Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Much to my despair, my big pumpkins didn't make it this year.  However, our miniatures did!  The kids had fun picking them and I love seeing them on display in our house!  I can't understand the mystery of why the pumpkins didn't make it--they flowered and some are still flowering--that would lead logically to think that it should produce a pumpkin; however, it just didn't work out this year.  Oh well.  Trial and error. Live and Learn.  There's always next season!

We had homeschool co-op today and had a lovely time learning about Ancient Egypt and my son had fun in photography class.  We had a lovely lunch at a friend's house who made yummy homemade soup and sandwiches and, of course, the company was the best part!

Blessings to all for a happy, fruitful weekend!

Cruz & Emma Grace picking our miniatures!

James, Catherine, Cruz, Emma Grace, Hannah Faith with their picks!

Hannah Faith below with her favorite pumpkin!

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Would love a little help from those of you successful, seasoned canners out there.  I just pressure canned my green beans--7 quarts and much to my dismay and fear, I believe they are spoiling.  The beautiful jars have bubbles in them.  Surely that is a sign of spoilage.  Any comments or advice.  I pressured them at 10 lbs for 25 minutes.  My neighbor who has canned her entire life even helped me with my first experience with a pressure canner...sooo....my question is what is happening?

Despite my current anguish to lose 7 qts--which I hope somebody will tell me this is normal (though I know it's not), they were beautiful beans...

Blessings!!

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This scrumptious loaf of cinnamon bread was devoured by our household in one day--a mere few hours--not even a complete day.  I wanted to share the recipe with you.  This is enough to make 3 pretty substatial loaves for you large families out there and for the saner crowd (just kidding) enough to put two in the freezer and eat one over a period of mornings!

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 pkg. dry active yeast (about a tsp or so for each package I approximated as I don't use packages but buy in bulk)

8-9 c. bread flour

2 c. milk

1 c. butter

2 eggs (though I think it would come out lovely if you added some more!!)

In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast and 2 cups of flour.  In 2 quart suacepan over low heat, slowly heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130 degrees). With mixer at low speed (or hand mixer like I use!!) gradually beat liquid into dry ingredients.  Increase speed (or mix faster!! excercise ladies) to medium; beat  2 minutes more, occasionally scraping the bowl. Beat in eggs and 2 cups flour; continue beating 2 minutes.  With spoon, stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.  Knead dough on lightly floured surface about 10 minutes.  Shape into a ball.  Turn over in greased bowl to grease top.  Cover, let rise in warm place 1 hour. PUnch down dough.  On lightly floured surface, divide into four or 3 pieces.  Cover, let rest 15 minutes.  Roll into rectangle.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Roll into loaf. Let rise an additional 1 hour to 1.5 hours (that is what the recipe said--it is a little funky with its directions--ladies you'll know when it has risen enough!) Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until loaf is brown (light brown!)

Enjoy! 

 We will be going to the beach this week for a rest, relax & fun time with my parents!  The children are so very excited and I must admit so are we!  Of course, we are busy with all the preparations it takes to take such an extended trip.  The horses must be cared for, the chickens, and the dogs.  The yard needs to be in order and more green beans picked.  Laundry.  Need I say more.  I enjoyed a "Feminine Friday" today and wore a dress.  I love wearing dresses and can't wait to buy more skirts and dresses for the cooler months.  I actually prefer to work in them than jeans!  That sounds like a confession doesn't it?  Anyway, I was complimented from many women in my homeschool group and hope to encourage a couple of Feminine Fridays for ladies in our group who are interested.  God's been on my heart with this issue and He's working on me!  Mold me! I am the clay...He is the potter!

Blessings to you all!

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Happy Birthday Girls!  We love you so!!!  We remember the day not but three mere years ago that social services called us and asked us to take twin babies.  I digress.  I should start on the Sunday night before the call on Monday morning.  We were sitting around as usual with our close friends Jose & Teresa.  I had just gone through my 6th or 7th miscarriage.  There have been so many I can't remember anymore.  It was quite devestating though as we were sure this baby (a boy) would have made it.  We felt surely God would bless us again.  (He would, just not in our terms.)  I remember crying to them that I wasn't sure if I could handle such pain anymore.  I was so exhausted.  I cried out and almost shouted that I just wanted God to send me a baby and NOW!  I remember feeling a shred of guilt and screaming out to my Father like that.  We all cried and then felt better. 

