up)
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup honey
1 pkt of instant yeast or 1 TBL yeast ( buy yeast in bulk..will save you a TON)

Add:
2 TBL oil (I use canola)
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
(more flour as needed)

Put it all in your bread machine and push start.... or.....
Mix with mixer (dough hooks) till well blended. Then I just set my timer for 2 minutes and let my kitchen aid kneed away.....
Place in a greased bowl, turning dough once to coat. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Punch down, shape into whatever you want. Allow to rise 30 additional minutes. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until top is golden and it sounds hollow when thumped. ENJOY!!!

"Better Butter".... nothing is quite as good on bread as REAL butter!!! However, it is a little pricey and it doesn't spread easily unless it is at room temperature. The solution: "Better Butter"! My mom made this a lot when I was growing up!

Better Butter

Equal parts real butter and oil (I use canola)

Allow butter to come to room temp. Place the butter and oil in a blender and blend away till smooth and creamy. Pour into containers and keep in fridge. This will be easy to spread straight from the fridge and it tastes GREAT!

**Variation... I make Honey Butter by adding honey to this mixture. My friend makes cinnamon butter by adding brown sugar and cinnamon. options are endless!***

Have a Blessed day... Be a BLESSING!
I am off to my son's end of the year pre-school picnic. The sun is shining! Yeah... the forcast hadn't been so good.

Heather

I love to cook! Supper can be simple: www.simplefamilysupper.com

The Garden..... and gas prices....

The garden is almost completely planted!!!!! (I will post some pictures soon)
Yesterday I managed to get it almost all in.... (I only had an hour and a half window of time) Just have to get the rest of the tomatoes and peppers planted and I will plant my next batch of green beans in a couple of weeks. It rained last night and now we have a chance of rain the next 3 days!... PERFECT!!! I still need to get more flowers planted, but the veggies had to come first.

A life mission of ours to choose simplicity for our family. Well, if this wasn't already a goal the gas prices are certainly pushing us even harder. We have told the children that this summer is going to be different.... we are calling it our Little House on the Prairie summer. Usually the kids participate in a couple of VBS programs, softball/baseball, 4H and some summer enrichment programs offered through school. However, this year everything will be LIMITED! Gas prices officially hit $4.05 in our small town!!!!! YIKES!!!! Since we live so far out every drive is MILES.... this summer we are staying home! Robyn is playing softball, but we have told her we might have to pull her out if prices go much higher. We need a little car.... please pray that God leads us to a more fuel efficient option for our family. We are still participating in 4H... most of the work is done at home and then the fair is so much fun! Choosing simplicity when gas prices soar means for us the kids and I STAY HOME!!!! We have so much we can do here. I am really looking forward to this summer... we are going to make it a priority to build tons of memories!

Have a BLESSED day, Be a BLESSING and remember: GOD is our provider!!!!! He sees Gas Prices, He sees our needs.....!!!!!!
Heather

One way we save a ton is by having our meals planned. I can help you save money and get completely organized for supper!
www.simplefamilysupper.com

Tour Tuesday

Tour Tuesday....!
This week my maternal Grandmother is celebrating her 84th Birthday! She is an amazing woman... I thought that for Tour Tuesday I would share with you all how many ways I "see" her hand in my home! She is such a blessing to all that know her..... she is a very generous person, always giving of her time, talents, wisdom, smiles, resources. She has taught me many wonderful things throughout my life and we have had many wonderful times. Go with me on a tour throughout my home to see some of the ways she warms our home:

Lets start in the kitchen.... I have soooo many memories of time spent in the kitchen with my Grandmother. From baking cookies, to thanksgiving dinners, to making apple sauce. In my kitchen I use half gallon jars she gave me to store dry goods....... It makes me smile every time I open them! My Grandmother was a farm girl, a farm wife and is still a tough farm lady (even though she now lives in town)!

Grandma started quilting the year she turned 70! She made these "name" wall hangings for us... The kids love having their names on the wall!

This is the chair I purchased with the birthday gift she gave me last year..... Grandma loves to read and so do I! It is an unusual rocker with the built in magazine holder.

