Quiet Life Homestead

Happy and Content...

On Thanksgiving I was blessed not to have to cook.  It was a nice meal that my MIL had prepared.  My husband's nephew and his (nephew's) girlfriend came up to visit from Colorade.  It was really nice to see them.  They are nice kids... can I say that???  LOL... they are younger than me!  LOL. 

Last night I picked up my nephew and he spent the night with us, wanting to share in the Friday morning sales.  This has been a tradition for us, although it is becoming apparent that a NEW tradition may need to be started.  We only needed "two" things this year and so we got up early (3:30 am) and went to get the items.  We had to hit 4 stores to try to get the best price, so we split up... my daughter taking another daughter and I took my nephew and another daughter.  By 9 am we were done shopping... really didn't have anything we wanted... so we went out for breakfast... the funnest part of the tradition, I guess... the kids enjoy getting together and when we eat out, somehow we can eat what we like and my nephew what he likes and everyone is happy.  (and I don't have to do dishes or cook!) 

Since we were done with early bird sales, I went to Menards to get some room paint for my kids' rooms.  After the rebate we'll pay about $3.50 per gallon of paint.  I got 4 gallons of paint and that is enough to do 3 bedrooms!  They needed painting so the paint rebate sale was a blessing for us!  That wasn't an early bird special... just a sale that we happened to want to hit.  I also hit a Friday sale at JoAnn Fabrics.  Our family tradition is to get new pajamas each year.  Looking at the prices, I just sighed... I opted instead to buy some fabric on sale and make our own.  Flannel was on sale for $1.49 a yard and I figured I could make a pair of pajamas for  between $3 and $6 each. 

My girls happened to be tired of shopping and opted to go home while I ran some needed errands.  I stopped by the  bank, filled up the car with gas and that is then when I stopped at the fabric store and enjoyed a peaceful time of looking at material and patterns without a little one trying to steal my attention.  I arrived home to a clean house.. the girls cleaned the house and even mopped the floors. 

I am tired tonight.  From being up so early, I imagine.  That is Okay.  After watching so many people today... I have been pondering much about my interactions, our traditions, etc.  I long for the quiet and some time to think.  After each store we retreated to our car which played softly playing Christmas music.  It was soothing.   Our favorite part of the day was simply just eating and talking together.  My kids have enjoyed this 5AM tradition of shopping (I got up at 3:30 simply because that's when I woke up).  I realized they just enjoy getting together with their cousin and spending time together.  They don't have much in common with him, so the "Shopping" was a way to connect.  But today they found they connected by just eating together and making conversation.   Perhaps God is leading our hearts to change!  Perhaps it is time for traditions to change. I saw my nephew open up today.  My youngest, Paige, cried when I picked her up at 7:45 am so Dad could go to work.  She wanted to be with Daddy.  My nephew quietly watched her cry (and I noticed a sympathetic expression in his manners) ...I simply kissed her and said... I like being with Daddy, too.  It was enough... Enough to have someone understand her little heartache.  That heartache, however is a longing with my nephew that he just doesn't talk about at all to us.  His Dad has never been around for him since birth.  He talked to him a couple times on the phone, but to my knowledge has never met his Dad.  When my sister came to pick him up, they talked a bit and she shared that her other son was visiting his Dad and she was upset that he wasn't a good role model and my nephew just simply said... at least he has a Dad, I'd give anything to spend time with my Dad.  My sister just pushed that aside and changed the conversation.   I just was amazed that my nephew said that outloud.  He has often shut down, cried but would never open up...(not even to his Mom and especially not us) and to have him open up today... was quite amazing.  It had to be God working in his heart!  So tradition is good in the sense that it got us getting my nephew comfortable with going shopping together for 3 -4 years now... and I'm hoping that with him feeling able to open up a bit, that perhaps we can connect on a different level than "shopping".    Much to think about and ponder!

For now, I am content and happy.  

Warmly, ~Melissa

What to do with Turkey Leftovers

No baby yet....