The very next morning, I received a call from social services (we were foster parents at the time) about twin babies just born that had been abandoned at the hospital and would we be interested?  They were probably going to be for adoption depending on if they found birth mother, relatives, etc.  We were elated and immediately said yes.  No questions asked!  I knew in that moment God had answered my prayer.  The baby girls came home to us on September 11, 2003.  It was a beautiful day.  God had touched our lives and through my girls continues to touch us each and every day. 

We had to come up with names as they were Baby A and Baby B.   We chose Emma Grace and Hannah Faith because they were brought to us, born from our hearts, by Faith & Grace.  We so cherish those girls.  It makes us realize every day that God's plan is sometimes so bigger than what we ever imagine for ourselves.  The parents of twins.  We never would have imagined.  We thank the Lord each and every day for sending us His daughters for us to love and cherish.  They have truly touched our lives.

Their birth story continues as we later met their birth mother.  She willingly and lovingly gave us her children to raise.  To her we are grateful.  She drove to the hospital from work on September 8th at 8:30 a.m.  She delivered Emma Grace at 9:05a.m. and Hannah Faith (breech) at 9:20 a.m.  A truly amazing woman.  We firmly believe God has a plan for her and her life as well.

To make the day even more special, when the twins came to us on September 11th, that was my daughter's 17th birthday.  She came home from school and we said "surprise!"  We hadn't mentionned the possibility of the twins because we felt perhaps something could happen.

We love you girls!

Hannah Faith!

Emma Grace!

My Happy Girls trying on their new bandanas!

Sisterly love and affection!

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I'm having an open house today especially made for my Grandma who is in Illinois right now with my Aunt Susan recuperating from an illness.  Grandma,  you've never been to my house, so I invite you and anyone else out here in cyberspace, to come on in and sit down for a spell!

WELCOME!  Please come on inside!!  It's rainy today as Tropical Storm Hannah is making her name known throughout our region!

Upstairs you have the kids room!  Hannah and Emma share a room.  Catherine has her own room and a bathroom in the hall.  James and Cruz  share a room, but have a private bathroom.

Need to take a rest, sit down for a spell!  That's our Southern Hospitality! To your right is our dining room.

And to your left is our library/homeschool/game room!

Have a seat, play a game, read a book, watch a movie!

Come on in farther and you'll find our Family Room! 

Piano playing anyone or just cuddle under a quilt and curl up by the fire!

And to the right of the Family Room is our Kitchen--My command central!

Thanks for the Aprons Grandma!  They get a lot of use!!

Where I store some of the fruits of our labor!

Home Sweet Home!

My lovely crocks for my cooking "tools!"

Off our family room is our fun station for the kids & relaxville for us!

A view of part of the yard from the deck.

View from the front door! 

Another front door view!

Fall is coming!  Ya'll come back now you here!  I love you Grammy!  The Great-Grandbabies..

I leave you with these thoughts for the day--Blessings to all and thanks for visiting my simple home.

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Come on in, Sit down, rest a spell!  My lovely neighbor gave me this chair.  It was her grandmother's carriage or wagon chair.  She called it a half-chair to put in their carriage or wagon or around the fireplace.  Isn't it delicious!  She also gave me the handmade broom up on the hearth.  Her grandmother or Aunts made that at one time.  She had so many that she remembers being used on the farm and was gracious and sweet to give one to our family. 

Happy Friday to Everyone!  We were busy this last week putting up green beans!  We put up around 8 gallons--large family--large freezer bags to freeze the beans!  I was going to can them, but I decided just to freeze this batch!  We've been blessed with rain and so our beans and corn and pumpkins are growing well.  The tomatoes have just about fizzled out, but the peppers are still doing well.  I hope to be like the jalepeno pepper plant--through all sorts of adversity it just keeps on producing and surviving!!  Despite the heat, lack of rain, even soil that isn't the best, it just keeps plugging along like a faithful servant!  

