My New Home Office

 I couple weeks ago, I rearranged my home office area. It's where I check my computer, pay bills, plan in my planner, make stickers, plan school etc! It works wonderfully for me now how I have it set up. It's organized and cozy and I love it! I took some pictures to share:

The baby picture below (on my desk) is of Jaxson when he was wee. Now he's 14.5 years old!!

Our electric went out the other day. It was quite warm out and uncomfortable...so Jaxson, the dogs and I sat out on the porch for a bit. Everyone else was busy that night and didn't get home til a bit later. It came back on around 9:30pm...then went back out again in the wee hours. I must admit...having electric really does spoil us! 

There's Mickey on the porch and Cash out in the yard...(yes...Cash is still ticking! The old boy is closing in on 13, I think! You can see him as a pup HERE.)

Luckily for our family...I love candles and oil lamps...so we just light 'em up when it gets dark! :)

I hope your week is going well! Chris has been working on siding the dormers in the evenings...it's such a process! But it's happening...we are so, so close to be done! I can't wait! 

Veggie beef soup in the crock pot for supper last night....and tonight I'm making french toast! What's on the menu at your house? 

We started our homeschool year this past Monday. I can hardly believe Madelyn is done. She is off to work most days. The boys do their schooling in the mornings and then are off to work most afternoons. Seasons of life change so quickly, don't they? 

I gotta run...it's been a busy day and I have more to do but I wanted to pop a few pictures and a post on while I had a chance! I'll share more soon! Happy Wednesday!

Warmly,

Katy

Home, A Recipe and Organization!

For a few days, we were having fall-like weather! That put me in the mood to make *soup*! I made cheeseburger soup, vegetable beef soup (pictured below) and chicken noodle soup!

I thought I would share the chicken noodle soup recipe I used (as well as the homemade noodle recipe I used). I have the recipe written down...I am not sure where it came from to leave credit. Please note...I didn't measure out the veggies I put into this soup even though there are amounts given. I just put a *ton* in! I guess it depends if you prefer a chunkier soup or more broth! :) That's the beauty of cooking...you can tweak things to how you prefer them! We like *more* veggies in our soups!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

4 c. chopped, cooked chicken

1 c. chopped celery

1/4 c. chopped carrots

1/4 c. chopped onions

1/4 c. butter

8 oz egg noodle (the recipe I used is below)

12 c. water 

9 cubes chicken bouillon 

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 T dried parsley (I didn't have this so I didn't put it in!)

In large stockpot saute the celery and onion in butter...

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the noodles) and simmer for 30 minutes. 

While that simmers, I made the noodles! I got the noodle recipe from HERE.

Egg Noodles

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. milk
1 T butter

In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt. Add the beaten egg, milk and butter. Knead dough until smooth (about 5 minutes). Let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes.

On a flour surface, roll out to 1/8 or 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired lengths and shapes.

** After the soup had simmered above for 30 minutes I added the noodles fresh and let it all simmer again for 10 minutes..until noodles are done. You CAN use bagged noodles...but it isn't anywhere near as tasty! :)

The soup was delicious and a *huge* hit with my family as well as our BIL and my FIL!

 On the back porch as night settles in...

The temperatures have been a bit warmer again lately as well as humid (with lots of rain)...so I have been getting a lot done inside as well! I've been working on organizing my closet as well as Chris's.

Organizing things can be a lot of work....but oh it is such a satisfying feeling to have things look neat and orderly! :)

I've also kept busy with homeschooling with the children (and planning it), daily housework, going to the gym and normal day-to-day things!

This past weekend I donated blood...I should do that more. I have a universal blood type which can be used for anyone who needs it. It doesn't take long. It's a little painful...but worth it to know you can bless someone else with it. My Jesus shed his blood for me....and His pain was excruciating. He suffered and bled for me. (I think I can take a tiny bit of momentary pain so that I can share my blood with those who need it.)

Yesterday was our first homeschool co-op day for the year. It was a change as we have changed facilities this year....after calling one facility *home* for our co-op for years! It was an adjustment...but a good one. :) I was in the nursery for a part of the day...and got to hold and feed the sweetest little boy. He was 4 or 5 months old I think. He giggled and was just so happy! It was an absolute *joy* to me! And then....despite being well-burped...the little guy threw up his formula on and down inside the middle of my shirt! Friends in the room were laughing...saying my face was hilarious! It was so warm and gooey and gross! Needless to say....I was happy to get home an hour or so later so I could change! haha! :)

I have a lot of things I would like to accomplish today...so I best get to them! If you try the recipes above, I would love to hear what you think of them! :)

Thanks so much for dropping by! I hope you have a great week ahead!
Warmly,
Katy

A Little Organizing in the Computer Room!

