Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Gratituesday: No Place Like Home

by 6 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesday

I’ve been traveling, so my post today is short and sweet. :)

I love family reunions. I love the chance to reunite with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other loved ones. I love meeting and holding new babies. I love meeting new spouses of my cousins. 

I love laughing and crying together with family. I love sharing memories. I love making new memories.

We’ve had a wonderful time this weekend traveling and loving on extended family members.

Now I’m home…back to my favorite place on earth. I’m back home to my husband…back home to the garden and the laundry and the mail.

I’m back home…and there’s just no place like it. I am so thankful.

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: Manly Road Trip

by 13 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesday

It was the best birthday present we could have given our son.

Asa turned thirteen last week, and Matt and I wanted to do more than just give him a “thing” for his birthday. We’d been discussing this and giving it a lot of thought over the past few weeks.

Our wish was for Matt to take Asa on a road trip of some sort…something special for just the two of them. Something that would be fun, but something that would also give them a nice chance to talk man-to-man about, well…life. About godly living. About making wise choices.

Matt found tickets to a Kansas City Wizards soccer game, and we knew that was the perfect thing. The trip would take about four hours one way…plenty of time for some good visiting to take place.

003Excuse the quality of this picture…but here’s a jersey Asa used his birthday money to buy,
plus a soccer ball that he CAUGHT and got to keep at the game!

I wish you could have seen Asa when they got back home from their road trip. He was beaming.  And well…he looked taller. More grown up.

We’ll be making this a thirteenth birthday tradition, for sure. Asa’s time with Matt was priceless.

I am incredibly thankful to have a godly husband who desires to instill godly character in his sons. I’m thankful that Matt could take the time to make this trip with our son. And I’m thankful for my young man who looks to his dad for guidance. 

Ah, how I love the men in my life.

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: The Teenager

by 30 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesday

It finally happened at my house. We have a teenager.

Please feel free to say lots of nice things like, “Wow Laura…you don’t look old enough to have a teenager.”

How is it possible that I can now share snow boots, flip-flops and sweat-shirts with my son? Although probably not for long. The kid is growing faster than he can eat. Almost. 

Did I mention how cool he is? ;)

I will admit to feeling rather clueless as we have delved into this new phase of life. And for sure, we have had some moments where we’ve known without a doubt that our son is growing up and trying to figure himself out.

So many people that hear that Asa is turning 13 this week have been saying things like, “Good luck!” and “Oh wow, brace yourself!” As if having a teenager in your house means that our lives are about to change drastically. Really? Does it change that much? Surely he isn’t going to suddenly turn into a monster that is horrible to live with! Yeah, well what do I know? I’ve been the parent of a teenager for exactly eight hours.

We may be in for some trying years, but may I just take a moment to brag about my son? My teenage son? 

He is delightful. He’s fun to be around. He’s talented. He’s great with little kids. He’s a great big brother. He’s super helpful to Matt and me. He’s smart. He’s responsible. He’s thoughtful. He’s kind. He’s respectful.

He loves the Lord.

Being a teenager is a time of struggle. It’s a time of figuring out who you’re going to be and what you will allow God to do in your life. We’ll take this stuff day by day, praying with Asa as we go. 

Today, I’m thankful for my teenager. I am one blessed mama because of Asa. Here’s to the next few years of teenagerhood!

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: Ministry of Music

by 22 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesday

I love music.

I think it is wonderful that God gives us music and song to express ourselves. We have our kitchen radio tuned to our local Christian radio station and it’s on almost all day long. I LOVE it.

I love praising God while I’m cooking. I love singing with the boys when they’re in the kitchen with me. I love listening to the words and letting the music minister to my soul at all times during the day. I love beautiful melodies. I love hearing God given talent. I love music!

My current favorite song is All of Creation, by Mercy Me. Every time this song comes on, I feel like dancing for Jesus in a field of lavender wild flowers. Shucks, I’d settle for a field of prairie grass. And I’d just let the tears stream down my face while I spend time with my Father in the middle of his creation. Doesn’t it just sound lovely?

purpleflowerssm.JPG

I’m so thankful God gave us the gift of music. Through song, we can experience God in a beautiful way. I just love it.

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: Ah, Lovely Dirt

by 21 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesdaynov09[1]

Before Saturday, I STILL had not had a chance to get my hands dirty. I hadn’t had a chance to get into my garden at ALL. (You’re shocked at me, aren’t you?!)  I had longed to get out there, but just not had even one moment to think about the garden yet.

Thankfully, Matt had found a few bits and pieces of time during the past few weeks to get our garden areas tilled up and to plant a few things. Ooh, and he even brought us home a big truck load of horse manure. Crazy how excited I was to see him that day. Saturday, we were finally able to both work in the garden together and get several more things planted.

The day was sunny and beautiful. Just ask Matt…I was completely giddy. I was running my  hands through the soil…just for fun. It felt so good.

Yes, in case you didn’t already know that I am a garden geek…now you know for sure. I can’t help it. The garden gives me so much joy.