We finished our second week of school and the kids made the Arc de Triomphe as part of their studies about the French Revolution & Napoleon's Rule.  We are  making it through Tapestry of Grace!!  It just takes a couple weeks to pull it all together!  The little ones are enjoying preschool!  That seems to be the key--balancing preschool and high school/jr. high.  Oh my!! 

Our homeschool co-op started today and we had so many families and eager children!  Our Living History Class that I'm teaching went very well.  The children learned about Ancient Japan today focusing on geography.  We then made a 3d map of the Islands with plaster of paris!  It was a creative mess!  Cool though!

We are waiting for Hurricane/tropical Storm Hannah.  I believe she won't be very fierce, but we're praying for safety for all near the coast!  We are about 2 hours from the coast so we should be fine..the biggest threat is downed trees and with so many pine trees it's a definite possibility. 

More pics of our co-op coming soon!  Blessings to all!!

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Well, the first days of school are off with a bang and a grumble!  The kids are actually doing very well an adjusting to the new curriculum.  We are using Tapestry of Grace and, for those of you who are not familiar, it is a literature based curriculum based on the classics and the trivium.  It is very exciting and though it's a lot to consume and be able to accomplish at once, we're doing very well and I'm quite proud of my young scholars!  It's my 10th graders first attempt at homeschooling and she's liking it a lot and realizing how much time she wasted in public school as she's able to accomplish much in such a short time! 

One of our literature books!  I, of course, love reading so it is inspiring to me to read some new things and re-read others!  I've just finished a charming book on Abigail and John Adams.  Theirs was a true love story that lasted 54 years!  She gave so much for him, sacrificied her needs for him.  Such a true Proverbs 31 Woman!  Her story is truly marvelous and inspirational. 

We went to Pullen Park in Raleigh NC for our SMILEHOMESCHOOLERS Kick-off!  It was a lot of fun!  They have a Merry-go-Round of creatures from the 1800's which is quite marvelous and boats and a train!  For those of you who live close and haven't gone in a while, I encourage you to go!  My encouragement would be for a cooler day than when we went though! 

Here are some pictures of the day!

Emma and I on the Merry-go-Round!

A closer image of Emma and Hannah in front of her!

Hannah at Train!

A blurry picture of James (on the right) and his best bud Addison!

Cruz, myself & Hannah Faith!

James & Emma at Cat's Family Night for Colorguard!

OKAY--OKAY--I just HAD too! My nephew has these ridiculous masks for Halloween (he's 27 and still a little boy!) and though I hate scary things, I was desensitizing the children to them and my hubby and nephew put them on the twins who thought it was really funny to have them on!  Of course, they don't realize the masks are scary, they just love the Cher hair!

God bless and forgive me for the masks, but it was really quite funny--we chuckled and laughed and then roared!

Enjoy life!  Live it. Love it. Praise God for it!

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Phew!  This month of August is just flying by!  I can't seem to keep up!  I have so many projects going on and where to start and how to finish seems to be my mantra of the days!

The garden has been such a source of pleasure this year!  We have put up many quarts of tomatoes.  Mainly I've been freezing them because that's, well, let's be honest, easiest!  It also seems like I haven't had enough tomatoes at one time to significantly can enough.  However, yesterday I canned 3 quarts of tomatoes--okay so that's not a lot, but I was very proud of my accomplishment!  First time canning tomatoes!  Why do women today (at least many I know--certainly not any I know here on homesteadblogger) believe that canning our food, our bounty, what God has graciously provided and we have worked and tended lovingly, is some mysterious artform?  It's actually quite simple.  If you can read, you can can!  (and not the can-can!)  I do belive it is an art and a beautiful one.  One of simplicity. One of love.  One of forethought.  One of economy.  One that we all can do!  It gives me such great pleasure to my jars of peaches, tomatoes, jellies, jams, figs, etc. in my cupboard.  It is also a great reward to have my husband's admiration that I'm doing this for our family and, of course, the kids appreciation and hungry eyes as they want to eat what I just canned!!!  So, if you haven't tried it, please do so! 

