"Let love be genuine...

 Madelyn got flowers from Isaac!

...Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

~Romans 12:9-14

When I see how seldom I update my blog I feel quite sad about it! I would like to update more but days just seem to keep going by and before I know it, it's been weeks! I am already struggling with the idea that we are in the month of August! Xavier turns 15 soon! Can you believe it!? 

Summer has been filled with the usual housework and laundry, exercising, church activities, time with family and friends, mowing, filling etsy orders, grocery shopping, gardening and canning! I already have our first week of homeschooling planned as well....which we'll get started with in a week or two! 

Here are a few pics of some of our green bean harvest and canning them! I've gotten 14 jars canned so far (and have bags of corn in the freezer that we did!)...

The purple beans turn green when they are cooked! They are so neat! They taste *just* like green beans! It was fun to see purple beans grow though! :)

Teaching X to play chess...

X works three days a week at my dad's garage through the summer. He loves it. It's great experience and life skills learning for him! This will probably be his life's profession! He sure is growing up! (He's officially taller than me now...and I think he's as tall as his dad!!) Here he is changing my oil...

 Some pictures from home...

My mom was given some *flow blue* plates from a family friend. She didn't really have a use/place for them in her home so she offered them to me! I accepted! They are so pretty and I knew I wanted to hang them in a bare space in my kitchen! :) Chris got out the measuring tape and drill and helped me (ok...actually, I just told him what I wanted and he did it *all*....haha...there was no helping involved!)...

In other news...today I already have my workouts in. I'm showered and need to run into the store. Both boys are helping at my dad's garage today and Madelyn will be heading to the meat market to work the afternoon soon. Chris is at work as well. I'll be puttering around here, getting things cleaned and tidy! It's always so much easier (to me) to clean the house when everyone else is away. I feel like I can just sweep through and get it all done (and it *stays* clean for a bit....at least until everyone else comes home! haha!).

Tomorrow morning I am teaching an art class to some children at the YMCA. I have also begun teaching a Saturday morning Beginner's Fitness class at our Y. It is for teens (and their parents if they want to come). It has been going well! I hope it continues to do well through the school year as well. I will be back to teaching my evening and Saturday spin classes as well soon.

It's so odd for me to look back across the years and see how seasons of our lives have come and gone. My children are teenagers now...all in "high school" (although with homeschooling, it doesn't really matter if they have that label or not). My littles just aren't *little* anymore! It makes me sad in a way....but I also love watching them grow. They are *such* blessings in my life and I treasure each one of them. Seeing the Lord work in them....and how their different personalities are maturing is just amazing! :) 

Because my children are a bit older....I am enjoying the baby stages with friends and my sister's little ones! And, I must admit there is a bit more freedom when you hit the stage of life that I am at. I am able to run to the store without strapping little ones into car seats or worrying about diaper bags and the like. I'm not saying those are *bad* things at all! Mamas with littles are *blessed* and if you have many children....that is **wonderful**!!! I just mean that things change as your children get older. I am able to go to the gym without worrying about finding a babysitter. The children are able to help with chores that are more difficult (like weedeating, helping with the mowing etc.). There are blessings to each stage of life!

The morning is passing and I have things to do! I best be off! I quickly wanted to share, though, that along with my daily Bible reading...I have found reading 90 days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn to be absolutely wonderful! I thought if anyone is looking for additional reading that they might want to check it out! :)

Thank you so, so much for visiting...I so love your comments and emails! I hope your summer has been glorious and that you are able to look forward to fall with joy and anticipation of another school year! May God's grace and peace be with each of you!

Cheerfully,
Katy

"August is like...

 ...the Sunday of Summer."

~Unknown

August has flown in and taken me quite by surprise. The summer has gone by in the blink of an eye and we will be starting our schooling again quite soon! I plan on actually doing some homeschool planning today (if there is time).

I have been harvesting green beans from our raised beds and big garden. We have lots and lots of them! Such a blessing! I canned last week, all day yesterday and have some to do today as well. My mom got me some peaches as well so I am sure I will be doing those soon too!

These pictures just show my first couple batches from the canner. There are more to follow! ;)

I made a new sticker kit and it is now up for sale in my shop! Aren't the fall colors so beautiful!? I am so looking forward to the Autumn air and beauty but I must admit ~ I am not truly ready to say good-bye to summer!

Mickey loves to be outside. We must take him around on a leash though...or he will run off...little stinker! He loves to be with us but also loves to explore! As I type he is laying at my feet after a busy morning...

The sunshine has been absolutely perfect for drying our clothes! It is *such* a great money saver and truly...the smell of line-dried clothes can't be beat!

My raised beds have been taken over by my pumpkins! Next year, I am totally planting the pumpkins in the big garden! This is just ridiculous! I know it looks like a weedy mess but it's not weeds! Just a pumpkin vine take-over!

They have even crossed over to try and get at my second raised bed. It's like it has a mind of its own!

It has been a bit too hot for me to go for any runs outside lately. I have still been teaching spin twice a week though and mowing a lot. That helps me get lots of exercise! :)

Inside...

