Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 12/4/17

 

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

 

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I've been MIA lately.  Things have just been a little bit crazy around here.  I'm trying to get back into a good schedule and blogging may or may not happen regularly.

The weather outside is::::

Chilly.  Just as it should be :)
 



On my breakfast plate:

Special K Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

  

As I look around the house::::

 

Since, last I blogged, the insulation is done and the wiring is waiting to be inspected as I type.  We've started putting the drywall up where there was no wiring to be inspected.  We're SOOO close!  I really want to be moved in by Christmas but I just don't know if that is going to happen.... :(  So much to do!  So much to do!


On today's to do list::::

Devotions
Work 8am-2:30PM
Pick up the girls from school
Make Supper


 

Happening this week::::

 

Monday.... See above.
Tuesday...  Off, groceries, laundry
Wednesday... Work 8am-2:30pm, schedule for next week, Dr. appt., Prayer Meeting.
Thursday... Off, laundry, Family Dinner
Friday...  Work 8am-2:30pm,
Saturday...  Housework
Sunday...  Church, Youth Group

Currently reading::::



Still no reading going on here :(  I finished a large crochet project, so hopefully now I'll get some reading time in.  I've always had good luck getting sucked into the Quilts of Love Series, so I'll give this one a try.
 

On the TV::::

Holiday Baking Championship
Hallmark Christmas Movies

Listening to:

 

On the menu this week::::

Monday - Chicken, Fried Potatoes, peas, oranges
Tuesday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, corn, apples
Wednesday - Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad, Fruit Cocktail
Thursday - Weiner Winks, French Fries, broccoli, peaches
Friday -  Pizza
Saturday - Ham Pot Pie, Green Beans, Grapes
Sunday - Dinner at Church

What I am creating at the moment::::

I finished the top-secret project a whole 25 days ahead of Christmas!  I worked my fingers to the bone to get it done so I could just relax until Christmas.

I've already started my next project which is using Redheart Ombre yarn that my youngest daughter picked out.  I'm using 3 different colors and soft white to make a giant granny square afghan.  Pictures might come later :)

Bible Verse/Devotional

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

 

John 8:12 NIV

 

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Linking up to :What Are You Reading,  Merry Monday, Modest Mom Monday,  Art of Homemaking, Soul Survival,   Good Morning Monday, Menu Plan Monday ,  Mommy Monday, Busy Monday, The Scoop,  Homemaking Linkup, Music Monday

 

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 11/13/17

 

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

 

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The weather outside is::::

Around 40F.
Fairly seasonable.
 



On my breakfast plate:

Special K Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

  

As I look around the house::::

 

The siding on the addition is up and painted.  We're in the process of putting the insulation in.  Then the wiring needs done.  We've been looking at what type of flooring we want to install.  Fun stuff...


On today's to do list::::

Devotions
Work 8am-2:30PM
Pick up the girls from school
Make Supper


 

Happening this week::::

 

Monday.... See above.
Tuesday...  Off, groceries, laundry, Ladies Meeting
Wednesday... Work 8am-2:30pm, schedule for next week, Prayer Meeting.
Thursday... Off, laundry, Senior Parent Meeting
Friday...  Work 8am-2:30pm, Family Dinner
Saturday...  Housework
Sunday...  Church, Youth Group

Currently reading::::



I haven't read in WEEKS!  I just haven't had the urge.  I'm going to try to start this book and get back in the groove.  No promises, though :)
 

On the TV::::

I've been watching Hallmark Christmas movies while crocheting.  I really enjoyed Finding Father Christmas and the sequel, Engaging Father Christmas.

Listening to:

 

On the menu this week::::

Monday - Chicken, pierogis, peas, oranges
Tuesday - Ladies Meeting Potluck
Wednesday - Ham, Au gratin potatoes, green beans, grapes
Thursday - Beef Stew, Biscuits, Birthday Cake
Friday -  Pizza
Saturday - Pork Chops, Fried Potatoes, corn, peaches
Sunday - Dinner at Church

What I am creating at the moment::::

I've been crocheting each day.

I'm working on a top-secret Christmas present for a special person.  I don't think they read my blog and I could probably post a picture, but my luck it would backfire!


Bible Verse/Devotional

We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

 

1 John 1:4 NLT

 

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Linking up to :What Are You Reading,  Merry Monday, Modest Mom Monday,  Art of Homemaking, Soul Survival,   Good Morning Monday, Menu Plan Monday ,  Mommy Monday, Busy Monday, The Scoop,  Homemaking Linkup, Music Monday

 

Teaser Tuesday ~ Keeper of the Stars ~ 11/14/17

My teaser for this week is from:

 

September 30

An unusually cold wind cut through the Kings Meadow Cemetery on the day they laid Penny's brother, Bradley Evan Cartwright, to rest.  It felt as if it cut through her heart as well, slicing her in two.  She would never again see her little brother's sweet smile.  She would never again hear him laugh.  She would never again have to be on the alert for one of his practical jokes.

