Easy Sunday Dinner~BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ok, so I know that the picture isn't the greatest and you may now be thinking whatever that is, I am definitely NOT making it!  I forgot to take a good picture of the finished product, but it really was yummy!

On Sunday's I really try to have something cooking while we are at church, so when we get home (usually at lunchtime!) we can eat soon.  Our kiddo's are usually "starving" and it is nice to come home to a meal all (or almost) ready.  Plus the house smells really yummy~another bonus!

This Sunday, I made the simplest meal I've ever made~~and got lots of compliments for it!  I simply took chicken breasts out of the freezer and put them in the slow cooker (YES~FROZEN!!).  I cooked them on high for about an hour, then turned it down to medium when we went to church.  When we got home, the chicken was done perfectly.  I drained the juices, then shredded it with two forks right in the cooker.  It was so tender, it just fell apart.  Then I added a bottle of BBQ sauce and let it simmer for a few more minutes while I got the table ready.  I added  frozen corn and some fruit, and we had yummy meal on the table within 15 minutes.

Try this if your looking for an easy, yummy meal to come home to!

Blessings,


"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

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Why I Wear Skirts

There seems to be so much controversy over wearing skirts lately.  I've seen it in the blog world, but I've also seen it personally.  I have read many blogs from women who only wear skirts.  I also personally know several women who wear skirts.  I don't want to start a fight about who is right and who is wrong, but here is my story.  
I started wearing skirts almost exclusively over a year ago.  I now have only one pair of jeans, and 2 pairs of shorts.  I have always enjoyed dressing for church on Sundays, as wearing skirts or dresses just made me feel more feminine.  As our lifestyle was changing and we were around other families where the women wore skirts, I started thinking about wearing skirts more often.  This was also when I feel the Lord started whispering into my heart that He would like it if I wore skirts.  As I usually do when I'm not sure I want to do something, I dragged my feet and made excuses.  "That would be great, but I don't have any skirts that would be reasonable for daily wear."  "I just can't afford to get a new wardrobe."  "What would others think?"  "My family already thinks we're nuts for homeschooling, how am I going to explain this one to them?" 

As the Lord often does, He spoke to me through others.  Most notably was Amy from Raising Arrows.  She did a series last spring called She Wears Skirts.  I was definitely interested since I was still trying to ignore that call to wear skirts myself.  In one of her posts, she spoke right to my heart when she said that for her, wearing skirts was a matter of her heart, NOT of doctrine. Wow!  It made me look at where my own heart was.  I clearly felt what the Lord was asking of me and He desired for me to trust and follow Him.  And I was responding with excuses!  I started praying that God would forgive my distrust and disobedience.  I placed the entire situation in God's hands.  He knew our financial situation, and would provide for new clothing if He desired.  I just agreed to follow where He led.  I found myself in a thrift store several weeks later, and found several skirts for only a few dollars.  There was my answer!  I've been wearing skirts ever since then.

I found when I changed my heart attitude, everything else fell into place.  I truly enjoy wearing skirts.  Wearing a skirt reminds me each day of what kind of woman God would like for me to be.  But I also don't get hung up on the rules of wearing a skirt.  There are times in my life where pants were more suitable, and I don't feel as though I'm doing something wrong.  However, those times seem to be fewer and far between as wearing skirts is just "me" now!

One of the best reasons for me to wear skirts is to show my daughters what modesty and femininity are.  I get to model this behavior to them, and help mold them into the young women God desires them to be.  More on my daughters in another post!

If you are thinking of wearing skirts, please pray about it.  Seek your husband's advice also.  Read Amy's series on wearing skirts for a lot of great information.  You'll find a great sense of peace when you follow God's will in this area.

I want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.  1 Timothy 2:9-10

Have a great day!

Blessings,

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31


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Blessings,

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Modest Women's Clothing and A Give~Away!

One thing that is very important to me is dressing modestly.  Caroline at The Modest Mom Blog feels the same way.  She created a company that sells modest clothing for women, and has recently expanded her business.  She has re~named the business Deborah & Co. and has a huge give~away at her blog site.  She has some great products for women and girls!  Head over to her site and check it out.  Enter the give~away while your there!

Blessings,

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Frugal Living~Make Liquid Handsoap Go Farther

I posted this a couple of years ago, but since I think it's such a great idea, I'm reposting it for some of my new followers who may not have seen it! 

I've been "making" my own handsoap for several years and it really saves us money.  You use so much less soap so it lasts a lot longer.

You need a FOAMY handsoap pump and regular liquid handsoap. I bought a large refill bottle. I wish I would have recorded when I bought it so I would know how long it lasted us.

The easy instructions are to just add a small amount of soap into the dispenser (about 1/2 inch of soap or so), then fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake until all the soap is dispersed. You now have foamy soap and you used very little of the liquid soap for one bottle.

