Every year that we’ve lived here in this college town, we’ve loved getting to know the YC students. We’ve often offered students to do their laundry at our house, come do homework here, hang out with us, eat home cooked meals.

Some have taken us up on our offer, but none of them have just made our family their family…and our home their home away from home.

Until this year. Woohoo! 

This year we have a young dating couple who has really believed that we WANT them to hang out at our house as much as they would like to! They do their laundry here, work on homework, join us for meals, play with our kids. We love how they are showing our boys what a healthy, Christian dating relationship can look like. (Not that our boys have a clue that there are girls out there and that girls are CUTE…but they’ll figure it out soon enough and we love that they are seeing such a good example.)  We are very honored to have them in our home.

Often when they call to see if it’s a good day for them to do laundry, they ask if Matt and I would like to go on a date while they are here to keep the kids. Blessings all around!

Last week during the college fall break they were able to join us for several meals since the cafeteria wasn’t open. It was great! Then on Sunday, they insisted on cooking for us! So nice!

I’m so grateful that God has put Adam and BryAnna in our lives and pray that we are as much a blessing to them as they are to us!
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What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re thankful for!

Sometimes I get grumpy. Just ask my kids.

I get grumpy when I have too much to do. Too many messes. Too many deadlines. Too many responsibilities. Too many.

I struggle every day against letting my circumstances determine my mood. Lately I’ve been trying to focus on what makes me grumpy and to put a STOP to it.

Here’s what I realized:  I complain too much about having too much and too many.

• Too many dishes to wash
• Too much laundry to do
• Too many hand-me-downs to sort through
• Too many emails to answer
• Too much food to preserve
• Too many people who need something from me
• Too many messes all over the house

SO…as I was sorting through EIGHT huge rubbermaids of hand-me-downs and figuring out what warm clothes fit which boy this year…I was starting to feel discouraged and overwhelmed.

And then I realized:  LAURA! You’re complaining about having SO MANY FREE CLOTHES you hardly know what to do with yourself! Listen to yourself!! STOP it!

It seems that the things I complain about the most are the things I love the most.  I LOVE my children…even if they do make messes. I can’t even express how happy I am to have four loud boys around to make messes!!!

I love all this garden produce that takes me hours to preserve. I REALLY love it in the winter when all I have to do is grab a jar out of the pantry, open it and eat it! I love hand-me-downs. I love all the emails I get! I love having people around me that need me. I love being a homemaker. I’d rather be at home doing mountains of dishes and laundry than anywhere else in the world!

So, I’m working on recognizing the times my heart turns sinful and wants to complain and whine about the blessings around me. That really is what I’m doing when I complain about everything around me…complaining about TOO MANY BLESSINGS. 

Today…I choose to be thankful for “too many”. Too many is really, really good.
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then link up here so we can all come read about how God is working in your life! If you don’t have a blog, please be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!

Remember this Gratituesday post back in June? The one about how Matt’s brother Randy and his wife Kari adopted a baby boy?

Well just wait until you hear what God has done for them now! 

Randy and Kari’s little boy is almost two years old. Just a few short weeks ago, at the end of August, they heard of another possible opportunity to adopt.

And we fall to our knees and rejoice! Last week their sweet baby girl was born!

 Here’s a quote from Randy and Kari’s blog… 

Her name is Bethany. Luke 24:50 — “And Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.”
God has lead us to be blessed with this beautiful, little girl. May our daughter seek and know Him all of her life.

Her name is Paige.
Randy’s sister is Lori Paige, a wonderful woman of strength and character, whom we love dearly. May our daughter have a love for God and others like her Aunt Lori.

Her Name is Coppinger.
Our daughter, the newest member of the our family. How blessed we are to be together. May all of our family, church, community and friends fill our daughter’s life with love.

Here’s the proud big brother with “Baby Sister”!

Everytime I think of Bethany Paige, I feel like dancing for joy! I also am having to sit on myself to keep from driving directly to the airport. Oh, you have no idea how far away I feel right now. 

Bethany…I can’t wait to meet you. As soon as I can, I’m going to send you something very pink. I am so thankful God blessed our family with one as sweet as you.
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God is SO good! Please share what you’re thankful for, either by writing about it on your blog then linking up here…or by leaving a comment on this post!

Well…today I pulled a “pajama day”.

I’ve been going non-stop for weeks now. The garden is finally slowing down, so I think I’m almost finished canning. Soccer? It won’t stop for a while. I’m actually thinking about pitching a tent at the soccer complex and just moving in for a few weeks. It might be easier than running back and forth so much.