"And I'll never get to tell him I'm sorry for the things I said in anger."

 

Also linking up to:

 


Happy Tuesday!

Book Review ~ When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren ~ 11/9/17

 

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Blurb:

 

Hawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she’d vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled—or maybe yanked—away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime.

Maxwell Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.

Wrestling with personal demons, Max fights against opening his heart to a love he knows he should never hope for. And as his secrets unfold, Grace is torn between the safe path in front of her and what her heart truly desires. If love means sacrificing her ideal happily ever after, Grace’s faith will face its toughest test yet.

My Thoughts:

 

Susan May Warren!

 

Seriously, if you haven't read any of her books, you don't know what you are missing out on!

 

This book is the third book of the "Christiansen Family" series and I've loved all three of them.  I cannot express how much I've enjoyed reading them and how excited I am that there are more books to the series!

 

The majority of this book takes place in Hawaii.  Susan May Warren does an amazing job creating the setting and describing so vividly the surroundings.

 

One of the main scenes for the book is a cooking class and competition.  I love a good cooking show so it was right up my alley.

 

Grace and Max were perfect for each other but it took them a while to realize that they could fully give in to those feelings and that God had a plan for them.

 

This book was AMAZING!  I loved it.  Every bit of it!

 

CLICK HERE FOR A TEASER!

For the Biblical "Way of Salvation" please see my header or click HERE.

 

Linking up to:  Share Your Cup;  Grandma Ideas, Literacy Musings and Saturday Situation, Booknificent. Party at My Place , Saturday Review of Book , Book Nook, Hearts for Home, The Monday Review, Homemaking Party,  Favorite Things

Book Review ~ No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer ~ 11/2/17

 

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Blurb:

 

Men are optional. That's the credo Emma Chandler's suffragette aunts preached and why she started a successful women's colony in Harper's Station, Texas. But when an unknown assailant tries repeatedly to drive them out, Emma admits they might need a man after all. A man who can fight--and she knows just the one.

Malachi Shaw finally earned the respect he craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma's plea arrives, he bolts to Harper's Station to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she's not a girl any longer. She's a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn't deserve.

As the danger intensifies, old feelings grow and deepen, but Emma and Mal will need more than love to survive.

My Thoughts:

 

It took me a while to read this book.  Not because I didn't like it but because life kept getting in the way! 

 

I really liked how the story starts out with Mal and Emma as children and the bond that they formed at a young age.  I thought it was so sweet that they wrote to each other all those years and became like family.

 

The romance was tender, sweet and yearning and I loved it all!  Mal was so committed to making sure Emma and "the aunts" stayed safe that he was willing to risk his own life.

 

The plot of a colony for women was interesting but I'm glad at how the book ended. 

 

This is the first book in the Harper Station series and I look forward to reading more about the women I got to know in this book.

 

CLICK HERE FOR A TEASER!

For the Biblical "Way of Salvation" please see my header or click HERE.

 

Linking up to:  Share Your Cup;  Grandma Ideas, Literacy Musings and Saturday Situation, Booknificent. Party at My Place , Saturday Review of Book , Book Nook, Hearts for Home, The Monday Review, Homemaking Party,  Favorite Things

Teaser Tuesday ~ My Heart Belongs in Fort Bliss TX ~ 10/31/17

My teaser for this week is from:

 

Trans-Pecos Territory of West Texas, 1874

Only the army would think a place like this worth defending.

Priscilla Hutchens clamped her teeth together to keep them from rattling right out of her head.  Grabbing the wagon bow, she sought to find an ancho as the converted military ambulance jounced up a slight rise.

 

Also linking up to:

 


Happy Tuesday!

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 10/30/17

 

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

 

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The weather outside is::::

It is raining, raining, raining!
With a chance of snow!
 



On my breakfast plate:

Special K Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

  

As I look around the house::::

 

The siding on the addition is ALMOST done.  The sliding glass doors have been installed and we got a large delivery of insulation to start working on indoors.  So excited to be able to see the somewhat in sight :)


On today's to do list::::

Work 8am-2:30PM
Pick up the girls from school
Make Supper
Blog

 

Happening this week::::

 

Monday.... See above.
Tuesday...  Off, groceries, exercise, laundry, Parade
Wednesday... Work 8am-2L30pm, exercise, schedule for next week, Prayer Meeting.
Thursday... Off, exercise, Menu and Grocery List, laundry
Friday...  Work 8am-2:30pm, Weigh-in, exercise
Saturday...  Housework
Sunday...  Church, Exercise, Youth Group

Currently reading::::



I really haven't been reading much of anything the past few weeks, but hopefully that will change this week.
 

