Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello dear Friends 💛

How are things going in your world? I hope this Monday is starting off your week in happy and wonderful ways. 

It's a rainy gray one here in the northwoods. But I love how it just makes it feel cozy (& it gives the garden and flowers a good drink)

We got back from the lake last night. We went to celebrate belated Father's Day with Matt's Dad. The weather was a little cooler - so no pontoon rides this time. But we hung out, watched movies, ate goodies, played cards, and went out to dinner with some close family friends of theirs. It was a restful and fun weekend. 

Then we got home last night and loved on Bubba, who always misses us, and watched some volleyball. My Bestie Mrs. C sent me the link to watch her daughter's vball match live online. They are down at national championships in FL and so far her daughter's team (Mr. C coaches) is doing amazing! They won all of their matches yesterday! And after this tourney their life will slow down a bit more and we look forward to some fun catch up time with them and hanging out. 

I just talked to my Mom and she found out she has shingles right now. Ugh! That poor wonderful Lady can't get a break. She had that fall that she is still healing from and in a big brace for months and now has to deal with this too. Please send some prayers and good vibes her way if you get a moment. 🙏🏻💗

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

ice protein coffee 

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

errands, Matt's MD appt, bring things to my Mom and check in, groceries, projects, hospice work

THINKING ABOUT: 

things I may want to make for the July 4th weekend coming up to add to my grocery list

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

Bubba's purrs and cuddles after we've been gone

CURRENTLY READING

I'm happy to report I'm back to the book I was reading a month ago and making a dent on finishing it. Then I can dive into my new pile.

 

ON THE TV TODAY:

  Jeopardy, old seasons of big brother (can't wait for the new season soon!) Castle Impossible, AGT, Sweet Magnolias

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY - 

TUESDAY - 

WEDNESDAY -  

THURSDAY -  

FRIDAY - 

*not sure what I want to make this week - Annie gets back tonight from being out-of-town and will get her input on meals for the week. I know some things I want to make just to bring to my Mom and step Dad. I also have some ideas about things I want to make for the holiday weekend but going to check in with Annie & Matt before I finish my grocery list.

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

read, projects

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

I always have hand sanitizer in my purse and in my car. Anytime I go out to the store and get back in the car I use it. And if we go out to eat and get done ordering and hand back the menus we sanitize our hands. 

 

FROM THE CAMERA:

happy snuggly Bubba - glad we are back home

a favorite corner to sit and read, look at the bay, and my peonies :) 

I didn't get many pics at the lake but looking out the window you could see it was gray, rainy & cooler. Also I made healthy date bites as Matt's folks are trying to lose weight. They loved them as a healthier treat.

Some shots from around home. The gardens are growing. My peonies completely popped, lilacs finally bloomed, and the bleeding hearts were fading but hanging in there - so I made a bouquet of all of them. 

I love this shot as I had transplanted these peonies from my former MIL's garden. She was one of my best friends in the world and I think that beam is her smiling down.  They sure are thriving :) 

PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear, especially everything going on in the middle east right now. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For healing for my Mom. For all those suffering from the earthquake in Venezuela.

For the Lord's love and peace to fill 2026. ❤️ 

For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way to loving our neighbors as ourselves. 🙏🏻

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

Sending love and blessings to you all!

I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Wordless Wednesday

 

*what do you think Bubba is trying to say here? 

Wednesday Wonder: Hospice Moments

 

Hi there Friends 💗

I hope this week has been wonderful to you so far. :) 

Today I thought I would share some thoughts related to the hospice work that I do. 

I think it's a gentle kind of work that doesn't get talked about much. At least not in everyday conversation. Sometimes I think it's difficult for folks to think about. The fact that there is a cycle to our lives and it ends in the same place for us all. 

I have been doing hospice work for almost 9 years now...and I think it has gently changed me through the years. 

It has taught me that the smallest things - a familiar song, a favorite blanket, a warm hand, and even a whispered prayer...can become the most meaningful gifts we give one another. 

I'm not sharing this to make your hearts heavy, but to remind all of us that even in life's final chapters there is still so much love to be held. 🙏🏻🌸

I thought I would share a few photos I took when I was up at the hospice house the other day. There is a commercial kitchen behind closed doors. But there is also a community kitchen for families to use. It has all the amenities most folks would need right down to slow cookers. 

Sometimes when folks pass away... their family gives the facility flowers they received so there is often pretty fresh flowers displayed around. 

One of the roles I have helped take on over the years is scrapbooking obituaries of patients that passed that had stayed at the hospice house. You can see some of the albums on the shelf in the background in this photo below. When I make a scrapbooked page of an obit I like to pray over that person and their family that is left behind. When I work on these albums I often think of it as a gift I like to give them...that their story mattered and I'm helping to keep it safe. 

In the community kitchen and dining area there is always a coffee pot  on...or the items to make a fresh pot of coffee as needed. And there is also hot water for tea or cocoa. As well as cookies - that are also baked by volunteers (another role I have helped with at times). I have also held and lotioned hands, said prayers with family (or on my own) over patients, and mainly just been an ear when a patient or family just needs to vent or wants to share. 

Some volunteers also give of their time by playing music for the facility. I love this corner in a living room at the house - with the beautiful piano, pretty old clock and light streaming in the windows. 