Here you see the "texture" quilt she made for our oldest when he was a baby. She had her friends help her find as many different textures of material they could find and she made this blanket for him to feel. He loved it and so did the other three!

This wall hanging quilt Grandma made for us as a house warming gift when we purchase our home and three acres! It hangs in our sitting room next to the wood stove....

This shelf is in our dining room. The crock came from Grandma's collection, the dried German statice came from a plant she gave me, the picture on the left is my grandfather's (her husband) high school graduation picture. The picture on the right is a picture on my 3 year old grandmother and HER mother. My grandmother was born in 1924, so this picture was taken in 1927.

Here is my little Nate sleeping tonight snuggled up in the quilt my grandma helped me finish for him before he was born. I put together the top and she did the binding and tied it together. He loves his BLANKET!

Grandma sold the homestead farm in 2004. It had been in the family 125 years. It was a sad, but necessary time.... the international tractor came home to live with us.....

Grandma saw this quote when my youngest were first born.... it reminded her so much of me she put it together for me... it hangs in our dining room.....

This is an antique basket that she gave me..... it was once used as the garden basket.

My oldest, Wes, was CRAZY about trains when he was little. She found this puzzle picture for him and he still till this day has it hanging above his bed. (He will be 11 in June)

There are many other things in our home that remind us daily of the love and legacy Grandma has given us. She love the Lord with all her heart and is a faithful example of God's love..... I am very blessed to have her in my life... still so healthy and strong at 84 years young!
Thank you for joining me on my Tour Tuesday. Happy Birthday, Grandma! I love you!!!

Grandma with my youngest, Nate.

Join me for "Tour Tuesday"! Post a tour of some kind on your blog and leave your link below! I can't wait to see into your life!!!!!!
Have a great day!
Heather





My Grandmother is a wonderful cook! She taught me a lot about preparing food for a family! She prepared dinner for a family of 9 for years......
It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Another great thing about this weekend: My hubby isn't working!!!! YEAH!!!
He is currently taking a nap with the younger two boys.... He needs it after working 12 days straight. He is a HARD worker! He is a Hard SLEEPER! LOL!! A train could come through and it wouldn't bother him!

Enjoy your weekend,
Heather


It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Choosing Spiritual Growth....

Wednesday evenings I participate in a woman's group at church that is using a Focus on the Family Bible study for Women called "Experiencing Spiritual Growth". I actually did this study last fall with the "mom's group" that meets at my house every week. It is a wonderful study and it is even better the second time around!

Last night was a wonderful group.... We were going over chapter 3 "Experiencing PEACE Simplicity and Solitude". In this modern world this is not easy!
My Blog address is "Choosing Simplicity"... it is a major life focus of mine. God has been working in my life the last couple of years... peeling back layer after layer of chaos, stress and business. He is working hard to shed the "world" off of me. I learned on the "intake fast" I did a week ago that there is much more to strip off! I am "intaking" too much of the world via radio, interned, tv, magazines and books..... He wants me to get the junk out so I have more brain space for him! LOL!!!

God gave us a free will, therefore life is a series of choices that we make. CHOOSING simplicity is just that.... a CHOICE! The world isn't going to make this choice for you and it isn't going to make it easy to walk it out. We CAN live it out through the power and strength God gives us. He will give us the wisdom we need to make choices and decisions in our life! Just ASK! The world SCREAMS that we need MORE, MORE, MORE!!!! God's way is simple, God's way is PEACE! As FlyLady always reminds us... Less is More!

One really great observation from last night's meeting was when a woman shared about some downsizing they are currently doing in their life. "Why? Why do we work so hard for all this "stuff"? In the end what is the point???"

OK>.... now that I have written a BOOK I am going to sign off!
Today I am CHOOSING simplicity by keeping focus on doing things that really matter and I am going to spend time PLAYING with each of my children! I have a lot to do today, but I can keep my spirit at Peace by CHOOSING to keep it lined up with God.

Have a blessed day!
Heather

Keep supper simple!!!! www.simplefamilysupper.com