On the TV::::

We had family movie night and watched the new Wonder Woman movie.

I've also been watching some HGTV and Beach Bargain Hunters.

I'm planning on sitting down and watching the new Hallmark Christmas movie, "Marry Me At Christmas" that is DVR'd.


Listening to:

 

On the menu this week::::

Monday - Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Apples
Tuesday - Hot Dogs, Mac-n-Cheese, Broccoli, fruit cocktail
Wednesday - Ham, Fried Potatoes, Corn, Oranges
Thursday - Chili, Corn Bread, Pears
Friday -  Pizza
Saturday - Ham, Bow Ties and Green  Beans, Peaches
Sunday - Dinner at Church

What I am creating at the moment::::

I've actually been crocheting lately!  I know, I'm getting my crojo back!

I'm working on a top-secret Christmas present at the moment.  I'll show pictures when I can :)

Bible Verse/Devotional

Photo:

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Linking up to :What Are You Reading,  Merry Monday, Modest Mom Monday,  Art of Homemaking, Soul Survival,   Good Morning Monday, Menu Plan Monday ,  Mommy Monday, Busy Monday, The Scoop,  Homemaking Linkup, Music Monday

 

Tea Time ~ Kona Mae ~ 10/27/17

 

Grab a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate or your favorite drink
while I share a few things that made me smile this week :)

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I mentioned on the blog that I've been having some issues with that pesky Anxiety/Depression.  Add to the mix:  a sinus infection and bronchitis and I've been pretty miserable.  (Don't worry!  I'm being treated on all fronts!)

My smiles this week are going to be all about:

KONA MAE

There is just something so comforting about a sweet animal, especially a puppy :)

As you can see, she's taken a liking to our bed!

Resting with Daddy :)

Taking over :)

She's ready for her close-up :)

Middle of the night snuggles :)

 

 

Please leave a comment with a link so I can return the visit!
 

Linking up with Friendship Friday, Five on Friday, Show Off Friday, Awesome Life,  Friday Favorites , High Five for Friday , Tricky's Five , Friday's Fave Five. Fresh Friday Finds, , Sweet Inspirations, Funtastic Friday .

Book Review ~ LFYI Pendleton Oregon by Melody Carlson ~ 10/26/17

 

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Blurb:

 

Native American beauty Sunny Westcott is not one to let her hair down. But her friend Aubrey manages to drag her to Pendleton, Oregon, and the pair arrives just as the hundredth annual Pendleton Round-Up begins. Sunny is surprised by how much she enjoys watching the rodeo, riding horseback, and getting to know Aubrey's family--particularly a handsome cowboy named Cody.

 

Pendleton is also home to the Umatilla reservation where Sunny's ancestors once lived, and the trip gives her the chance to do some digging into her family's history--a topic she knows next to nothing about. But will Sunny like what she finds? And how will skeletons from the past compete with the current drama unfolding in Cody's own family? 

My Thoughts:

 

I, in general, have loved the LOVE FINDS YOU IN series because with each one, I learn so much about history, cultures and different places that I'll probably never see.

 

This book had all that.

 

But...the romance left a lot to be desired.

 

Seven-eighths of the book was about Sunny learning about her heritage, which was great.  However, the romance was VERY rushed.

 

We're talking about Sunny and Cody spending one afternoon together, if that and then all of a sudden they are in love!  A bit unrealistic for me.

 

So, great story for the history and culture but not so much in the romance department.

 

CLICK HERE FOR A TEASER!

For the Biblical "Way of Salvation" please see my header or click HERE.

 

Linking up to:  Share Your Cup;  Grandma Ideas, Literacy Musings and Saturday Situation, Booknificent. Party at My Place , Saturday Review of Book , Book Nook, Hearts for Home, The Monday Review, Homemaking Party,  Favorite Things

Book Review ~ The Outlaw Takes a Bride by Susan Page Davis ~ 10/19/17

 

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Blurb:

 

Johnny Paynter flees Denver to escape being hanged for a murder he didn’t commit. At his brother’s ranch in Texas, where he thought he could take refuge, he finds his brother, Mark—dead. Taking advantage of his strong resemblance to his brother, Johnny assumes Mark’s identity.