The nurses that work at the hospice house are absolute Angels in my book. They do amazing and loving work to help ease a patient's pain, concerns, and to help with comfort while they stay there. As well as their  family's comfort as well. It is an honor to be a part of this environment and I feel that the hospice house is like sacred ground. It is something I have felt called to do, and next to being a Mom - I think it's some of the most important work I do in this world. 

Thank you for letting me take a moment to share my passion and to say this: if you have ever thought about giving of your time in any special volunteer capacity - DO IT! You will never regret it and the ways your life will be blessed is too rich to put into words. 

I have a busy few days ahead so if I don't pop in again this week - have a wonderful weekend and I'll catch you next week. 

xoxo

Cooking Thursday and a Special Day

 

Hello dear Friends! 

I head out soon for my Mohs surgery, but I wanted to pop in with a quick post with a few items. 

First - how beautiful was this sunrise this morning? The first few photos are looking out our kitchen window. The third photo shows the frost that was on the deck this AM (it was in the 20's). And the 4th pic is of some trees in the back of our home out our bedroom window -still holding onto their leaves. 

Next, I wanted to share that exactly 4 years ago today I met Matt for the first time. I met him online. Here are a couple of his profile pics from that time. We met on a dating site and I thought he seemed cool and was cute, but too young for me and lived a distance from me, so I was ready to swipe him aside.  And I only actually talked to him because he was raised in Illinois and was living in MN, but was a Green Bay Packers fan. So I responded to his profile to tease him. True story...the Packers are the primary reason I'm now married to this man. Lol (Well, God had His hand in it too). But thought I would share on this historical day, as the rest is history. 😉❤️

And lastly I thought I would share some pics from the recent dinner we had over here with my Mom and step Dad over. I made my Mom's favorite pot roast, a salad, biscuits and spiced peach pie. I sent them home with leftovers, as well as some of the pumpkin cream cheese bread I had made. And I'll connect a direct link to the recipes under my recipe tab, and the bread I found on a website.  Wonderful Fall comfort food! And it was fun to get a sneak preview for Thanksgiving with my new placemats and dishes. I love them and think they're so pretty. :) 

pumpkin cream cheese bread

easy spiced peach pie

slow cooker pot roast

The pot roast recipe includes how I make a gravy when the roast is done cooking. I use some of the juices from the slow cooker - so good! And for the pie I now add a little pumpkin pie spice, along with the cinnamon, to make it even more Autumn inspired. 

I won't have time to visit now, but I'll check in with you Friends later. Thanks again for the all the prayers and support about my little surgery today. Blessings! xoxo

Wordless Wednesday: Bubba

 

*(thank the Lord for answered prayers - this sassy guy's labs came back normal and the antibiotics are working...yay!)

It's Been a Year!

Hello dear Friends! 

Happy TGIF to you.

First of all, I want to send all my friends in the states my extra love and hugs. This country feels so full of chaos and violence lately. All of these recent horrible shootings just hurt my heart. I believe evil is running rampant and loving this chaos. The only real peace I find is in my Lord and believing in His promises. I continue to be a prayer warrior. I love on my friends and family that much more. And I try to put out positivity, peace, and love in everything I do. I hope we can find a way to love our neighbors as ourselves. I hope we don't put people into boxes of one political party or another. That we don't judge and put our thoughts into "I'm right and you're wrong". I hope instead we find ways to move forward and work TOGETHER to heal and fix the issues in this country. 

Thank you for letting me share that moment from my heart. 🙏🏻💗

 I'm getting to this post late because I was giving time at the hospice facility. There sure are lots of moments of Fall around there. Here are some pics I caught:

But what I wanted to post and share a little today is about the fact that Matt and I celebrate our 1st Anniversary this weekend! Yay! 🎉❤️

I can't believe how fast that year has flown. It's been so wonderful and I guess time does fly when you're having fun. :) To be honest... I feel like I had some years there where my life was like in the movie the Wizard of Oz. Always feeling in kind of gloomy black and white. And then Matt came into my life and it was full blown technicolor! And it just gets brighter with each new day. He has brought such goodness, love and light to my world (& my kiddos too). I am so very grateful for the man he is and that I get to call him husband. I have never felt more seen, understood, loved and treasured by another human being. I love him SO MUCH! 

Thank you God for the gift of this amazing man and this marriage. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos from our day:

I loved everything about our day. It all felt so perfect. And one of my favorite memories was this....how beautiful the night became and how we gathered around a campfire together with our loved ones. Listening to music, chatting, laughing, and just taking it all in.  

My sweet Matthew just had these delivered for me. Aren't they stunning? I have always loved roses...but now sunflowers have my heart ever since they were such a big part of our wedding. 🌻💛

And they lived happily ever after...

Tonight we're going out on a date night with our besties, the C's. It will be so nice to get catch up time with them! 

 Tomorrow night we'll go out for dinner for our anniversary (which is actually on Sunday). And then in October we will be staying a weekend up at the resort where we were married. It should be beautiful with Fall color then. Feeling so blessed. 🙏🏻

Thank you for letting me go down memory lane and share. It feels extra special being the 1st anniversary. And I'm so grateful to all of you for sharing in this journey with me all along! Your friendship, support & love has meant so much!! 

Wishing you all an amazing weekend ahead. 

xoxo