We LOVE the foamy soap in our house. It is much easier for the little ones to wash off their hands. Since we are all washing our hands many times around here, this really does save our family money!

Let me know what you think!
Have a great day!

Blessings,
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Fall Foto Fun

This weekend we had a beautiful day, so we headed out to try to get a good picture for our Christmas card.  We got some good shots, enjoyed a great area, and had fun doing it.  Here's a few from the day....

Way too bright here for a good picture!

Gotta have a goof~ball in every group.  Ours found a stick and pretended it was a gun.  Every time I said "smile", he held it up and said "BANG!"

My Favorite!

Have a great day!

Blessings,



"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

I Do It Myself, Mommy!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6

"I do it myself, Mommy."

Our 3 year old has decided to become Mr. Independent lately.  He wants to get dressed by himself, brush his teeth himself, even buckle his own car seat (which we don't let him do by the way!).  Sometimes he struggles.  And struggles some more.  What great joy when he finally does it by himself.  He's learning he can do great things by himself.

Or can he?  Can we?

I'm reminded about my own struggles in letting God take control of every aspect of my life.  So many times I've said I'm going to leave things to God, only to take the situation out of His hands. 

"I do it myself!"  

Then come the struggles.  And sometimes more struggles.  Until I finally give it to the Lord entirely.  And what great joy when I finally do it with HIM!  I'm learning I can do great things with God.

So while I smile at my 3 year old's determination to do it by himself, I know my heavenly father smiles when I ask for help. 

Now, I need to help this same child get his arm out of the head hole of his shirt!

Blessings,

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Liebster Blog Award!

I was thrilled to find out I had been nominated by a fellow blogger for the Liebster Blog Award!  Thank you so much to Shannon at Imperfectly Perfect Grace  for the nomination!  Then I thought, wait, WHAT is the Liebster Blog Award?  How have I never heard of this?  I headed over to Shannon's blog to check this one out! 

What is the Liebster Blog award?

The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have not yet hit the 200 follower mark. The award is presented by a fellow blogger as a sort of pat on the back "you've got a great thing started" type of award. "liebster" is German for "favorite" This makes this the "favorite blog award".  Since I'm also German, this makes it doubly fun!

The rules.

1. List 11 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions given to you. 

3. Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award.

4. Choose 11 bloggers with 200 or less followers to nominate. 

5. Go to each bloggers page and let them know about the award.

6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

First...the facts!

~I LOVE cherries, but especially cherry pie filling.  I will eat an entire can in one sitting!

~I was a cheerleader in middle and high school, and I still remember some of the cheers!

~I think the big hair styles of the 80's should come back in style (but, really, only because my hair is so thick that I always have big hair!)

~If my husband didn't stop me, I'd have more purses than I could count!

~I cry during almost any movie, including animated ones! (Now, seriously, who didn't cry during the movie UP?  And don't even get me started on the movie Hachi!)

~I listen to Christmas music all year long~although during the summer I must do it when I'm by myself or hubby will go crazy!

~I'd like to add about 6 more kids to our family!

~I'm having a hard time accepting that I will be 40 in just 11 months. I still try to tell my kids that I'm 29.  Since my daughter will be 16 soon, she tells me I can't say that anymore.  I say then I'll tell other's that I'm her sister!  She didn't really like that one!!

~I'm still afraid of thunderstorms.

~While I always wanted to be a wife and mother, I never thought that I would love it or them this much!

~I thought I was a pretty dull person until I had to come up with 11 facts about myself!

 Now the questions from Shannon:

-What is a fun fact people might not know? Peanut butter cups are my absolute favorite candy, and my kids give them to me for Christmas presents!

-What age did you start driving?  16, but as my daughter nears that age, I'm thinking it should be changed to 20!

-What is your favorite item in your closet? My light blue zippered sweatshirt

-Who has been a major influence in your life?  my grandmother's

-What is your dream day like? House gets cleaned, schooling gets done, delicious meals are served and everyone is happy.  Honestly, if everyone is happy, that's a good day!

-Favorite song at this moment?  I have so many, but right now it is Silent Night or O Holy Night (I told you I loved to listen to Christmas music!!)

-What did you want to be when you grew up?  an ice skater or a singer~~funny...I can't do either one very well!

-What is something you have on your to do list?  Date night with hubby.  We don't do that nearly as much as we should and I really enjoy spending time alone with him.

-Would you prefer to be at the beach or out on the ocean? I've never been to an ocean, so I guess I'll say beach!

-What celebrity or well known figure would you like to have over to dinner?  This is a hard one because I've never thought about it, but I'm going to say Rachel Ray, just because she seems to have so much fun in the kitchen and such great ideas!

-What is the short answer to why you started your blog?  I hope to help other women become the woman God wants for them to be.  And to hold myself accountable also!