I say that with a bit of bitterness...and yet at the same time, I'm okay with him not being here yet. My ticker still reads 9 days to go, but for the past week, I have been having awful contractions keeping me up all hours of the night. And when morning comes, it's as if nothing happened. My body aches all over, and yet I want to relish so much in this joyous time that only lasts but a short while. I know he will be here soon, before Christmas even, but my impatience overtakes me some days, and then on other days, I am happy, and enjoying the moment that I am in.

I haven't updated my last nesting mission yet, but you'll be happy to know that I did get the girl's room done. That's where my discouragement over the dreaded playroom got to me, and as I was just about to finish full circle cleaning through my house, I quit. I'm still working daily on maintaining the rooms that I worked so hard to clean, and I'm thankful that my house with the exception of one closed door that's contents remain uncleaned for now. I'm sure I will get to it...eventually, but for now, I just do what I have to and will worry about it more later.

Our Thanksgiving was a blessed one, and for the first time in many years, I had to do absolutely nothing, except for stuff my face. I'm usually the main meal preparer for holidays, but everyone agreed that this year I would get a break, for which I am most thankful. I was so babied yestereday, even being made to lay down when my feet began to look too swollen. We're heading back over to my folk's house in a bit for lunchtime leftovers. YUM!

Black Friday...I don't know if I even want to get started on this ridiculous tradition, but my husband chose to partake of the shopping events this morning. I told him he was nuts. At 4 am, he went to walmart, and wrestled 30 people for a trampoline, a big gift we decided to get for our children. It was a good deal, really, but I just can't imagine it being worth that kind of anxiety. He nearly gave himself a hernia lifting the nearly 200lb box into his shopping cart. He is now on the couch recovering from his exciting morning.

Today we are going to be putting up our Christmas decorations, and relaxing. I intend to spend the next week, or until the baby decides to make his arrival working on some Christmas gifts, maintaining my clean home, and just spending some time with my 3 precious children before they number 4.

I'm not sure how much time right now, I'll have to post, but I will work on giving an update on the baby as I have time. I pray your Thanksgiving was a blessed one, and that your weekend promises to be filled with joy.

Blessings, sara 

Friday on the Homestead

Well we are in Thanksgiving home recovery mode today! LOL.. Time for clean up and then bringing out the Christmas decorations. I have already decorated my website and blog!  

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. It was just the kids, Tobin and me and Tobin’s dad came too. The food was delicious. We ate dinner at about 3:00 and then I took a nap.. Funny how turkey does that to a person  . While I napped the kids and Tobin played Taboo. Then we moved onto pumpkin and apple pie. Emily was in charge of table decorations and she did such a nice job. Here is a pic of the table and place settings…

 

 

And one of Isaac being his silly little self

 

Parade of Christmas Trees

Welcome everyone! I hope you had a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving.  I know we did.  Family time, fun and of course wonderful food.
On Wednesday night we went to my husbands grandparents house... and we have many young ladies on my husbands side of the family... beginning with Cameo who is now 11.5 ;), then we have a 10 year old niece, an 8 year old niece, a 6 year old cousin, then Carlie Jean who is 4, and then the youngest cousin who is 2.  So I thought, how fun it would  be to have a craft for the girls and I to make together.  So I gathered the items and we made the gumdrop trees on the left.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I think the girls did also... needless to say, they wearied about half-way through... it can be a long project if you make your tree as full as I did mine. But they did great and it was really fun to make.
I got my idea for the tree from the wreath I made last year from gumdrops.  Remember?
For the trees, I used a styrofoam cone and a bag of gumdrops and quite a few toothpicks that I broke in half.  So fun!
The other two trees I found are The recycled magazine Christmas tree and the Curled Paper Tree.
After lunch yesterday at my Mom's we made the gumdrop trees also and then made the 3-D snowflakes and some paper stars (which I will share with you next week) :) I have to keep something to bring you back... haha. :)
 I hope you all have an amazing weekend.  We will be busy with preparation for our Sunday School Christmas party that we are having here.  Yes, pictures will be a must. HA! Have a great day!
My Cup Runneth Over...

