I walked into my kitchen this morning to see sunshine streaming through the blinds onto the leaves of this gorgeous fiddle leaf tree that some friends sent us home with the other night! What a fun gift from such wonderful friends! I sat at the table and made my to-do list for the day, which includes some cooking and baking, tidying up, and decorating tables for a baby shower we’re hosting tonight! I can’t wait! My sweet friend is expecting her 4th precious little one in the July and we’re celebrating tonight with the mothers and daughters from our small group. I’ll be sure and snap some photos to share in another post. But for now, I just wanted to pop in and say, “Good Monday ... Read more

We are a family of book worms. Each of us enjoys reading year-round, however summer allows extra time for catching up on our book lists. The kids and I have already been working our way through our eagerly anticipated summer selections. We completed some books in the first weeks of June, but here’s what we've been reading this week: I'm reading This Beautiful Truth: How God's Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness by Sarah Clarkson who very beautifully reveals the answer to the question "If God is good, why is there pain in the world?" I'm finding myself underlining and noting on just about every page in this book! I'm only about halfway through, so I can't guarantee anything, but, judging ... Read more

I find I always benefit from some midwinter refreshment for my heart and my home. The past week brought long days, exhausted bodies, and heartbreaking news. But it also delivered some much-needed midwinter refreshment by way of several blessings. The first boost was to my home. My husband and I got new carpet in our bedroom! Our old carpet had become pretty worn and beaten and made the room feel tired and yuck. I'm pretty excited about the new carpet. It's so fresh and the bedroom looks and feel so much better. The cat approves too, yet I have warned her about going to kitty jail if she starts picking and scratching at it. My heart received a much-needed lift when I joined ... Read more

It's been a long time since I've posted a FTNF! But this post today is about more than a fluff. Let's talk New Year's PURGE! The Latin word PURGO means "I clean; I purge". It's not just a fluff. It's a total cleaning out. It's where our English word PURE is derived. And this week I've been working on purifying my 4-H: my house, my homeschool, my health, and my heart. We usually start our second semester of homeschooling the week immediately following New Year's Day, but having been out of town New Year's week, I wasn't able to get my usual mid-school year cleaning out and reorganizing accomplished. I know from experience that when I start a semester before my house, homeschool, ... Read more

After having all our travel attempts cancelled last spring and summer, the Lord graciously allowed us to take two quick trips during December, and we are so thankful! Now that Christmas and New Year's are passed, I'd like to finish up some posts on our Biltmore trip. So, returning to Biltmore, today, I'm going to take you on a walk through the conservatory. Even in the winter chill, the outdoor garden areas were still inspiring and well worth the walk through, but not as lush and vibrant as they are in the spring, summer, and fall....and definitely not as warm as the conservatory! The double doors, adorned with their fresh, aromatic wreaths, beckoned us to come in out of the cold for ... Read more