"Ah, lovely October..."

 "...as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a leaf caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir." 

~ Peggy Toney Horton

Warm hellos from chilly Western Pennsylvania! 

I thought I'd drop in quickly to say hello! I have some clothes to fold and floors to sweep before I head into the gym this evening but wanted to stop by my blog and share some photos from lately! :o) 

October has started out wonderfully for us in PA weather-wise. We enjoyed comfortable temperatures and lots of sunshine. The temps have now gone down and it's starting to feel more like fall! I love how autumn makes me feel....all cozy and cheerful. I don't know *what* it is...I just really enjoy this weather. I guess I like not being so hot that you feel grumpy and yet, not being so cold that you can't put on an extra layer and still sit outside in the rocking chair!

I've got fall candles burning. The boys finished their schoolwork and headed off to work a short time ago. So I've got the afternoon to finish my housework and then head into the Y to exercise and teach spin. Speaking of exercise...Chris, talented and handy man that he is, made us these racks for our weights in our basement gym...

If you go HERE you can see a pic of our gym if you missed it! Oh...I almost forgot to tell you about that top photo! That is an upside down cake I made to celebrate a birthday here at our house this past weekend. Madelyn's beau turns 20 this week but with his work schedule, we decided to celebrate it early! It is absolutely delicious (and yes, even I had a piece!). You can find the recipe HERE if you are interested! 

Anyone who has read my blog for a while knows I'm not a huge fan of Halloween. I just act like it doesn't exist. I'm not into gory decorations and costumes etc. It's just not my thing. Morgan (X's girlfriend) loves to carve pumpkins though. She and her dad grew some huge ones in their garden and brought them up for the kids to carve. (She also brought me smaller ones to decorate with!) So below are some pics from yesterday afternoon. First we had worship at church in the morning...followed by tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch. Then out to the porch we went. It was *cold* out there....but they carved on...

Me and Madelyn (can you even believe this girl of mine is 20!?)...

 

Me with our cocker spaniel, Mickey (yes...I was decked out in sweats ~ it was SO cold outside!)....

So, absent from these photos is my son, Xavier. He and Morgan had carved pumpkins at her house a week or two ago so he opted to work on his truck instead. So, we have Morgan on the right, in the background there. To the left in the black sweatshirt is Madelyn's beau, Caleb....then Madelyn and closest to us (in a TSHIRT no less!) is Jaxson! 

I tried to convince Jax to put a sweatshirt on but he claimed he was totally fine...meanwhile, I'm freezing sitting in my rocking chair and watching...

The porch with the small pumpkins Morgan gave me to decorate with...

And the finished pumpkins...aren't they huge!? And bonus: Cash in the background...haha! He's 14 yrs old! I think he may just live forever! 

I hope you each are doing well and enjoying October. I know things in the world are crazy right now...but we just keep living. We just keep doing our thing. We take each day as it comes...glorifying the Lord in all we do and keeping our eyes constantly on Him. Isn't it so nice to know our hope lies in the sovereign Creator? The omnipotent King that is in complete control....always faithful. 

Thank you for stopping by today. I have housework to finish so I best be scooting off this computer! I hope you will come by again soon! I'll try not to be so long between posting....but I can't make any promises! :o) 

Warmly,

Katy

With Joy...

 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 

~Ephesians 5:22-28

By God's grace, Chris and I celebrated 21 years of marriage yesterday! I couldn't be more grateful for the man the Lord gave me. Our years have been filled with love, patience, kindness, forgiveness, understanding, growing, and striving to honor the Lord together! Ups and downs....through hard times and easy...it's always been us ~ together. The Lord gave us to each other for His perfect reasons. In the wise words of our son, Xavier, "He's my best" (When X was little he would speak of something that was his favorite by saying: "It's my best". :o) 

Today is a beautiful fall day, blue skies and sun with a cool breeze. I hung out some laundry but did so in a fleece hoodie as it's chilly outside ~ but I'm loving it! I have candles lit throughout the house and have been getting a lot of housework done. I need to check the boys' schoolwork as well as plan the next week's work. We'll be busy tomorrow getting logs and starting to get our wood shed filled for the winter! 

Here are a few photos of my porch...(I'm hoping to get the floor stained next spring/summer. I didn't get it done this year!): 

I need to get going...still much to accomplish today. But I just wanted to drop by and check in and share my joy in my wedding anniversary! I hope you all are doing well! Thank you so much for dropping by! I know I am not the best blogger! I hope you will come by again soon! 

Joyfully,

Katy

"Summer afternoon -- Summer afternoon..."

 ....to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

~ Henry James

Ok, so I must confess...summer isn't my favorite season (despite the quote I posted above) but I have come to the conclusion that I don't have a favorite season anymore. I used to say it was the lovely autumn that was my favorite....but now, I truly must admit that I love each season for the different blessings they bring (but also each has it's not-so-great things about them too)! 

Summer is a time of gardening, being outside, swimming, sun, and fun! But it's also a time of heat (sometimes unbearable) and for me ~ bug bites! Oh, how they love to get me! My husband barely gets a bite. We enjoy sitting on our Amish rocking chairs on our back porch some evenings...but I just can't stand getting so bit up! Chris lights a citronella candle....but it doesn't help. I am not super fond of the bug off sprays either....unless I *have* to wear them. 