It really isn't fair of me to post photos of Mickey and not have any of Cash! We still love our Cashers! We just *so* wish they could tolerate one another. We have been working with them...hopefully over time things will be better. This keeping them separate and us splitting time between the two to make sure they both feel loved is crazy!

To do lists....(right now, though, all the tasks are done on Tuesday's list and I am working on Wednesday's list.)...

More canning yesterday...

I harvested some peas from our garden. It was a perfect amount for Chris...as I think he's the only one in our family who likes them. I cooked them up for supper along with meatloaf, cous cous, and green beans from the garden...

Mickey is just so super cute. The pictures don't do him justice. I had to use the flash because he moves so much (ever pic without the flash was blurry because of all his movement!). I am not a huge fan of pictures with the flash though...they just make it all too shiny/bright. Oh well....at least you can actually see his face here! :)

I did three batches of beans in the canner yesterday and think I will get one more batch today! :) They will be so enjoyed this winter!

That morning sun is bright! :)  These jars just need washed, labeled, and the rings taken off and then they will go down on the shelves in the basement!

Madelyn made some cinnamon rolls from scratch. It was a recipe that had her put them in cupcake tins so they were all small and cute!

She made some icing as well. I didn't have one but everyone else said they were really good!

Summer is busy, busy, busy! I have more to do today and if I do get some down time I plan on spending it reading. :)

I hope your week is enjoyable so far...find joy in the little things! Smile more and pray often! Busyness isn't always bad. There are seasons of busy that just need to be done. Gardens need tending and homes need to run smoothly (as well as be tidy and organized!). What we must do is focus on doing things to the glory of the Lord ~ and finding the joy in the work He has given us. It makes the *doing* so much more enjoyable when you know that it serves a greater purpose ~ glorifying God! :) 

Happy August friends!
Warmly,
Katy

Green Beans in the Garden ~ Clean Clothes on the Line

*Is anyone singing the song from the West Ladies along with me right now?*

I harvested our first batch of green beans from the garden yesterday. It was a beautiful sun-filled day (as it seems today is going to be as well) and although a bit on the hot side, I still enjoyed being out in the garden picking beans! The children normally help but they were all three busy yesterday (helping grandparents, swimming...you know, the normal business of *summer*).

As the jars washed in the dishwasher (the glorious helper that it is), I snapped beans!

After the jars were washed and still hot, I filled them with green beans, salt and hot water. If you have never canned before I highly recommend the West Ladies Canning DVD! :) It's great!

I got a couple loads of clean clothes out on the clotheslines! I love the cost of drying your clothes by sunshine and the breeze (*free*)!

The first batch of beans only gave me 6 jars full...but there will be more to come!

Now they just need to be wiped down, rings taken off and taken to the basement!

Winnie, Stella, and Ruthie were *quite* the helpers ;) ...

Winnie eventually moved so she could lay in the sun (it must be chilly in the house at only 83*!)...

 Have you been harvesting anything from your gardens recently? Have you started any canning/freezing? I would love to hear about it! :)

Have a great weekend ahead!

Warmly,
Katy

      

Birthdays, Schooling, Canning...Joy-Filled Moments!

 The days have been filled with much enjoyment for our family lately...busy but wonderful nonetheless! We've celebrated birthdays, started our 6th year of homeschooling, spent time working, playing, canning, laughing, mowing, cleaning, exercising, reading and napping (quite necessary after all that busyness!).

THIS girl turned 30 recently...

*On* her actual birthday, Madelyn and I went up early (as a surprise) to watch the little ones so my sister and Cory could go out for a *birthday breakfast date*! She was surprised and I think they had a really good time! :)

Sunday, after church, we gathered as a family at their house (after having original plans to go to a park/playground changed due to rain) for lunch and presents! Eloise kept us very entertained!

 Chris took a little snooze when he could...after all, it *was* Sunday!

I got to spend a *lot* of time snuggling Dinah while we were there! 

Jaxson really enjoyed holding her too! Such a sweet, happy girl she is! :)

Jax and Eloise...

Madelyn was there too!! :)

Devon, blowing out her candle!

We all had such a nice time visiting and celebrating my sister's 30 years! I am hoping she enjoyed her celebrations just as much! 
In other *happenings*...
The children have been getting a lot of play time in (we've been having such cooler temps lately...it makes *great* weather to work and play...although not so great *swimming* weather!)...

X and Jax showing me their racing skills...

We have also started our school year. It's a bit early...but this leaves us a bit of leeway through the year, so we don't always have to feel so "under the gun". We are using Easy Peasy for some online work (free!) and Christian Light Education for our math and language arts.

I have been working on canning lately...just doing a canner-full a day or so. I am *so* thankful the weather isn't hot...canning in the terrible heat/humidity of summer can be so awful! 

Littlest Jaxson...making his own eggs this morning...

Much has been happening this July and August seems to be just as filled. I must admit, I don't know how people without a planner can keep it all straight! I love having it all written down and there for me to refer to at any time! If you have made it to the end of this extremely picture-filled post (and this is only a portion of all the pictures I have taken lately), I *thank-you* for making it here! 
And now I will leave you with a quote from one of my (many) favorite theologians:  
As a church we must love Jesus, or else we have lost our reason for existence. ~Charles H. Spurgeon
Warmly, Katy