The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

All You “Knead” is Love! A Kitchen Shower for the Bride-to-Be

I have another nephew getting married this year to a wonderful girl! My sisters, my sister-in-law, and I all pitched in to throw her a bridal shower with a kitchen theme. Our bride enjoys cooking and trying different foods and is quite capable in the kitchen, so this type of shower was well-suited for her. We were thankful for this occasion which allowed us to honor the bride and meet more of her family and friends. Y'all, this girl has some really sweet bridesmaids! I like to look on Etsy for invitations that I can download, customize, and print. They have so many great designs for all occasions! I found the cutest template for a kitchen shower invitation from Pumpkin Pi Design which ... Read more

Snapshot Saturday: So Much to Celebrate!

Hi there! Today I have some snapshots to share from a week that included a birthday, a bridal shower, and Valentine's Day! Birthday Girl Our firstborn had a birthday last weekend and it's so hard to believe the little girl in this photo is now twenty-three! This photo was taken the Easter she was just three years old and I had made her dress and hairbow to match her doll's. Too bad her doll isn't in the photo. Such memories! Look at that sweet face. We didn't get to see her on her birthday this year since she and her husband are living in Texas, but we had a fun FaceTime call with them. ***** Kitchen Shower My sisters and sister-in-law and I threw a kitchen bridal ... Read more

Great Wolf Lodge Birthday Trip

Last week my son turned 12 years old! For our children's birthdays we've always given them the option of a birthday party at home or a day trip with just our little family. Some years are very low key and they just want to have a quiet birthday at home with no hoopla and other years are a little more festive. If they choose a day trip with the fam it's to somewhere an hour or two away and not an overnight. However, since the last two years have brought cancelled birthday plans for our son due to covid and bad weather, this year we made an exception and took an overnight trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in La Grange, Georgia. This place did not disappoint! It was clean and full of fun! Very ... Read more

Teach Them Tuesday: Bonding Through Books

Reading is a family favorite in our house! When I was growing up, I spent more of my time outside playing and climbing trees than I did inside reading, so I wasn't a strong reader but now I've spent my entire adulthood soaking up all the books I can get my hands on (since climbing trees is out for me now, ha!). And I wanted my kids to be strong readers, so I started reading to them as early as possible...the womb. I had a little basket of baby books in the nursery just waiting for baby, so while pregnant, I'd sit in the rocking chair and read those little books to my bump. Sounds silly, I know! Read-alouds have probably been our favorite part of homeschooling. In fact, my son says that's ... Read more

Snapshot Saturday

Hi, friends! We've been busy around here finishing one month and beginning another. Here are a few snapshots from our week. Birthday Trip! January ended with our son's 12th birthday and a special overnight trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange, Georgia to enjoy their indoor water park and slides! More on this adventure next week but here's a sneak peek. We all got complimentary wolf ears at the lodge which my son just had to torment the poor cat with. But I must say, it was pretty hilarious how long Floyd left those ears on Our cats put up with a lot! ***** Blogiversary Also at the end of January was my blog's 4th anniversary! You can read my very first post ... Read more

Creating a Family Identity

Good morning, friends! As a follow-up to my post on the importance of family identity in a child's life, I'd like to share some ideas for creating that identity. I am in no way a trained expert; these are just some ideas that Joel and I have found to work for our family. And although I have given this post a lot of thought, I haven't been able to give it much time in the writing, so it's by no means polished and tidy. I'll just be speaking from the heart as if we're sitting here together over coffee or tea. Back when we went through foster care training, in one of the classes the topic of family identity came up as an important element to carrying your current family through the ... Read more

Snapshot Saturday: January 2023

I did not keep up with my weekly "Snapshot Saturday" posts during January so here's just a quick summary of the whole month. These are in very random order. I'll start with the pets. King Kat Floyd has a way of lounging on our beds with this expression of confident ownership. When he does this Joel calls him "King Kat". If I Fits, I Sits My daughter says this is Pumpkin's life motto because she tries out everything to see how it "sits". I had just emptied this basket in my bedroom, and she did not hesitate to fill it up with herself. Partners in Crime I left the linen cabinet open one morning while I was getting ready, and the cats couldn't resist jumping ... Read more

Winter Lodge Wedding

My nephew and his precious bride got married a few weeks ago and it was one of the sweetest and prettiest weddings I've had the pleasure of attending! Family weddings are just so much fun, and even sweeter when they're for people you've watched grow up. These two are perfect for each other and I believe my nephew was the happiest groom I've ever seen. They chose the Lodge at Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville, Alabama for their wedding venue and it could not have been any dreamier! They had a lovely vision for the wedding and with their ideas plus my sister's event-planning skills, it came together so nicely. My sister, Allison, recruited her friend as director and decorator, and then ... Read more