This last weekend we went to an auction at my hubby's grandparent's place. I think I told you this right?

It was my first auction and I fell in love FAST.

The energy and excitement of the bidding was electric!

Also dangerous! :)

I came home with 10 boxes of fabric, some woven cane chairs and a pie safe.

Gobs and gobs of vintage fabric. 

So many possibilities!

And I ordered a few things from my friend Lisa online.

She had the most adorable hoop art.

And I knew it would look great in my kitchen next to my pie safe.

She also included a few other items and the packaging was SO cute!

Thank you again Lisa! If you are on IG you should follow her @lisakaiser .

I also found a few magazines to bring home recently.

Magazines are one of my weaknesses. I really need to say no, but often they end up in my shopping cart.

Grit was totally necessary now that we are a family with chickens.

And speaking of the girls.

They are doing GREAT!

We are finishing up a few little touches here and there on the chicken coop and they have even laid a few eggs which we scrambled this morning for breakfast:)

Hope you are having a GREAT weekend! :)

Persevere

Sometimes I forget that I am a child of God. And I let worry, fear, disappointment , etc. come into my life. 

And I try and handle it on my own, instead of leaning and trusting ONLY on God.

Why do we do this? 

We know better.

"Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

Hebrews 10:35-36

I was reading thru a Joel Osteen devotion and he writes this:

" This morning, you may be waiting for God to change your circumstances. Then you're going to be happy; then you're going to have a good attitude; then you're going to give God praise. But God is waiting for you to get up on the inside and take courage. It will definitely take determination, but you can do it.

God wants you to be a winner, not a whiner. Don't allow yourself to wave the white flag of surrender. Show the enemy that you're more determined than he is. Shout aloud if you must, "I'm going to stand in faith even if I have to stand my whole lifetime!" When you do your part, God will work supernaturally to change things in your life."

That passage is so true of me. 

I thought that once I got married I would be happy or once I lose weight I'll be happy or when we have children I will be happy or if we lived down a country road on a farm that will make us happy. 

But it isn't the things of this world that make us happy.

No ma'am.

It isn't any purchase you score at a flea market, or the newest Starbucks flavor, or a pair of shoes either.

It is ONLY God who can bring the true happiness and fulfillment in our lives here on earth.

And only by persevering and standing UP for Him, that we can gain this.

I needed that reminder in a big way.

Ain't No Thing Like A Chicken Wing

Long time no blog post huh?

We have been running around, busy, busy, BUSY.

My hubby's grandparents {they love us so much they decided to adopt us} sold their farm and moved to another town {closer to us!yay!} and so we've been helping them.

Oh, and now we have chickens:

I have never in my life had chickens or really even been around chickens, unless it was fried and on my plate next to some sweet tea. {Sorry girls.}

And truth be told, I'm a little freaked out around birds.

And did you know that when you try and pick up chickens that don't know you- THEY FREAK OUT!?!?

Wings flapping, squawking and feather flying. 

Luckily Farmer Ted { my hubby} is experienced around these fine feathered gals and he worked them like a pro and calmly got them into their cages for the ride home.

And then he asked me to hold one of them.

And I stood paralyzed with it in my arms. Not wanting to squeeze too hard, but knowing that I needed to keep her secure.

Oy.

This is going to be some adventure.

So far the hubby has named 3 of the 10 chickens.

Claudine, Princess and Domenica.

Interesting choices hubs.

I think I'll take the naming from here.

More posts and pictures to come:)

Happy Thursday!

Saturday

So as I write this post to you, it's actually Friday afternoon.

And I'm waiting for a delicious chocolate chip almond cookie pie to come out of the oven, candles are burning all over the house and I'm listening to Christmas music.

And looking at last minute Halloween costumes on Pinterest and also thinking about Thanksgiving recipes.

Talk about Holiday Spirit!?!?

 

So speaking of Pinterest, here is a costume that I LOVE!

Isn't that great?!

Simple and Free!

Why don't I come up with ideas like this?!

 

And then I saw this scarf on Pinterest :

 

I'm loving the colors going on in this picture.

I think I'm going to find some similar fabric and attempt an infinity scarf.

How hard could it be?

(Also, she has great hair!)

 

 

Did I tell you that we rented October Baby last weekend?

It was good!

Like laugh so hard good.

And cry good.

It's about healing, and choosing life and LOVE.

Rent it and let me know what you think ok?

 

 

 

 

Happy Saturday!

 

Happy Friday to you!

Yesterday the hubby and I had a chance to sneak in a little Date Night! Woohoo!

We are trying to make our marriage a priority over everything else and really implementing things we learned on a marriage retreat weekend back in September called Romance Uncensored.

If you would like to read those posts again or for the first time, you can find them HERE , HERE and HERE  . 

We had such a good time just being together.

We ate at Long Horn Steak House. 

Now the hubby can grill us a mean steak, but we do like to eat out at places where they at least offer things we wouldn't usually make at home.