I am sure everyone is busy preparing for time with family and friends...so maybe no one will even see this post! But yesterday ~ I got the "bug" in me to get some re-arranging and organizing done in our computer room. It is not a well-lit room (I hate using the flash on my camera) so the pictures aren't totally perfect (which is good anyway...because this is the room that the walls need completely redone in! No need to see in detail! haha!)

Below is a built in bookshelf that was here when we moved in. I don't love it...as the wood doesn't even match the trim but it *is* a great place to store books for the children to read throughout the year. My laminator is there too (I love that thing! I want to laminate *everything*!)...

The picture of Ruthie on the wall (below) as well as the star are *not* centered at all...honestly, I just hung them on nails that were already in the wall. We *will* redo this room one day (Lord willing, of course) and all will be nice but for now...it works! Our first focus is to accomplish the things on the list so we are able to foster to adopt! So who knows when this room will get finished ~ and that's okay! :o)

It felt good to go through stuff, get rid of unneeded items and get things clean and organized! I love the feeling after tackling a big project! We moved some bookcases around and organized the books. Don't mind the children's school cupboard in the photo at the top (cupboard is to the far left). It isn't quite as neat as I like it...but I try not to get too worked up about it as long as it isn't crazy!

Overall....it isn't a really *pretty* space (although Madelyn's piano is on the opposite wall and pianos always make things look nice!) but it is super functional for the time being. You can see photos of the piano-side of the room HERE.

Jaxson and I just got back from the store to pick up a few last minute things! What a crazy time it was! Lots of people, long lines and busyness (and it was just at our local grocery store!)....I can't imagine how bigger stores are busy!

It is a nice, slow and relaxed day here today. It's so nice. Xavier did two days of schoolwork yesterday so he could go to work with his dad today (at my dad's shop). Madelyn went to do childcare for a couple hours at the Y this morning and then my mom was picking her up to go decorate cookies. The house is tidy, gifts are wrapped and laundry is laundering! ;o) I've got lunch cooking but need to go finish preparing it!

I hope you all have a lovely week ahead with your loved ones!
Thanks for stopping by!!
Warmly,
Katy

"The woman who makes a sweet, beautiful home...

...filling it with love and prayer and purity, is doing something better than anything else her hands could find to do beneath the skies."

~J.R. Miller 

(Author of Homemaking ~ one of my favorite books!)

While the children work on their schooling I stay busy with cleaning, laundry and organizing. This particular day I was cleaning in the kitchen area and moved some things around as well as hung some things up! The Bed and Breakfast sign was a gift from Xavier!

Cleaning behind the stove is *not* fun. It's actually very difficult to reach back in that corner area! If we get to renovate our kitchen one day, I won't have my oven in the corner like this. That back corner is wasted space and as I said before difficult to clean...

This is a room off of the kitchen. It was the laundry room when we moved in many years ago (you can see the plugs and pipes in the left of the photo). Once Chris finished our addition and we had a new laundry room this room became sort of a *pantry* room. I had worked (over years) to get the old wallpaper off (it was stuck directly on the plaster walls and quite difficult to remove. There was still a little bit of paper (the most difficult stuff) to remove that I just left. The room also needed primed and painted. It was just a project I never could tackle 100%. The other day I mentioned how I wanted to get it done (but with the onset of a sinus cold just didn't have the oomph.). I was going to do it Saturday but then thought maybe not. Madelyn kept insisting we should do it....and started peeling the last bits of wallpaper that needed to come off. I figured she would do that and then I would start priming...but to my surprise she said "If I'm taking off this paper ~ I better get to paint!". She *wanted* to paint! So I let her! Jaxson and I helped of course...but Madelyn did most of it! :) It's not all completely finished (as we would have had to move out the fridge and such) but most of it is done. The paint surely brightens up the room...

A family favorite meal is sausage gravy and biscuits. Although these biscuits don't *look* pretty ~ my family said they were probably the best biscuits (taste-wise) that I had ever made!