Our Thanksgiving Day

We had such a nice day today.  We did not get up early and put the turkey in the oven........no, not us.........DIL  Edye had to do that this year!  Just had to do chores, get cleaned up and go to their house.  I am happy to report that DIL did a wonderful job of cooking, the food was very good!  We have a thing about dressing (stuffing some call it), we really like good dressing.  The first bite I took was of the dressing, and it was great!!  Here are some pictures of our day.

The cook of the day and Maddie.

Son, Ryan and my Mom.

Nick and Hubby.

Granddaughter, Lexi.

This is my Aunt Ernie, she just celebrated her 90th birthday last month.  She is amazing for 90!

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Thanksgiving Day!!!

WE aren't celebrating until Saturday due to work reasons, (I have a 6p-6a today and dh had a drive to Ky last night) but dh and the children are at Mamaw's and Papaw's enjoying dinner today while I get ready to go into work. And that's ok... I don't mind, cause I work with the elderly, so many of which do not have famiy of their own, so I have adopted those that I work with and they have adopted me. :)

Saturday will come soon enough, with time to bake and bake and bake some more! I stil have pies to do, and cookies for my grandchildren that will be here (only 2 of the older grandbabies will be here, and since Grandma doesn't get to see them all that much... heck yea they get cookies! LOL!)

So without further adieu.. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, with full tummies and many blessings!

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New news on the homefront is that dh and I are seriously considering sending the children back to school. *GASP!!* What's that I hear? Moaning and groaning? Pleading and begging from those die hard homeschooling fanatics (Of which I used to be one?)

No, seriously....Abby really wants to go back to school and actually wrote a paper as to the reasons why she believed that school in the "outside" realm would be better for her at this time. DH and I discussed it, and we came to the conclusion that IF we allowed our child to go to school, it could not, would not be public schools here in this town, So we found what may be an acceptable alternative. A Christian school right here in our own town. We all perused the website, looked at all the pictures, checked out the calander or events, and the curriculum, and we've decided that we will go and request a tour this coming Monday (or Tuesday- since I work a 12 Sunday night). The school does offer "need based scholarships" and our income is well below the required level.

DH and I believe that this may help Logan to succeed in his schooling too.

We will let you know as time progresses....

Why I am thankful

I am very thankful today for many things. 

I have a roof over my head.  I have heat in this cold New England winter climate.

I have a table full of God's bounty, and I celebrate this harvest.

My family is whole and healthy.  That is HUGE.  I know so many broken families, and quite a few with major health issues.  My family is my biggest blessing.

There are two cars in my driveway, both paid for.

I will be able to buy my children a few Christmas gifts this year.

I live in the free-est country in the world.

I have Jesus Christ in my heart and my life as my Lord and Savior!

I also have a lot going on that would merit complaining, but it's not worth the space for the words.   It's in the Lord's hands.  He remains in control.  I heard something the other day that stuck with me, and IS worth the space for the words: 

There is no such thing as "trust" if we know all the answers!

and...

If we only focus on what God is not doing, we will miss what He is doing.

I wish a happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you all!

From our family to yours...

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving!

"Over the river and through the woods
Trot fast my dapple gray.
Spring over the ground
Like a hunting hound
On this Thanksgiving Day, Hey!
Over the river and through the woods
Now Grandmother's face I spy.
Hurrah for the fun,
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie."
- English folksong

In just an hour or so, we'll pack up our baskets of goodies and indeed be heading "through the woods" to Grandmother's house. Of course, it's now my sister's house, but it still brings those wonderful memories of gatherings and meals that Gram prepared for us. We have much to be thankful for, as always. Thank you for your visits, your sweet comments, friendship and prayers. I count you among my blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving !

I wanted to stop in this mornin and tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving !!!!

We have alot to be thankful for today, I hope that everyone has a blessed day filled with love and the company of family and friends. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Blessings

Linda