Anyway…my busy-ness level culminated yesterday into a headache that would not go away. This morning when I woke up…it was still there. I got up long enough to realize that I could not get up. So I went back to bed and told Matt that I’d decided to take the morning off. He worked on trying to massage away the headache before feeding the boys and heading off to work.

Then…we had a school morning (sort of) in our jammies in Mommy’s bed. It was great (in a “please don’t shake the bed, my head hurts” sort of way). Who knew so many boys and math books could fit on a bed at the same time? 

Then of course Justus, my chef, made me stay in bed while he made lunch. I didn’t argue. 

Taking the day off is just what I needed to do today. Tomorrow…I’ll get dressed. :)  Today…I had a day of rest. Wow am I thankful!
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re thankful for!

I can’t help but be grateful for jars today. Thank you all for putting up with me. :)

I thought I was the only one who loved jars at the level in which I love them. I was wrong. Take a look at Jodi’s jars!!!!!   I loved the beginning of her post with her pics…but as I kept reading and seeing more and more jars…I could hardly stay in my chair! Oh, beautiful jars!

Anyway, as the fresh fall produce just keeps making it’s way in abundance into my kitchen…I was suddenly running out of empty jars. That’s saying something because I have over 300 of the delightful jewels.

The day after I used my very last jar to can tomato sauce, I ran into my dear friend Lorna Mae. She asked if I would like some tomatoes. I told her I would LOVE some tomatoes, but I was out of jars to put them in!

Then she said,  “Oh Laura. If you need jars, I can give you some jars!!!!!!!!” (Okay, maybe she didn’t say it with that many exclamation marks, but I heard it with that many!)

The next day I went to her house and picked up a basketful of tomatoes and THREE big boxes of jars. And she THANKED ME. She’s hated that her jars have been sitting empty and unused…so she was thrilled that I would fill them up to feed my family.

Here’s where you say, “Laura can we please see your new jars?”

Why SURE. I thought you’d never ask:

Many of them are just your average jars waiting to be filled with delicious food. A dozen of them are wide mouth (my favorite!). A couple of them are antique.

But some of them.  Some of them are completely unique and special. It was all I could do to keep myself from jumping up and down in Lorna Mae’s basement!

Look at these beauties:

Can’t you just picture these with tomato soup, or applesauce? (She says with a long contented sigh…)

I’m so grateful that Lorna Mae was so willing to share her jars with me, and that she felt equally grateful that I helped her clear off some shelf space in her basement. 

I love how God gives simple gifts to his children.
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then come link back up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment here letting us all know what you’re grateful for!

Feel free to grab the new fall banner
to put on your Gratituesday post!

I mentioned in this post how blessed I feel we all are to have a community of online support. This point was proved to me in a very sweet way just yesterday. 

Cheryl from Moms In Need of Mercy and I have been online buddies for a few months now. She and her family were travelling through Nebraska, giving us the chance to finally meet in person. We had a wonderful visit with Cheryl, her husband, and their three little boys. 

Pictured:  Two moms and SEVEN blond headed boys!!!

There is something quite special about the bond we can all make as fellow women, moms, believers, encouragers. Meeting Cheryl face to face made me crave meeting ALL of you face to face! What a joyful experience.

Just picture the reunion we can all have in heaven someday!
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, please be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!

I’ve mentioned a time or two about how our twenty-three tomato plants have NOT been producing well. We planted them in a newly tilled up area and we think that our soil just doesn’t have enough good nutrients in it yet. We’re going to have to work on it. Our plants look pitiful and the few tomatoes we are getting are tiny. 

Did I also mention that we planted what should have been a year’s supply of sweet corn? Yeah…the racoons got it. All of it.

These things happen but it is oh so frustrating. I rely on my tomato plants to supply enough tomatoes for me to make and preserve our entire year’s worth of tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato soup and salsa. This year we’ve barely had enough for a few BLTs. 

But guess what?! God always provides! (surprise, surprise)

There are others around me who have TOO MANY tomatoes. Guess who they’re bringing them to?! :) 

I’ve been blessed several times by people bringing big boxes of tomatoes to my doorstep. And they’re thanking me for taking them of their hands. (Um, you’re welcome?!)

I found a good deal on sweet corn at the farmer’s market…bought the vendor out…and put a whole year’s supply of corn in the freezer. Yay! Then over the weekend, a friend gave me some more! 

As a matter of fact, I’ve had so much produce in my kitchen over the past few weeks…I’ve been rather overwhelmed.

