Pictures of Home, Field Trips and Life Lately!

 Hello and happy last day of September to you! I don't know where the month went! Life has been busy with homeschooling, a field trip, the start of our homeschool co-op class days, working out and teaching classes at the Y and more! Chris and the boys have kept busy in the evenings and on Saturdays working at filling our wood shed for winter (I have helped stack as well. Madelyn works a lot, as well as does her schoolwork and babysitting....so she's quite the busy girl lately!).

Some field trip pics:

Madelyn was there too...but she wouldn't let me take her picture (typical of an 18 year old, eh?)...but here is one she took of us (and obviously used a filter on..haha ~ I look so young and fresh-faced!)...

The photos below are from in my dining room. The doily runner along my table was made by my grandpop's mother, Sheena. I never knew her but I love the runner and am glad to have it! We use our dining room table a lot so the runner gets folded up and moved often...but when the table isn't in use, I like to see it out and displayed! The candlestick holders are from that side of the family as well. I forget who they are from...although my grammie would know. Although her body has slowed down with age, her memory is amazing! She can tell stories and recall details of things that surprise me!!

Here are some photos from the living room. The flash on the camera makes the room seem quite bright....but this room in actuality is usually pretty dark...only getting sun as it sets in the evening through the west window. Although I do love a bright, sunny, cheerful room....I like this relaxed, soft, dimmed room too. It is a nice place of respite! The dog bed isn't exactly a lovely piece...but our dogs need a place of rest too, right? And this one serves them well!

This is the window that the sun comes in as it is setting in the later afternoon/evening time...

Chris and I tried square dancing the other night at a local community gathering. It was hot, I got dizzy twirling so many times and I couldn't figure out where to put my hands quite often. I got anxious and overwhelmed easily and gave up. I should have watched videos prior to going so I could learn some of it. Madelyn and Xavier go quite often and have a grand time! They know what they are doing. They make it look fun! :o) I didn't love having to twirl and hold hands with men other than my husband either...it just felt a little uncomfortable even though they were men I knew.

So, for me, that night was a disappointing fail. *But*...I had a fun time yesterday. Rarely do I miss our worship service at church. But yesterday I did since I was invited to go with some girl friends to a Pirates baseball game in Pittsburgh. That sounds silly and frivolous of a reason for me to miss church...but Chris and my children encouraged me to go since I don't really ever go out with girl friends and just enjoy time away. So four of us went....unfortunately I got terribly car sick on the almost 2 hr drive down (and also on the way back). I even sat in the front seat....but the road was wind-y and I wasn't used to my friend's driving. Thankfully, while we were actually at the game, I felt ok! We had awesome seats....just behind home plate! We could see everything so well! I don't like watching baseball on television...but in person, it was enjoyable! If I can go again, I definitely want Chris and I to go together! He would like it too....we would enjoy it together! :)

Speaking of Chris...we celebrated 19 years of marriage a week ago! I tried to get a few pics together...and Chris kept being goofy...so this is what I got:

I made a Chicken Pot Pie Casserole earlier this week...Here is a picture of it and the recipe below if you would like to try it!

I'm still trying to recuperate after being so car sick last night. I still just feel *off* a bit....but I teach spin tonight and need to get a good workout in...so I'm gonna have to just suck it up! ;) Maybe I need a bit of a nap and that will help? I don't know...we'll see!

And quickly...I wanted to share this photo...Jaxson saved up his money and bought a digital drawing tablet that hooks up to the computer. He drew these awesome housework/chore drawings and I made them into stickers! They are in my shop if you are interested! I think he did awesome with them!! :)

Thanks so much for coming by! I hope you have enjoyed your time here as I caught up a bit.
I hope your week is going well and that your moments honor our Lord each and every day. That is my own prayer daily....knowing that I always fall short....but thankful for His grace!

Warmly,
Katy

"Do all the good you can...

...By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can, 

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can, 

As long as ever you can."

~John Wesley

Good morning! It's warming up here in Western PA and we are over-the-moon happy about it! The cold gets old after a while. Sometimes I want to move to Alaska to just be more secluded...and then I remember the long cold season there...I definitely couldn't do that! I love that as it warms up we get to spend more time outside! Plus, if we were more secluded it would make it much harder to share the gospel! We need to run *to* people and not away...even when society around us seems to be falling apart at the seams! 

In our "pantry" room...

“Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.” 

~John Piper

It's not even 8:30am yet and already I have had a good start to the day. The bed is made, laundry is going, I've done some tidying and sweeping, emptied the dishwasher and have pork in the crock pot (with a mixture over it that I made to make pulled pork. I've never made pulled pork before...so we'll see how it goes!). I also make Chris's coffee and lunch every day and send him off to work. :) I am not trying to fluff my own feathers, so to speak....I guess I just want to share the joys in taking care of our husbands and homes! Starting the day right helps make the rest of the day go better!

My desk...

I am participating in a month-long triathlon at our local Y. You have a month to bike 112 miles, run/elliptical 26 miles and swim 2 miles (or for those who don't want to swim...you can use the rower and go 12 miles). We are only a week in and I am excited to report I am done with the running part and only have a mile left to row before I am finished with that part (I can swim...but I'm not big on lap swimming...so I decided to row instead)! I need to get more biking in but that'll happen as I teach my spin classes for the month. They count as 12 miles each. :) It's really motivating and fun to do! It's fun to challenge yourself! I always workout every day....but to try and meet certain requirements makes it fun to do! Seriously, exercising becomes addicting! :)

Do you have an Instant Pot? Chris's parents got us one for Christmas and I love it. I use it to hard boil eggs weekly. We also use it for other recipes! I like making homemade chicken noodle soup in it and many other things! If you have one, I would love to know any of your family favorite recipes you use!