OKAY...I'm stepping down from my Canning Campaign!  Ha Ha!  On another gardening topic, our pumpkins are coming in and they are just beautiful!  I can't wait for my children to be able to go and pick their own pumpkin right from their backyard and for free!  Okay, well, I did pay $.99 for the package of seeds!  Our corn is looking beautiful and finally tassling!  After the disappointment of our first several rows that dried up so horribly, I"m excited and anxiously awaiting some corn from our lower garden.  We put a nice size garden in where our horses used to be housed and their eco-friendly leftovers have left that garden thriving!  We had fresh organic green beans in our pork mole last night and it was delicious!  My husband's only complaint was that I should have really put in more green beans!!

I canned some more peaches and they turned out quite lovely again!  Also made the  yummiest peach cobbler!  I should have taken a picture, but alas!  We were so hungry for it we just dove in!  My neighbor brought be a huge bag of figs.  Now, I was very gracious but was thinking, what am I going to do with figs because I don't like to let anything go to waste!  So, my brain said bread!!!  Okay, so maybe not the brightest idea, but it was very yummy and the kids ate two loaves in two days and I froze the third loaf!  Then another light bulb idea as I actually went and picked more myself--as I said I hate to waste things and my neighbor only likes them once in a while and will leave them for the bird and the bees!  So...I actually pureed the little figgies and froze them in little plastic frozen jelly containers!  So when I want to make figgy bread, I can just pull it out and defrost and insert as my filling! 

We're already planning in the fall for what our garden will look like next year (with God's help and grace!)  We are very excited--of course I still have lots of maters and beans to pick--yet it's always good to think ahead!

We will be using Tapestry of Grace this year and are in the midst of planning that!  School starts Monday so I'd best be planning!  More on that tomorrow!  Here's my planning picture...

We're ready to HOMESCHOOL!!!!!!!!

Blessings to all!!!!!

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Just a quick note of hello!  It's been so busy I haven't had a chance to post or catch up!  I've canned 8 more qts of peaches and so many tomatoes I've lost count!  The green beans are finally coming in and schools starting next week so I'm in a tizzy to get my new curriculum and plan, plan, plan!

I'll catch up soon--but am so excited to be doing Tapestry of Grace this  year--any of you who use it let me know how you like it!  I can't wait!

Blessings to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew 6:34So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Good Morning Everyone!

It's a wonderful Saturday morning here in ole NC!  Just wanted to post a quick blog about my success with canning peaches!  I must admit, it took a lot longer that I expected due to the peeling process--even after dunking in boiling water and putting them into ice water, the skins didn't want to slide off because a lot of the peaches weren't quite ripe-ripe--if you know what I mean!  We had to take them off the tree though because a plague was going to take them all before too long!  Other than that, the process was so easy:

1.  Prepare your jars and lids.  (dishwasher or hot water--I used the hot water method vs. dishwasher--just like that old fashioned way!)

2.  Boil water and dunk peaches in for 30 secs or so and then place in ice water.

3.  Remove--peel should slide off peaches now (or not!!) and then slice and core your peaches.

4.  Make a syrup for your peaches--I did 2 cups sugar to 6 cups water.  Then I let that come to a boil and immediately put my peaches in it.  Turned the stove off and then..

5.  Add peaches to jars, put lids on, put in boiling water bath--the method I used--for 25-30 minutes.

I had pictures of each of these steps--but, alas, my two year old Hannah and her inquisitive  mind erased them all and then nicely handed me the camera back.  Sweet.  Really.  She is so inquisitive and curious--did I ever share the story of her biting twelve holes into the vinyl of the mini van--right where she sat?  I guess she was bored sitting in her car seat--poor mini-van.

Well, off to make some Pan Dulce!  Wonderful bread my hubby loves for breakfast with his coffee!

Blessings to all...and a peep into my kitchen to see the peaches and the new "old" cabbage grater my neighbor gifted me!

Seven Quarts of peaches!  Yeah!!!  A small accomplishment, but one that made me and my family very happy!

A close up of the peaches and some bounty from our garden--Plus the new "old" cabbage grater my neighbor gave me--next to the peaches!

Blessings & enjoy your weekend and have a blessed and worship-filled Sunday!! (or Saturday depending!)