 

Soon Johnny discovers that Mark had been corresponding with a widow named Sally in St. Louis, and she’s en route to be a mail-order bride to Mark. Seeing no other option, Johnny makes a fateful decision to go through with the wedding, posing as his brother. But Sally has secrets she's hiding, too.

 

How will a marriage survive with so much deception? 

My Thoughts:

 

This review won't be long because I hate writing negative reviews :(

 

I have to be honest and tell you that I just didn't care much for this book.

 

There was so much potential, but I just didn't care bit for the characters.  To me, they were just so wishy-washy.

 

I actually had to make myself finish the book so I can try to catch up on my Goodreads challenge :(

 

Very disappointing...

 

CLICK HERE FOR A TEASER!

For the Biblical "Way of Salvation" please see my header or click HERE.

 

Linking up to:  Share Your Cup;  Grandma Ideas, Literacy Musings and Saturday Situation, Booknificent. Party at My Place , Saturday Review of Book , Book Nook, Hearts for Home, The Monday Review, Homemaking Party,  Favorite Things

Teaser Tuesday ~ Love Without End ~ 10/17/17

My teaser for this week is from:

 

Anna
1944

Hunger twisted Anna McKenna's belly as she follow the deer track, leading the blood bay colt behind her.  She didn't know where she was, and many days of walking hadn't lessened her fear that someone followed her.  Every sound in the forest made her heart leap into her throat.  Were they looking for her, the relatives who'd taken her in, claiming to want to give her a home?  Would she starve to death before she found her way back to civilization?  Would someone manage to take Shiloh's Star from her no matter how far she traveled?

 

Also linking up to:

 


Happy Tuesday!

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 10/16/17

 

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

 

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I'm dealing with some Depression/Anxiety lately.  I've been to the doctor and am tweaking my meds.  I'd appreciate your prayers and good thoughts :)

The weather outside is::::

Well,  we had some fall-like weather for a few days but it is supposed to heat back up.  Crazy weather!
 



On my breakfast plate:

Special K Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

  

As I look around the house::::

 

The hubby took vacation this week to have some good, solid time working on the addition.  Between him having the time and my Dad's expertise on building, I'm hoping a lot gets accomplished this week.  They're going to be working on the siding.  After that gets done, it is just the inside finishing.  I'm starting to see the light!  It is very faint, but I see it!  lol

The hubby also has made a rule that since my mother and I do all the cooking, the girls HAVE to do the dishes every night after supper or they don't get allowance.  It has been a rocky start...


On today's to do list::::

Work 8am-11am
 Exercise
Pick up the girls from school
Make Supper
Blog
WW tracking
Call vet for appt for puppy

 

Happening this week::::

 

Monday.... See above.
Tuesday...  Work 8am-1pm, exercise, laundry
Wednesday... Work 8am-1p,, exercise, schedule for next week, Prayer Meeting.
Thursday... Work8am-1pm, exercise, Menu and Grocery List
Friday...  Off Work, Weigh-in, exercise, Groceries, Family Movie Night!
Saturday...  Laundry, exercise, housework
Sunday...  Church, Exercise, Youth Group

Currently reading::::



I took a break from reading this week.  I just couldn't focus or settle on what book to read.  (See above about depression/anxiety).  I've gotten quite a few books to add to the shelf this week though and decided to pick on of them to read next.

I love Robin Lee Hatcher's writing but haven't read anything by her for a while.  I have this whole series, so I think this book is what I will try to read next.
 

On the TV::::

We finally had a Family Movie Night!  The hubby picked up Wonder Woman and the new Transformers movie from the Redbox after work on Friday.  Even though we went to see Wonder Woman in the theater, it was decided that we would watch it first.  It is very entertaining to see such a strong female lead.  Great movie, even if a bit cheesy now and then :)





Listening to:

I'm loving this song!

 

On the menu this week::::

Monday - BBQ Ribs, pierogis, corn, applesauce
Tuesday - Chicken, Stuffing, green beans, peaches
Wednesday - Pork Chops, alfredo noodles, peas, oranges
Thursday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli, pears
Friday -  Pizza
Saturday - Fish Fillets, homemade shells and cheese
Sunday - Dinner at Church

What I am creating at the moment::::

I actually picked up my crochet hook and yarn this weekend!  It has been a while.  I'm just working on some granny square blocks.  Something nice and easy and therapeutic.

Bible Verse/Devotional

 

Photo:

Meet Kona Mae.  She's the one with the most fur :)

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Linking up to :What Are You Reading,  Merry Monday, Modest Mom Monday,  Art of Homemaking, Soul Survival,   Good Morning Monday, Menu Plan Monday ,  Mommy Monday, Busy Monday, The Scoop,  Homemaking Linkup, Music Monday