Wanna take a look at a few parts of it with me? (There’s more to be planted…these are just a few shots.)

lettuceWe have lettuce ready to eat…it is so beautiful!

cornYou can’t see it…but there’s corn in these rows!!

 

peppersAw, cute little pepper plants.

potato_containerOh yes…I did plant potatoes in my trash can again!!

I’m just so thankful for our garden. I love how we can see God in the entire process of watching food grow from a seed. I can’t wait to share more with you during the coming months!

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday Meets the Spring Cleaning Carnival

by 52 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesdaynov09[1]

This week, Gratituesday is teaming up with Katie’s Spring Cleaning Carnival to talk about “getting the pesticides out”. The carnivals came together on the same day…so we’re working with it. You may think that thankfulness and pesticides have absolutely nothing in common…ooh but you’re wrong! It just so happens that I’m very grateful that we DON’T have to use pesticides. See? The two do go together!

SPRING CLEANING BUTTONRead more of what I wrote about getting rid of pesticides over at Katie’s!

Learning about all the pesticides in many of our foods and the harmful ways they can wreak havoc on our bodies can be incredibly disheartening. 

I’m thankful that we don’t have to throw our hands up in dispair! Do you know what I’ve discovered while growing my own garden? It is really NOT hard to grow vegetables without pesticides. Just don’t use them – plain and simple. There WILL  be bugs. Squish them, flick them, step on them, scream at them…but you don’t have to use poison on them. Poison for the bugs means poison for the food. Watch carefully (especially under the leaves of your plants) and squish them before they get out of hand. Plant marigolds in and around your garden (because many bugs don’t like them!).

And what about the food in the store? How can you afford to buy organic foods all the time? Well, there’s no hard and fast answer to these questions. Our health food co-ops have made organic eating much easier for us, not to mention…affordable! Katie has a list here that may help you decide which fruits and vegetables should be a higher priorty when it comes to buying organic. Plus, read through this series I wrote on Feeding the Family to see how feeding our family of six a *mostly* organic diet on a limited budget works for us.

And what about household pests like ants and roaches? Sprinkling borax in the “buggy hotspots” of your home is very effective!

Trying to avoid DEET? Try cinnamon oil! Mosquitoes don’t like it!

I’m so thankful that there are healthy, safe alternatives to pesticides. I’m thankful that I’ve learned the harmful effects of pesticides to our bodies and to the earth. I’m so thankful that we have a choice about what we eat and what we do.

But I’m VERY thankful that no matter what the pesticide usage is in the world, and no matter what I choose for my family…God is still in control. We put our trust in Him!

Please join us for Gratituesday and/or the Spring Cleaning Carnival! Write on your blog about what you’re grateful for…and/or about how you’re working to get rid of pesticides! Come over and link up with us here!! 

AND…there’s a giveaway going on over at Katie’s place that includes Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Gardening and Preserving Ebook. Leave a comment over there AND over here for chances to win!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: One Girl

by 25 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesdaynov09[1]

My husband and I felt very convicted after our local Christian radio station made us aware of One Girl ministry. Convicted to pray. Convicted to act.

Brace yourself, but please read here about the sex trafficking going in Nepal. More than 10,000 young girls each year are taken across the border into Indian brothels where they are forced, usually within 24 hours of arrival, to become prostitutes. They are welcomed into the country by being gang raped and beaten. 

Our hearts hurt…our stomachs feel sick after hearing about these innocent girls whose lives are forever changed.

Because our local Christian radio station made us aware of this and urged us all to become involved, we decided to join in to help. When you realize that you can do something to help these girls who are so far away, hope replaces despair. There is something we can do.

There is a place of refuge called Princess Home  which is run by a pastor and his wife. Here, women who have experienced the abuse of sex industry find hope. They are provided with counselling, job training, Bible training…a new start!

By donating just $11, we could make a difference. The money will aid in the ministry at Princess Home. We will also be sent a bracelet, made by the girls at Princess Home. We can wear the bracelet as a reminder to pray for these girls and for this ministry.

We decided to buy 6 of these bracelets…one for each member of our family. The idea of this becoming a family ministry sounded just right to us. We explained to our boys (with careful discretion of course) how girls are being stolen and abused and that we can wear bracelets to remind us to pray for God’s protection over them. The boys are excited about this opportunity and so are we.

I’d like to urge you, if you feel called, to consider taking part in this ministry too. You can sign up to pray for one girl here.  And please know that I would never participate in or encourage you to participate in a ministry that was a scam. You can trust the people at Tiny Hands International.

Today, I’m thankful that we were made aware of this ministry. I’m thankful that we were able to help. I’m thankful that this is a ministry that we can take part in as a family. I’m thankful that prayer is powerful.

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: A Great Visit

by 18 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesdaynov09

I mentioned in this post that I don’t usually do much with facebook. But…when it comes to reuniting friendships…I think facebook is so awesome!

God had just put my friend Melody on my heart…and I thought, “Hmm, I should look her up on facebook to see if she has a page.” The VERY next day, I received a friend request from Melody!! Don’t you love how God works!?

