The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Hello, March!

Happy first day of March! We've had some gorgeous spring-like weather lately. Below is a photo from the pond in our neighborhood that we enjoy on mild sunny days. We took the dogs the other day and they always love splashing around in the water. Barney loves for us to throw sticks out for him to swim to and retrieve. The sunrise has been making its appearance earlier and earlier. This was a photo I took as I got back from my walk one morning with the sun coming up over the ridge. I just love it! The time will change in a couple of more weeks and my kiddos are pretty excited about extra daylight in the evenings. Today will be rainy and in the fifties. Can't complain after so many ... Read more

February Hello

I'm having a bit of a quieter year during this season of life, and I don't mind it at all. We've come off some very busy years and to put it simply, I'm tired. Haha. This year will be a year for simplifying in many ways. I don't plan to host much this year. I've enjoyed years of parties and gatherings in our home, especially with my girls and seeing their excitement for having their friends over as they've grown up. Such sweet memories. But my body can't keep up like it used to and I feel God calling me to be a little quieter in all aspects of my life, at least for a while. With that, gatherings will be less frequent and much smaller. My daughter and I had a couple of sweet friends visit ... Read more

Midwinter Table Setting

Happy 2024, everyone! On Christmas Eve Eve when everyone was home, Joel and I prepared a steak dinner for the six of us. On a whim, I set the table with blues, browns, cream, and a bit of orange. The cream dinner plates are Pioneer Woman and are getting old and chipped, but I still love them. The blue floral salad plates are from T.J.Maxx (4-ish years ago), the flatware is from Walmart, and the napkins are from Home Goods (2 years ago). The brown glasses are from Hobby Lobby's fall line which I got for 50% off in November and they have been a nice new addition to our kitchen. Winter wreaths, a frosty tree, oranges, and a gingerbread candle finish off the table for a ... Read more

A Walk Through the Woods

We took a refreshing walk at a nearby trail this week to get some fresh air and work off the Christmas goodies. Even in the dead of winter there are so many fascinating displays of God's creation. Here are a few photos from our walk. ... Read more

A Merry Little Christmas Shower

In early December my daughter and I hosted a Christmas-themed bridal shower for a very sweet young lady. We've been friends with her and her mother, Missy, through years of homeschooling, tea parties, and even a trip to the Biltmore Estate together! My daughter will be one of her bridesmaids, so we wanted to throw a shower for our lovely bride-to-be. This shower was so much fun to plan and prep, thinking of goodies and details the bride would enjoy. She is so sweet and grateful for any little thing people do for her, that honestly, she would have appreciated peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! When I host a gathering, I try to finish preparations a few minutes before guests arrive so I ... Read more

Christmas Decor ’23

Good morning, friends! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I have truly enjoyed all of it this year! The baking, the shopping, the gatherings, the goodies, the movies, the music, the decorating, and the worship! I had to cut out a few things this year, like getting Christmas cards printed and mailed, but it's a balance, right! I always hesitate to share photos of Christmas decor because I never want to appear that I'm showing off (I just enjoy decorating!) but also because Christmas decor has become so controversial. Has anyone else noticed that? The right time to put up your tree, the right kind of tree, and the right color schemes for your tree. In fact, there are arguments about ... Read more

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very “Merry Christmas” from my home to yours! For those of you experiencing heartache this year, please know I prayed for you this morning. May the peace of Jesus be with you today. ... Read more

Christmas Advent ‘23

When my kids were little our Advent time was usually incorporated into our school day. Some years I worked with them on memorizing the account of Jesus’s birth in Luke 2 (tip: The Charlie Brown Christmas movie helped with that!) Some years I read through a children’s devotional book and we made a craft or did a service project to go along with that day’s message. Having older kids now ages 19 and 12 in the home, we’re enjoying a more mature type of Advent. I’ve mentioned before that our family has a Bible time after dinner. It’s nothing rigid and not even every night but just a few nights a week when everyone is home and we can read through a chapter of the Bible and discuss. So, during ... Read more