I'll have to photograph our vegetable garden to share with you. We have lots of corn and green beans growing! Above I shared some of my perennials as well as an area we just finished planting and mulching in! It was a lot of work (and sweat) but I'm so happy with how it turned out!

I always have people tell me how much they enjoy seeing photos from inside my home. It's humble and simple....but warm and cozy. It's our "place" and I am so thankful the Lord blessed us with it! 

In the kitchen  (those floors used to be covered in carpet when we moved here 20 years ago...then underneath that was tile...and more tile underneath that...and then the whole wood floor was covered in tar paper!! It was awful! During lockdown from COVID last year, we worked hard to get all those tiles and tar paper off. It was back-breaking, knee pain! But it was worth it! Now it looks like a farmhouse floor which I love! It's not the most beautiful floor and maybe one day we will cover it....but for now, it works for us and has an old, rugged, farmhouse look to it and I love that!)....

And here's a picture of the dining room (dog toys on the floor and all!). Our hand-me-down chairs that we had for years and years finally bit the dust so we had to purchase some. We decided to get four solid wood chairs and a bench....

Although not a "pretty" picture....here's the gym Chris and I have put together over the past year. I still use our local Y most days....but it is so nice to have our own place to workout when we want. Chris uses it often! It's nice and cool in this room because it's the basement! Our newest addition to the gym is the battle ropes at the bottom of the picture! 

Stella-cat....in all her glory! She and Winnie-the-Cat enjoy sleeping through the day in our air-conditioned bedroom. They sure do have it rough, huh? 

The last photos I have to share are from our 4th of July. A local parade was held on Saturday the 3rd. My dad took one of his tow trucks through it. Jaxson (my youngest) and my sister and her children rode through on it. Xavier rode with the volunteer fire company he is part of and Madelyn just sat and watched the parade, I think (she was at the other end of the parade so I didn't see her). 

Here is Jaxson, Eloise and Audra throwing candy... (Dinah, my sister and Dusten were on the other side of the truck)...

On the actual 4th, we attended Sunday School and Church, had a light lunch and then Chris and I headed out on a bike ride on a local trail! We workout together in some way or another every Sunday afternoon! 

So that's just a wee update of life lately. Truly....tons has been going on....so much I can share. I will try to come back and share soon. This week is super busy but I wanted to pop on really quick and say hello! 

Thanks so much for stopping by and hopefully I will be back soon with more of what's been going on here! 

Warmly,

Katy

Our Hope is in Christ

 As we see votes going toward the party of murder (abortion), marxism (BLM)/communism and immorality (LGBT)...we, as followers of Christ, can feel a sense of dread, depression, hopelessness. Heavy hearts weigh down our souls. But friends, be encouraged! This is not a time to despair! Our hope doesn't lie in a conservative political party (most of which are out doing much of the same garbage the liberals are....politics is just a game. A horrible circle of power). Our hope lies in Jesus Christ, alone! 

We may face persecution in upcoming days, months or years (John 15:20). The Lord said we would, as believers living a Godly life (2 Timothy 3:12). I think many of us have lived lives with a sense of comfort ~ not truly understanding Christian persecution. Of course, living peacefully is wonderful and desirable...but I believe God separates the wheat from the chaff during times of persecution. Are you willing to give up all you have? Are you willing to be tortured, ridiculed, and demeaned as Christ was? Are you willing to die...or watch your loved ones die while you cling to Christ? In Matthew 5:10-12 ~ the Lord tells us that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed! 

It is time (if you aren't already), dear friends, to be in prayer and daily, reading God's Word in context. Memorize scripture. Put on the full armor of God. Memorization can be difficult...so try to do so in the form of songs. Those have always helped my family. Be ready to share the hope that is within you. It is a lost and depraved world. Your faith must be strong. Pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). The world hates us and will continue to. This should not come as a surprise (1 John 3:13). But let us remember the promises of Romans 8:35 ~ that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Take heart! For Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33)! He is our true King! 

If you haven't been already...live your life for Christ (1 Peter 4:19). Honor Him as Lord. Praise Him! He knows us through and through....our failures and sins...and yet, He loves us anyway. We don't deserve it. We are righteous only because He made us righteous. He took our sin and shame...and imputed us with His righteousness so we can stand before a holy God and be blameless. Not one of us deserves that. Oh how great is our Lord. Always faithful, always true! How worthy of our praise (Revelation 6:9-11)! 

I pray you find encouragement and strength for your soul here today (Acts 14:22). Please feel free to share your heart in the comments below or by email. I will reply if you desire to converse! Every time your soul feels troubled in this political climate or any troublesome time you are experiencing, direct your focus back to Christ. He is our hope and we can *always* find joy in Him (Psalm 23). 

If you are looking for a great fiction book to read...I highly recommend Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. It details some of how Christian persecution is in China. It will challenge you...truly! The link above is for Amazon but you may find it cheaper on ebay! :o)  

Warmly,

Katy