Questions for the blogs I've nominated

~What is your favorite season?

~What is your favorite dessert?

~If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

~What year did you graduate high school?

~What is your idea of a perfect night out?

~What is your favorite color?

~What is the funniest thing you've ever done?

~What is the most favorite item you have in your home?

~What do you enjoy most about snow(If you get snow!)?

~Who are your best friends?

~Why did you start your blog?

Fun Blogs I'm Nominating for the Liebster Blog Award!

WholeHearted Home

Family, Faith, and Fridays

Hannahs Wings

Lemonade and Gingerbread

Olive Plants All Around My Table

Living Simply For Him

Little House In Hillsboro

Simply Cornish

These Are The Days

Jen's Journey

Glory Farm~Growing with God 

Check out these great blogs, and thanks to Shannon for nominating me!

Elderberry Syrup~Make It Yourself!

I was introduced to elderberry syrup a couple of years ago, and I'm convinced that it really works!  It helps to keep you healthy during the upcoming cold and flu season.  We've had a cold slowly working its way around our family for a couple of months now, so I decided it was past time to get this recipe out again.  You can buy elderberry syrup already made, but it is costly that way.  Here's how to make it yourself...

You'll need:

• 1/2 cup dried elderberries ( I get them from Mountain Rose Herbs)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 whole cloves
• 1TBSP grated ginger
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup honey

 Boil all ingredients except honey.  Turn down heat, cover and simmer approx 20-30 minutes until liquid is condensed by about half.   

Strain liquid.  Add honey to liquid and stir until dissolved.  Place in jar or container of your choice and place in fridge.  Keeps 2-3 weeks in fridge, although it doesn't last that long in our house! 



Use 1 TBSP daily, or you can use 1 TBSP every hour during illness.  There is a great video explaining the process HERE.  Here's to a healthy winter!

Blessings,

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Frugal Living~~Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent

This is a very simple recipe for dishwasher detergent.  This is the only detergent I use in our dishwasher, and I've never had a problem with it.  It cleans just as good as store bought detergents. 

All you need to make it is~~

equal parts of Borax and washing soda (NOT baking soda!).  Mix together and put in a container of your choice!  Fill your dishwasher as you would with store bought detergent.  That's it!  You do need to make sure you use a rinse aid or your dishes will be cloudy.  Another frugal tip~use vinegar as your rinse aid.  I've never bought rinse aid since finding this tip! 

Try it and start saving money!

Blessings,

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

My Desire To Live Simply

Our family loves to watch "old shows" like Little House on The Prairie and The Waltons.  I know there was plenty of hardships during both of these era's, but there is also something else these era's have in common~~living simply.

Our family is surrounded by a lot of "stuff".  Our kids have grand toys.  We have computer games and Wii games.  We have a TV and DVD player to watch movies on.  What we have is a whole lot of stuff taking our eyes off of what really matters!

Our family will be moving next spring, and as we prepare for this, we've noticed just how much stuff we've accumulated.  My desire is that as we gather up our things, we will be able to discern whether or not it is really useful to our family.

All this stuff takes us away from important things~~ relationships!  It is hard to have good relationships with each other if we are all in different rooms of the house doing different things.  As we prepare to move into the house my husband grew up in, I hope to take some lessons from his parents in this home.

Hubby's dad built this house.  It is a simple home by today's standards, but it was a great joy to my in~laws.  Four children grew up in this home.  Fifteen grandchildren have loved visiting grandma and grandpa in this home.  Numerous holiday gatherings and dinners served to friends have been enjoyed in this home.  A home that has never seen a video game or cable television!  The house has an acre of land around it.   Every grandchild has had a ride (and LOVED it!) on grandpa's tractor in this yard.  The picture above was actually taken from the edge of their property this spring.

I pray that this home will be a blessing to our family.  I pray that it will bring us closer to each other as we live and play there.  I see holiday gatherings and birthday parties enjoyed with extended family.  I see badmitton, soccer, and baseball games played in the backyard.  I pray that we would be able to enjoy an abundant harvest from our garden~ a garden that we will toil together. 

I know that a house does not make a home, but I truly desire to live simply and enjoy the many blessings God has blessed us with.  To enjoy the things that really matter in life.  To live out God's purpose for our family.  So as we will begin to pack up this home in the next several months, I will be looking at things with a careful eye.  Do we really need or want this, or will it bring unnecessary things to our home?  Hmmm, this should be interesting!

Have a great day!

Blessings,

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies!!!

Yes...this title says it all!!

Go HERE  for the recipe.  I have not made these yet, but I am sooo going to!  Peanut butter cups are my favorite candy, and this dessert just looks yummy!

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Autumn Fun!

"How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!" Psalm 92:5

Have a great day!

Blessings,

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31