And shrimp doesn't usually make the grocery list at home because something about frozen shrimp from China, really doesn't set well with me.

However that beauty you see on the left side of the plate?

Let me introduce you to Steakhouse Mac-N-Cheese.

This ooey, gooey, smoked bacon, chives and cheesy goodness should be ILLEGAL ya'll!

I mean it was DELICIOUS!

And because we stuffed our pretty faces with spinach dip before our meal even came, I took some home for leftovers and enjoyed them at lunch today. 

Don't worry honey, I saved some for you too:)

Then we took a quick trip to Target, which is actually a HUGE treat because we don't live near one and I browsed the $1 isle for goodies I have seen you girls snag on IG. Yeah, they weren't in this $1 section. But it's all good. I still made it out with some cute things.

And then we came home to our little snickle fritz who has captured our hearts big time.

Snuggled up in hubby's recliner like he owns the place.

Thankful for unexpected date nights, enjoying this time with my hubby and ever so thankful for a God who loves us, no matter what.

Happy Friday and hoping you have a great weekend!

Happy Wednesday

Hello!

Just wanted to stop in and see how your day is going?

For some reason unbeknownst to me, I woke up at 3:30am and could NOT go back to sleep. So annoying! I tossed and turned and then decided to start re-reading the first book in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, Little House In The Great Big Woods .

Then I had to pick up the Amish sisters at the crack of dawn and take them to the Farmer's Market.

This was after drinking a REALLY large mug of coffee of course. :)

So I've decided that tonight we're having chicken pot pie. It just seems like the right day to make this savory dish from scratch. I got the inspiration from Megan over at Contented Sparrow . I seriously love her:)

I borrowed this pic from her recipe when she made turkey pot pie after Thanksgiving.

If you have never checked out her blog, GO.

She was even kind enough to do a guest blog for me back in June.

Did I mention that over the weekend I went to a Pinterest Craft Party at my church?

We made grapevine wreaths!

This is mine.

We talked and laughed and ate a yummy dessert, and we got our Craft On!:)

Our campus pastor's wife made the bow for me. She's super talented and really crafty. She has an eye for beautiful!:)

My friend Christina from church shared these images on her Instagram. So fun!:)

And speaking of church- do you attend a church regularly?

For a time, we didn't.

It was while my hubby was working during the week and was gone a lot.

So the weekends were all we had. We told ourselves that it was ok to just watch the live feed on Sunday's from the computer. And while I do believe that was better than not going at all, God's joy is to ultimately see you serving and being involved in a church. No excuses.

We are His eye's, and ears and feet and hands here on this earth. When we accepted Him into our lives, He now lives in us. And if we're sitting at home not going to church and being filled with His word and being supported and encouraged by other Christ followers- then how can other's see His love thru us?

Just something to ponder.

I saw this on Facebook somewhere and it really spoke to me. 

I get so caught up in fluff and stuff, with things that are NOT really important at all.

We watched 2 complete seasons of NCIS in no time at all, yet ask me if I can remember all the scripture I read during that time?

I think you know the answer.

I'm definitely working on this. 

How are you at managing your time with God everyday?

And on a completely unrelated side note, I got a new pair of slippers:)

Yay for warm cozy tootsies!

And one more pic of the my lovely view out of our home office window.

Did you know that the leaves are more brilliant on cloudy or overcast days?

Today is one of those days here in Arkansas. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs {ha! not really!}

The deep reds and burnt oranges and bright yellows are bursting with color!

God's splendor is truly amazing!

Have a great day!

That One Time I Peeled A Thousand Apples

Ok, so maybe I didn't peel a thousand apples, but it sure felt like it!

My mission was applesauce, and LOTS of it. 

I filled my trusty crock pot to the brim.

And 4 hours later, after cooking on high and making my kitchen smell oh so good, it had reduced to half.

I think my heart frowned a little.

But the taste! Oh my fragile heart- the taste was pure, and natural and with no added sugar.

But please, dear sweet readers of mine, don't be fooled.

I'm only a pretend health nut living in a world where I prefer to be eating chocolate and drinking coffee around the clock.

And so it is.

We had a fun filled weekend, and some of it wasn't even planned, which makes it all the nicer right?

Like a last minute invite of family over for dinner and a bonfire, with what else? Smores. And my adorable little nephew with fiery red hair- he calls them Snores. :) 

One night the hubby says to me, "I'll go brew us some coffee if you'll run to the store and get some Halloween Oreos?" Ummm, you don't have to ask this girl twice. :) Out the door I went!

Today at the World of Wally I picked up some Pumpkin Spice coffee. 

I'm such a sucker for the seasonal effects. Are you this way too?

And yes- I totally staged this picture because my little baby pumpkins haven't gotten nearly enough spotlight .

We also went over the river and thru the woods to the Amish girls house.

I have been regularly taking 2 Amish sisters to the farmer's market in a local town on Wednesdays and we have developed a really nice friendship. They live down the most beautiful dirt road, the scenery takes my breath away on a regular basis. And when I get closer to their home on cold mornings and I see the puff of smoke coming out the chimney, I feel like I'm on the set of Little House on The Prarie- but REAL!

