A Simply Lovely Life

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.  1 Corinthians 7;17

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It’s easy to be losing patience with the end of winter here in the North, where the ground is frozen and the snow is rock-hard.  The little ones are finding even more creative things to do around the house, for example, squirreling into the drop ceiling downstairs (!) like common mice.

The desire of my heart is to settle in, and content myself with my HOME, and what it means to me, to all of us, to be here day after day, my purpose, my life, my all, my joy.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Romans 12:2

We are in the world, but not of it, because everything we do is sacred, with Jesus in our heart and soul.  It’s not about me, it’s about God.

Flipping pancakes with blueberries, serving them up with real butter and Grandpa’s maple syrup from New York (place of my childhood).

Listening to Seth say, “You should make pancakes on every tomorrow.”

Satisfaction in trying to make them the very best I can, even if one tears in half when I go to flip it.  The children love them, and the dog gets a leftover *if there are any*.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written:  “Be holy, because I am holy.”  1 Peter 1:15, 16

Sunshine through a ready bowl of apples.  Nurturing the family with crisp and juicy fruit.  I’ll even peel it or slice it for you.

Thankful for the fresh eggs of our flock of hens, who are beginning to lay as they should (a sign of spring).  Brown and sage.

My Mom taught me to keep my roses even after they dried, to use in simple rose garlands.

It only takes about five minutes to snip the pretty flowers off their stems and string them on a piece of thread with a needle, for a garland.

Homekeeping can seem like such a solitary life but He is always with us.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  

The comfort of His daily bread.

The beauty of a daughter.

The silliness of a daughter.

My friend Barb makes her own baskets but ours are from Target.  Wouldn’t it be fun to make one?

I adore gray and pink together, and I still remember my Grandma telling me that she did, too.

Saying “yes” to fancy dress because life is short and little girls grow too fast.

Legos all over the house.

Snickerdoodles, a cookie I’ve made my whole life beginning with Aunt Colleen in Grandma’s kitchen, and just lately, in my own kitchen.

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

2 3/4 cups flour

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mix in small bowl:

1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.  Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs together till smooth.  Mix in dry ingredients.  From into 1 inch balls.  Dip into sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Place onto ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

Oh they are so good.  So good.

Sarah said, “Can I have a kitty?  I mean, a cookie?”

Be on the look out for end of season sales.  I bought two Valentine placemats from Pottery Barn kids for next to nothing.

(Surrounding them with beautiful things.)  Feathering the nest.

A sweet place to play.

A little glass pig on the kitchen windowsill.

My little rose garland (they can be extended easily with future rose bouquets) and the Dottie Angel wire heart decoration that I made myself this year for Valentine’s day.

I used things from my own stash of pretty (scroll down if you click) and I love how it turned out.  All starting with a wire hanger, don’t you know.  LOL

These are the Chocolate Crinkle cookies I made yesterday for the children as they watched Frozen together on the couch.  The recipe is from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion cookbook that I got for my birthday.  They turned out great, in fact, there are only 2 left.

Sarah!  Is writing her name now!  I just can’t stand it.

And my Seth.  They learned about Blind Bartimaeus yesterday in Community Bible Study.

Look:

Isn’t that the dearest thing?  You lift his “blind face” to see his new one, with healed eyes.  There is no doubt that THOSE eyes can see!  🙂

Praise God.

Last night, small Sarah fell asleep so softly with her head on my arm as her Dad read to us all from our #1 family favorite book:

Last night we read about the Wanton woman, and Mr. Talkative.

We never heard about Mrs. Wanton in “Little Pilgrims Progress” so we were kinda like, bug eyed, but Rich said “Apparently someone in this room needs to hear this.”  All boys do, right?  Look out for Mrs. Wanton!  Don’t follow her enticing ways.

And Mr. Talkative does the talking but not the actual living a life of grace.  “I have heard that you are a man whose religion consists only in words and that your everyday life contradicts what you say.”  Oh, there is a lesson in that as well.

*****

Thankful for:

Grace brushing my hair last night.
Seth’s hug that was more like a tackle around the legs.  (He almost took me down with it!)
Sunshine pouring through the windows as I type.
The beautiful mess of a busy household.
The laughter of teen age boys.