The sausage gravy is really easy to make! Brown the sausage until it is totally cooked through. Leave the grease in there and mix in a couple tablespoons of flour until all the grease is soaked up. Start pouring in milk gradually. As you stir, it will thicken over time (as it heats up). Add salt and pepper as desired....serve over homemade biscuits! :)

Game night with Madelyn and Jaxson (X didn't want to play)...

These two sillies...

Oh ~ I wanted to share something with you all real quick! It's a warning! Remember how I said I am reading "Call the Midwife" (the memoirs of Jennifer Worth)? Well, it *is* a good book...however, I came to a section that was terribly inappropriate to read (as well as truly unnecessary to even include). If you watched the show you will remember Mary....a young Irish girl who got caught up in prostitution. She was a real person....and Jennifer Worth shares in the book the things Mary saw at the "cafe"...Let's just say the details given made me shudder and were enough to make the book rated "R" (or worse). I was appalled and disappointed as I think you can get a point across about something without giving exact details of things.

I know I would have liked a warning before reading so I wanted to warn you in case you were going to read the book in lieu of my sharing it in a previous post. I had read an amazon review before purchasing it where one lady said it was "too graphic" for her. I assumed she meant about the labor and delivery process which I wasn't concerned about bothering me. I didn't realize it would detail inappropriate behavior. It is bad enough for me....being in my mid-thirties....but how horrible it truly must have been for Mary. She was only a young teenager at the time. She should never have seen that! Reading about it was bad enough....seeing it would have been worse. It does give me a reason though to pray for those who experience things as Mary did. I just truly wish I hadn't read those details. It feels as though it corrupts your mind. So there is my warning. I still recommend the book as the rest is so good it seems...but when you start reading about Mary ~ it would be much better to skip the section about the cafe!

 My boys have been making gnome doors as gifts (to hang on a tree)! They made me one too! I will be sure to share it with you soon! Schooling is in full swing here and I've got things to do as well! Thanks for stopping by! Warm wishes to each of you! :)

Joyfully,
Katy

A Clean Kitchen is a Happy Kitchen!

Ok..so I suppose the title of this post isn't totally accurate. Kitchens can't be happy...but women who *work* in those kitchens can! :o) I try to keep my kitchen in a general cleaned-up state. I clean up as I go when I cook or bake. Dishes are done often  and I wipe my counters *numerous* times a day! My island can be a bit of a catch-all though and it drives me bonkers! Even with just a few papers on there it looks so messy! I took the time to sort through and organize any things on the island (and have the children put away their belongings...I remind them that the island in the kitchen isn't the place for their sunglasses....even if it is called an *island*! haha!).

I am posting these pictures (and words) because I wanted others to see a normal, less-than-perfect kitchen. It isn't magazine-worthy. The cupboards and counters aren't made from expensive wood or marble. The island was bought at a consignment-type store. It's old and the paint is peeling in a couple places. My floors are *not* pretty to look at....(honestly I would love to rip them up and get to the wood floors beneath but that will be a LOT of work that we don't have time for right now). So ~ I said all that *not* to complain (at all)! But just to show you that a less-than-awesome kitchen can be clean, tidy and look (at least to me) appealing just because it is well-kept. 

You don't need a lot of money to have a clean kitchen. All it takes is some elbow grease and sweat! If you constantly work at keeping it tidy and well-organized it doesn't take much time at all!

Side Note: I got that little CD player inexpensively. I have a Return to Me soundtrack in it right now which I play quite often. It has Dean Martin, Jackie Gleason and others playing on it and I *love* it! Return to Me is one of my favorite movies actually! I think they have the whole thing on Youtube if you want to watch it!

I gotta run! Things to do! I just wanted to pop in and share the joy of a clean kitchen. I know some people (my daughter is in this category) clean up after all is said and done....when it is overwhelming. Whether it be in the kitchen or with anything you do.... I encourage you to clean as you go. It makes everything a whole lot easier! And definitely keep your kitchen tidy! It makes it a joy to be in, cook in, sing and dance in (along with Dean Martin), and spend time with family in. The kitchen can be such an important part of a home. You'll enjoy it more if it's *clean*!

Have a great week! I hope you found encouragement here!!
Warmly,
Katy

Organizing in the Kitchen!

Hello friends! :) Thanks for visiting me here today! We've had a busy week and I bet you have too! We've been doing normal things....like homeschooling, cleaning, laundry, cooking, running errands, teaching spin class, groceries etc. All the things that must get done!