Somebody pinch me!

These dudes were looking at me like "Keep it moving lady!" 

Ha!

This picture does not do this chilli any justice. The hubby whipped us up some DELICIOUS chilli, that I gobbled up with a side of cornbread. And cheese, we love cheese!

And because he's completely amazing, he smoked a few pork loins on our smoker and even made bacon.

He MADE bacon ya'll!

Needless to say, he's a keeper!

And just when I think he can't get any better, I come outside and see him and the little neighbor boy eating apples in the back yard, talking about the chicken coop he's building.

It's hard to pick which one is cuter here:)

I hope you all had a great weekend!:)

Fall Festival & Farmer's Market

This past Saturday we got up at the crack of the chilliest dawn this season and bundled up for the Farmer's Market on the square in our town.

I always forget to take a lot of pics, because I'm in the moment and I don't want everything to be a "BLOG" picture. You know?

Have you seen the sandwich board/chalk board the hubby made for me?

I'm in LOVE with it:)

We made over 10 batches of Strawberry Jam this season, and we have ONE JAR LEFT!

I wish I could say that we sold all those, but giving away jam is such a blessing too:)

We also had some blackberry jam and I'm hoping soon to have some apple butter and pumpkin butter.

Have you ever had pumpkin or apple butter on a hot homemade biscuit? Lord have mercy! So good!

I was also selling my giant chocolate chip cookies and we sold a few of my talented friend's hats that she crochet's herself.

She taught herself how to do it from You Tube videos!!!!!!

Not sure what I was trying to capture here.

His backwards name tag that nobody could see?

The bushiness of his beard? Hello Duck Commander!

Or maybe the plaid of his flannel?

Either way, he was my sidekick for the day!

An Amish couple parked next to us, just pulled their horse and buggy right up to us.

And once situated, they bring their horse behind the library and let him munch on the grass.

I'm completely fascinated with the Amish culture and their way of life.

Quite often the hubby says he wants to run away and live with the Amish. I really don't think I could cut it quite frankly, but we have developed a little friendship with some of them thru the Farmer's Market and living in the same community and we are so thankful for that!

This particular Amish couple has a log cabin that they built themselves. He does harness repair for horses and she does quilting.

Their daughters run a little home based bakery and were kind enough to invite me over and helped me learn how to bake bread! 

That could be a blog post in itself!

So I think we're pretty much caught up now.

I'll do my best to blog a little more frequently ok? :)

Have a great day!

Oh How I'm Loving This Monday

I'm totally loving this Monday! No real particular reason or event, it just feels soooooo Good!

It's probably because we had an awesome day at church yesterday and shared a lunch of yummy Mexican food with some new and old friends.

I mean is there anything as lovely as really breaking bread with other people who love God too?? :)

Oh, and I might be in such a great mood because THE HUBBY IS HOME FOR GOOD!

If you are late tuning in, read about it here.

So what's new in your neck of the woods?

I also realize that I haven't blogged in a little bit and I'm going to catch you up on what we've been up to.

It started last Sunday when we embarked on a 2 day fishing trip with our adoptive grandparents who are like family to us.

We stayed at a resort near the lake and just soaked up the pretty weather and good times.

It was my first EVER fishing trip on a boat.

We had a blast!

This picture doesn't do it justice but the leaves has started turning brilliant colors and everywhere we looked the view was Awesome!

Hubby sent this pic to the guys he used to work with who are SERIOUS fishers and it said: "Even a bad day fishing is better than a day at work!"

We thought it was hilarious of course because we're dorky like that :)

At first I was a chicken and didn't want to drive the pontoon we rented.

But when I realized how simple it was, I barely let the hubby touch the steering wheel after that :)

Except pulling into the dock, no way was I gonna do that.

I also want to point out that just because you go fishing when it feels chilly in early October doesn't mean you can't get sun burned. 

Lesson learned by this girl.

Because we went during the week and school is in session, we practically had the lake to ourselves except a few other boaters. 

Which meant I could drive fast and turn up the radio! 

Woohoo!

Ok, I only did it once. :)

Hubby was totally in his outdoorsy element and I could tell how relieved he felt.

You know how it is when you are in a stressful situation and then you actually finally let God do His thing and it's like whew!?

It was kind of like that.

We packed snacks and stayed out on the lake for hours only breaking for lunch back at the cabin.

I can't wait to go back!

This was clearly the biggest fish we caught.

But it was already dead. As in, belly up, floating around.

And man was he STINKY!

We held him up for good measure and then tossed him back.

Poor guy.

If you haven't tried fishing before, you really should. 

It's not just about catching fish in my opinion, but getting outside with the people you love and having a good time.

I even baited a few of my own hooks with LIVE worms.

But then I started feeling bad for them and went back to fake bait.

Oh well!:)

Have a great day!

Come back tomorrow!