Simple Home and Happiness

It's the end of July and I am in full on survival mode, which in it's purest form is simply denial. So pumpkin mac and cheese is on the docket for today. I recently purchased this cookbook on a whim and it already has more earmarks than any other cookbook I own. Lots of recipes to be tried out! I just finished this Bible study. It was my first time enjoying a Bible study and I highly recommend it. I am now jumping into this one and this one , which is probably too many at once, but the timing for both of them just happened at the same time. We Saved you a Seat is hosting an online Bible study and you can find the link for it here . I recently took a trip with the kiddos, and we toured the western half of South Dakota. It's been waayy to long since we did that and I forgot how fun it can be. Get out and tour your own state. There is stuff out there you have never seen, I promise you. Its fun. Do it. My list of books I want to read is always growing, in fact I alr...

I wrote this late last spring and never got around to sharing  it. It makes me laugh looking back, hopefully it will make you smile as well. Note to the reader, several snakes were harmed in the making of this story. This morning I needed to mow the lawn, and by lawn, I mean the giant yard space around our farmhouse. Where the 'lawn" ends and the pasture begins is really all relative, it's just determined by where I decide to stop mowing. This was my second mowing of the season, and it started off with a bad omen. And lets face it, if you've ever seen 'The Sandlot', we know to take the omen seriously. The lawn mower had two flat tires. I called the hubs and he insisted to just drive it with the one tire, irreparably flat and to air up the other. So I did. I kerplunked along, just driving on the rim of one wheel while I slowly drove from the machine shed up to the house. I aired up the one tire and set to work. I decided to mow the backyard first, so that ...

Earlier this year I spoke at a conference. I talked about gratitude, grace and joy. I was fully immersed in it and felt it down to my toes. Then life got turned upside down and busy and somehow I forgot everything. The last month or so has been a mess. I hate the rush of summer and the vortex that results and sucks up every minute and shreds my plans. I have let it consume me. I have been wallowing in self pity. It all bubbled up and exploded last week when I threw a tantrum and in an attempt to keep from yelling I kicked the wall. My house that I love, that I built with my hands, that I poured myself into; I kicked it and put a hole in the wall and injured my foot. It was stupid. The tantrum was stupid. I feel stupid. But even more than that, I am angry at myself. I am angry that I allowed myself to get to the point that I would act that way. I wasn't being grateful, I wasn't practicing grace and I certainly was no where near feeling joy. I wanted my children and...

Today the weather is cool and there is a breeze, so my windows are open and I am breathing it all in. I started my morning off right and today feels good. Good enough to sit down and catch you up on what I've been cooking on these busy summer days. I would be lying if I told you its all home cooked goodness everyday, last week there was hot pockets, a frozen pizza (or three), and a lot of sandwiches. But for the most part, I've been sticking to my go-to's. The ones I can throw together in a hurry. So search no more. Here are your simple summer meals. Anytime Bagels  Slice a bagel and put it in the toaster. Fry an egg in olive oil. Lay a couple slices of deli meat in the same pan. When you flip the egg, flip the meat and top with shredded cheese or sliced cheese. When bagel is done and the egg is cooked to your liking, assemble it like a sandwich.  Now.... there is room to work with whatever you have. No bagel, use regular bread; no deli meat, use bacon; if you lik...

We live in a hurting world. There is so much hate, and violence in the world. It seems to be escalating and intensifying. It can be easy to feel like it is out of control and beyond help. We shake our heads. We grumble about what the world is coming to. We let fear creep in.  We give up, because it all seems too far gone. And yet, I keep coming back to same thing in my head, over and over; we have the power to stop the violence, the hate, the abuse. Every single one of us, has the power. We have turned a blind eye. We ignored all the warning signs, we were busy with our own problems, and didn't take the time to see what was right in front of us. Every offender was once a child , more than likely a hurting child.  What if you were the one to make all the difference? What if you smiled at that child, and told him it was ok he was late for school and offered him a granola bar before he joined his class. What if you saw her waiting for her bus every...

The words that I want to say about marriage have been tumbling around inside my head for a very long time, but I have never hit publish because of fear. Fear that you might think I am being judgemental. Fear that my words would hurt someone. Fear that you would see my vulnerability. Fear that I would be misunderstood. Before you read on, know this: In no way do I think that someone in an abusive relationship should have to stay. There are MANY reasons people choose to leave a relationship, and I respect those who are strong enough to do so. Not every marriage will last and I do not judge anyones choices! This is intended for those who are dealing with the 'everyday' hardships of marriage and need a little encouragement that they are not alone. With that said, I have struggled to put into words the right mix of joy, pain, heartache and faith that it has taken to get my husband and I to every anniversary. But what I have learned in my years of writing, is that every ...

I have been thinking about perceptions a lot lately. The perceptions we have of other people; of their lives, of their relationships and how distorted those perceptions often are. We have a tendency to judge people on appearances, or on past behaviors, and often forget to look at the person who is standing right in front of us. We can witness a personality trait and it can be good and kind, but then hear about a past incident and it alters what we believe to be true about that person. Perception is a fickle thing. I remember a time I heard members of my church gossiping behind another persons back. I sat in a restaurant in our small town, a few tables over from a group of church "elders" and heard them tearing down another church member for the way she had handled herself in an emotionally tense situation. I do not remember all the details of what they said, but what I do remember was a sinking feeling in my stomach. I remember thinking these people were leaders, ...