While the children work independently on their schooling, I like to take the time to organize if I can! I found a couple lazy susans at Aldi while getting groceries earlier this week! They were a great price and they worked perfectly for where I wanted to use them!

I used them in my spice cupboard so that it made items more accessible in there! No more knocking things over when you had to reach in the back to get them! :)

I like to keep my kitchen tidy through the day....so I am often washing dishes (the children put them away), wiping the counters and putting dishes in the dishwasher. I also organized in our island yesterday but didn't take any pictures! It's not overly exciting...but knowing it is more organized than it was before makes me happy! :)

Jaxson has been drawing (as usual) and his creations keep getting better and better! It is so exciting to watch the gift God has given him improve!

Mickey likes to be close to us at *all* times. Here he is sleeping in a chair that is in the corner of the dining room (while everyone is doing school in there!). As soon as I walk off to do the laundry or wash the dishes...he is stuck to me like glue! If I sit down, he is on my lap. I am *not* complaining though! I love it! :)

The older two children are out and about...busy helping others (which brings *such* joy to me!)...Jaxson is here with me. Chris got home from work just a bit ago and is now outside working on a chicken coop for my mom. She needed a new one and was going to try and build it herself....but my sweet husband said he would do it! If you follow me on Instagram (link in sidebar) you can see a photo of it! :)

I need to get supper started (my stomach is a rumblin'). I also want to go out and sit on my back porch in one of the rocking chairs and visit with Chris while he works! So I am getting off this computer! ;o) Have a great weekend! Thanks for dropping by!

Warmly,
Katy

A Little Rearranging Indoors (Plus Other Fun Photos!)

You may remember that our piano used to be in our dining room. It's been there for years. I didn't mind it there...but because it stuck out so far from the wall ~ I had to move the table over a bit....which meant it wasn't centered under the light and ceiling fan. It always drove me a bit crazy...

...so I decided it was time for a change! The kiddos happily took a little break from their schoolwork to give me a hand! So we moved some book cases and things ~ and then moved the piano into the computer room (our old living room).

Yes, the walls in this room still need redone. They need holes mudded and sanded...and just some overall TLC. Then they need painted ~ as does the ceiling. It will happen one day, Lord willing.

 Here's a look at the corner that the piano used to be in (below). It really frees up the area and allows the dining table to be in the middle of the room!

Some other fun photos from around the house...

Mickey sleeping with his baby...

I am totally getting into the fall spirit....burning fall scented candles...

 I've done some decorating out-of-doors as well. I have some things on the front porch too! :) I just didn't photograph it!

A look in my planner at what I have been up to lately...

Thank you, everyone, for all the thoughtful comments you made about my new porch and rocking chairs! It is very exciting to see all these things happening around here. We do things on our own, without debt...which means slowly and when we have the extra money. Chris and I will celebrate 17 years of marriage this month. So, although that is a small amount of time in light of eternity....for me that is almost half of my lifetime! We still have siding to put up on the dormers and front of the house and more renovations that need completed. Each time we get something more done...no matter how small...it gives us such a sense of satisfaction and joy! :)

Don't worry though....we definitely know these are just earthly things. Our true joy comes from Christ. In light of eternity....house projects mean nothing. But in caring for our home and renovating things that need it ~ (and doing so without debt) is being responsible for the things the Lord has given us. :) I just don't want anyone to think that my love for home and our renovations is too much of a love for the world and the things in it. The Lord just gave me a love for beauty, coziness, and warmth. I get joy out of homemaking (and homekeeping) ~ caring for my home and family! :)

I am helping my Mother-in-Love at a local Farmer's Market this afternoon! :) I hope you all have a lovely, joy-filled weekend!

Warmly,
Katy

Planning in My Bullet Journal in February

Hi friends! Here's a quick look at how I have been planning out some of my days now in my personal Filofax bullet journal! I also have an Alice in Wonderland themed Plan With Me in my Erin Condren Planner that you can watch HERE if you would like! (It's not long). I am also on instagram now so you can see photos of home and my planners on there too (you can find my link to my IG account on the right sidebar).

Planning out my days really helps keep me organized and helps stop me from stressing while trying to figure out what I need to do in a day. If I have it written down then I know I will get to it! :)

Here's a look at the stickers I used for the Alice in Wonderland theme in my ECLP!

This week is going to be a busy one for me. I hope to post again soon though! I hope you all have a great week! Thank you for visiting me here! 

Warmly,

Katy

Linked up at: Strangers & Pilgrims