Our own garden is still going crazy with potatoes, okra, squash and SO many peppers. We also still have a few green beans growing. We’ve been able to go pick apples, pears and grapes at a friend’s house. And don’t forget all the tomatoes and corn people have been giving us. 

Yes, even though my tomatoes decided not to grow this year…and some naughty racoons decided to have an early corn harvest party…God still provides.

Our two big freezers are completely full. Our countertops are overflowing with tomatoes and peppers ready to be made into salsa. Potatoes are all over the floor in one room “hardening off”. And there are still more in my garden.

Oh yes…God does provide.
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What are you grateful for? Write about it on your blog, then please come link up with us here so we can all see how God is working in your life! If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!

I was able to take a little trip down memory lane over the weekend when we went to Kansas. First, let me give you a little background information:

I grew up in the very same house on the very same farm my entire first eighteen years of life. The first time I lived somewhere else was when I moved into my college dorm room.

When I was a sophomore in college, my parents moved to another farm. After just a few years of not being lived in, the house I grew up in (which was very, very old) became quite run-down and not livable anymore. The owners chose to tear it down.

So the place where my dad and his wife Tacy live now is actually not the house I grew up in. Matt and the boys never got to see the house I grew up in. Kinda makes me sad. When I tell them of my memories growing up, they picture them in the wrong house.

No big deal really…but this weekend I had a big urge to show my family where I grew up. I don’t know why I hadn’t taken them by “the old farm place” before. This trip, I just felt like I needed to.

We headed over there right after church Sunday. Since that’s where this tour started…I took a quick picture of the inside of the church building I was “raised in”. This is also where Matt and I got married 15 years ago. 

Before we went to my old home place, Matt drove us by my grandparent’s farm. Someone else lives there now. Ah, but I saw Grandma’s garden area and clothesline and the old shed. You have NO idea how badly I wanted to get out of the van and run down the driveway to see if my boxcar was still back there. I actually really don’t want to know if it isn’t there anymore. I’m just going to imagine that it’s right where I left it twenty-some years ago.

We drove the mile and a half from my grandparent’s place to the farm where I grew up. I thought I might be emotional about being there again, especially since hardly anything was left. Instead, I was elated! I was pointing things out to Matt and the boys and getting breathless about the things I was showing them. In the above picture, there is just prairie grass where my house used to stand. I wish I could walk through that house just one more time. 

Here’s where the big red barn used to stand. Now there is just a big field of maize. If you know this story, then this picture will give you a nice chuckle like it gave our family. “Hey kids, here’s our big red barn!”…”What big red barn?” If you don’t know the story, go read it. BUT you must know that while I am responsible for the fact that there is no longer a barn here…I had NOTHING to do with the fact that the house is gone to. m’kay?

 

Here’s the big huge shed that just a couple of weeks ago caved in. I told the boys that I used to shoot hoops in there and they were impressed (and also surprised). “You DID Mom?”

I realize that to most of you, these shots are just pictures of prairie grass and run down buildings. I guess that’s really all they are. It’s hard to capture all the things I was feeling when I was standing back on my home place. 

Millions of memories of my mom came flooding back. Memories of all the things I used to do as a little girl. Memories of playing in the yard and working in the garden. Good grief…I even had fond memories of the pigs when I stood there that day. 

It was glorious. I’m going to go back there again sometime soon.

Precious, precious memories.
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Please join us for Gratituesday! Write about what you’re thankful for on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!

About a week and a half ago my husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. By “celebrated”…I mean that we hardly saw each other because there were three soccer practices that day! No matter. While I love having dates with Matt, I don’t NEED them to feel loved and secure.

Sorry to get all mushy here…but Matt does an awesome job cherishing and caring for me. Every day. He shows me by working hard to bring home the paychecks. He shows me by getting excited about the food I cook. He shows me by being grateful for his clean clothes. He shows me by being a wonderful daddy to our boys and being the spiritual leader in our home. He shows me by choosing me to be his best friend.

Matt and I work very hard to protect our marriage. We never let our guard down because WE CAN’T. The devil would like us to. And he’s waiting for us to. 

We’ve seen too many marriages crumble apart. It’s been devastating and painful to watch. It makes us realize even more how precious God’s gift of marriage is to us. 

I don’t ever want to take my marriage for granted. It is the greatest treasure I have on this earth.
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then come link up with us here. Be sure to leave a link back here to Heavenly Homemakers so your readers can find Gratituesday easily! If you don’t have a blog, please be sure to leave a comment here letting us know what you’re thankful for!