We started chatting and the long and the short of it was:  I needed to see her! I needed to hug her neck! I wanted to catch up face to face!

Melody found some amazingly priced plane tickets and just a few short weeks after we “found each other” again, she and her two sweet babies are here for a visit!

We’ve had a wonderful time. Ooh, but did I mention that I have laryngitis and Melody has plugged ears? It’s made for some interesting conversation times, that’s for sure. :) 

I’ve loved meeting her kids (ages 2 and 3). I’ve loved being able to catch up on what all has been going on with her since we last saw each other several years ago. (She happened to be hanging out at my house the night my water broke when I was pregnant with Justus. Yeah, we go way back!)

Today was Melody’s birthday, so of course there was lots of celebration food! 

melody1sm
She requested biscuits and gravy for breakfast. My family cheered.

melody2sm
My boys were being awfully quiet after breakfast (always reason for concern). Turns out, they were upstairs with the door closed working on a special birthday song for Melody. It was oh so goofy…and oh so sweet. (Yes, mostly it was goofy.)

melody4
We “picnicked” inside during lunchtime since the weather turned out nasty, and of course we had pretzels.

melody5sm
We served up some yummy cake and homemade ice cream after lunch. Don’t you love all the pictures of a sweet little girl in pink ruffles and pig tails? You don’t see many of those kind of pictures around here, do you?

I’ve loved our visit…and I’m so thankful for how God orchestrated all the details to make it possible. God is so good.

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

(P.S. You’ll want to be sure and check out the Spring Cleaning Carnival at Katie’s and Lenetta’s today!)

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: Clearing out some Clutter!

by 21 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Guess what I’m thankful for today? Junk! Clutter! Stuff! Boxes and boxes of stuff!

Actually, what I’m really, REALLY thankful for is that my junk, clutter and boxes and boxes of stuff are gone. Gone I tell you! Far, far away from my house and out of my life! Shew! What a relief to have hundreds of items cleared out of my house!

Over the weekend, some friends of ours were having a rummage sale to raise money for their kids to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Over the past three years, I’d been socking “stuff” we don’t use anymore down in our basement for a future yard sale. Ugh, but I really didn’t want to take the time or put forth the effort to have that yard sale. So the stuff kept accumulating in our basement. 

When I heard our friends were having a fund-raising rummage sale, I was SO EXCITED to take the contents of our basement over for them to sell. I didn’t care about the money I could get from my stuff – I just wanted the STUFF GONE!!! And this way the money would go toward something wonderful – a mission trip!

We spent all Friday afternoon lugging boxes upstairs and into our vehicles, then driving them over to our friend’s house and unloading them onto their porch. Check out all the loot that came out of my basement!

clutter1

I felt like all my junk couldn’t possibly amount to much…but when I checked in after the sale, the kids said they had raised a very nice amount to help with the cost of their trip! Hoorah! I got rid of a bunch of stuff…they got money for their trip! 

Beyond all of that, the boys and I also spent several hours clearing out boxes and other recyclable items and getting them down to our recycling center. Suffice it to say that after this clean-out-day was over, we were all quite filthy. Filthy and clutter free!

clutter3Check out how full my van was. Now that’s a lot of boxes!

clutter2Oh, but look what I found hiding under all those boxes. 
Who knew you could build a fort inside a van full of cardboard!

I love that we had such a productive day. I’m so thankful that the weather cooperated, we were all healthy and we could work hard together to clear out all that clutter! Ah, it feels so good! But look out! I’m in clean-out mode now! The kids better hide their favorite toys before I throw them in the next rummage sale box!

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: Another Awesome Weekend

by 16 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

gratituesdaynov09

Each year our older boys participate in Leadership Training for Christ (LTC), a big event for 3rd-12th graders to examine their talents and leadership abilities. Each year there is a special theme and book of the Bible to focus on. This year’s book was 2 Samuel (tough book to study!), with a theme of “The Rock”.

rock_smallGoing along with “The Rock” theme, Asa (seventh grade) took this picture
and entered it in the “photography” category. 
Framed in black, this photo looked pretty cool.

We were blessed to spend our nights with good friends who live close to the convention center in Kansas City. That may have been my favorite part of the weekend…spending time with people we love and don’t see often enough. We enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing visit on Friday before the LTC activities began! 

Friday night and all day Saturday, our boys (along with hundreds of other kids from the midwest) participated in dramas, puppet shows, choirs and other events that they had spent weeks and months preparing for.

ltc_oneThis is our friend N, pictured with Justus and Asa at LTC.

We got to strengthen relationships among our local church friends. We got to hug friends we only see once a year at LTC. We got to catch up with friends to see how the past year has gone. We got completely exhausted! It was awesome!

ltc_twoOur friend S, pictured with Justus, Elias and Malachi at LTC

Sunday we were back home in time to celebrate our Risen Savior with our local church family. We had a big Easter feast with Adam and BryAnna and a big Easter egg hunt with our church small group in the evening.

It was for sure…another awesome weekend!

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 grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following link into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!