I have a busy week ahead...helping friends by babysitting, personal training a lady at the Y, homeschooling, exercising, normal housework, cooking and chores around the home, and it's our week to clean our church! So I best wrap up this post and get busy doing some more around here! One more thing I wanted to share (so sorry for the blurry pictures! I used my phone to take them rather than my camera...and they just didn't turn out that great)...

I've been reading lots of books when time allows (along with my Bible reading) and this one is the one I am reading right now...Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi...(I linked to it on amazon...but if you are interested in buying it, you may find it cheaper on ebay! Always check there too!)

“I could not put the Bible down. I literally could not. It felt as if my heart would stop beating, perhaps implode, if I put it down.” 

~Nabeel Qureshi

It is a great read so far! Nabeel has actually passed away now...at a terribly young age...from stomach cancer ~ but oh, he is with his Creator now! He is with Jesus! His conversion from being a Muslim to a Christian is amazing! It is absolutely beautiful to read how the Lord worked in his life!

“While I was wallowing in self-pity, focused on myself, there was a whole world with literally billions of people who had no idea who God is, how amazing He is, and the wonders He has done for us. They are the ones who are really suffering. They don’t know His hope, His peace, and His love that transcends all understanding. They don’t know the message of the gospel. After loving us with the most humble life and the most horrific death, Jesus told us, “As I have loved you, go and love one another.” How could I consider myself a follower of Jesus if I was not willing to live as He lived? To die as He died? To love the unloved and give hope to the hopeless?” 

~Nabeel Qureshi

Although he has passed away from this earth...Nabeel was able to participate in the making of The American Gospel. It's a movie about how the prosperity message has distorted the true gospel. My family watched it...you can see the trailer to it linked above. If you can watch it, I highly recommend it. If you scroll down from the trailer, there is a place where you can watch an hour of the movie for free. I think it's a 3 hour movie total. It's worth watching the whole thing at some point. Share it with loved ones too...especially those who have bought into this Word of Faith movement that is heretical and wrong.


Well, friends....thanks so much for dropping by here! I gotta get moving and shaking...I hope your week is full of God-glorifying moments and over-flowing joy as you walk through them...despite suffering and trials. Let the tears fall if you are hurting...but let the joy of the Lord take its place in you...for it *is* your strength!

Joyfully,
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

"Radical obedience to Christ is not easy...

...It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And He is more than enough for us."

“The modern-day gospel says, 'God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Therefore, follow these steps, and you can be saved.' Meanwhile, the biblical gospel says, 'You are an enemy of God, dead in your sin, & in your present state of rebellion, you are not even able to see that you need life, much less to cause yourself to come to life. Therefore, you are radically dependent on God to do something in your life that you could never do.” 

~David Platt

I encourage you...even if you have read the above quotes...read them again. (Watch David Platt on youtube...he has some great sermons to watch!) Chew on them a bit. Let their meaning sink deep and then if you don't already....get into God's Word *every*single*day*! So many Christians don't read their Bible daily. This is a tragedy. How can we know the God we love so much if we don't read His Word? We need Him. He is our only hope.

If you are not a believer but like to visit here...please realize your need for a Savior. We are all wicked and terribly imperfect next to a holy, just God. We are in rebellion against Him. But God...our good, loving, gracious Creator took on human form in His Son, Jesus Christ, and lead a perfect life in our place! He then sacrificed Himself to *pay* for our sins against God! He suffered, bled and died (although completely innocent) on a cross. We must repent of our sins and trust in Christ as our Savior. He is the *only* way to the Father. I encourage you to watch: Are You a Good Person? My greatest prayer is that you will come to know Christ as your Savior...and live a life of love and obedience to Him! 

Lately....in our home...

Madelyn and Jaxson worked on making envelopes and custom wax seals...

I have kept busy with my housework and exercise...

Making rolls for supper (I believe these were for chipped steak sandwiches one evening)...

I have been taking full advantage of the glorious sunshine the Lord supplies!

...It's so wonderful to save money and put to good use the environment the Lord provides!

My hosta have been growing...quickly! They are just sprouting out everywhere...and growing daily! It's great!!!

Monday was our last day of homeschool co-op for the school year. We'll get to see everyone in a few months when the new school year starts...so it's only good-bye for a little while! We shared a nice picnic with friends (got some sun on my arms and face) and the children played with friends (as we were at a park where they could play ball, use playground equipment etc. There were children everywhere!!). The Lord has provided us with a beautiful day each year for that picnic...even if it was predicted to rain! We are always so grateful!

Chris likes to try out recipes from time to time. Madelyn and I are the main cooks in this household but Chris likes to make some new things too sometimes! He likes to watch Kent Rollins cook and ordered his recipe book...

He made sourdough starter from it...

...and he made these great sourdough "biscuits" that were kinda like dinner rolls. I don't normally eat much bread...but I tried one of these when it was warm and it was so good! :)

I've gotta go! Lots of things to accomplish today! I hope your week is going well and thanks, so much, for stopping by today!

Cheerfully,
Katy