Spring Cleaning

Here in the South, Spring is in the air. The birds are chirping,

the rabbits are hopping, and the flowers are beginning to come alive.

So, I am making my list ready for some good old back busting deep cleaning.
Cleaning is apart of my everyday, but it is this time of the year I like to tackle

those once a year jobs.

Here is what I have to do so far...

1. Wipe down all base boards.
2. Mop and perhaps polish all wood floors.
3. Clean inside and outside windows. (there are 24)
4. Wipe outside cabinet doors, then polish.
5. Remove all items from cabinets and clean shelves.
6. Clean glass cabinet doors and shelves.
7. Clean the oven.
8. Outside, behind, and top of the refrigerator. Polish the Stainless steal.
9. Clean and sort all closets. Lots of clothes to discard or donate from children's closets as well as my own.
10. Exterior cleaning with pressure washer as the weather warms. Porches could use some touch up paint.
11. Hang new kitchen curtains.
12. Touch up spackling in left over holes around the house.
13. Organize and take stock in the pantry and freezer.

Phew.... that is what I have so far.

I'm sure this list will keep us busy for a month. Just about time

to get busy pulling weeds in the garden.

Do you have a chore list this time of year?

Is it long or short?

He is the daddy that...

Loves these precious children.teaches them to shoot a BB gun.

is patient and kind.

A daddy that jumps

and jumps until he can't jump anymore.

He teaches his boy good things.

Burns the midnight oil to provide for this family.

A man that loves God and teaches his children to do what is right.

He will always choose the honorable route in a decision.

A man that is passionate about politics,

and good Christian values.

The leader of this family.

The love of my life.

~Brandi

the Word

Defining Jesus would be a challenge to the best of writers, but John handles the task with casual analogy. The Messiah, in a word, was "the Word." A walking message. A love letter. Be he a fiery verb or a tender adjective, he was quite simply, a word.
-No Wonder They Call Him Savior





In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
John 1:1

Like-Minded

How is it, that in my area there doesn't seem to be any HAPPY stay at home mothers? About a year ago, I began following the blogs of a three mothers from Alabama. I had been reading one of the women's blog for much longer, when I realized that she referenced the blogs of her two best friends. So, I found the other two ladies and began following their stories. These ladies teachings, stories, and hearts about life and families changed my heart.

Two ladies have large families, each with eight children, and they all homeschool their children. And they are happy and blessed to walk this path. They attend the same church, they fellowship together with their families, and they count on each other. They seem like simple hard working folks. They shop at thrift stores, they bake bread, they live simple lives. The way my family lives.

I have spent the last year or longer trying to find other like-minded mothers in my own neck of the woods. I simply have found none. Not even in my own church. I have encountered other SAHM's but they seem to be miserable staying home. My home church seems to be filled with career driven women that drop the children at the nearest nursery so that they are free to conquer the world. A few times, I put myself out there and visited other SAHMs, but the conversations were awkward as was the visiting. I felt more comfortable engaged with our children at play. I just don't care about expensive designer cloths and it breaks my heart to hear another mother making plans to get back to her career asap.

I think I have actually alienated a friend from long ago because of my plainness. I like taking life at a turtles pace. Embracing the simple things in the day to day. I love collecting eggs every morning. I love baking our bread every other day. I love being with and homeschooling my children. I cherish my husband and do not talk bad about him to other women ( have encountered this).

It just donned on me, that there probably are other like-minded families around, but they are just busy making a joy filled life in the home. Like us.....

Home is our favorite place to be. Living our life, working hard in the garden, and raising our children. Life is good here on the home front!

Beautiful Blooms

He surprised me this morning with these beautiful blooms.

He knows how much I love flowers that I can plant.

Not because commercialism says today you must...

Just because he loves me.

Let me cherish him.

She's in my dough again...

Friday was cold and rainy here in North Florida.

We had big plans for the day, but the weather had other ideas.

So, what did we do???

We went to Grammie's house and spent the afternoon playing in dough.

Country mouse is serious when it comes to rolling out her dough.

She has to get it just right, so that her bread will be of perfect shape.

Hey, what happened to that loaf??




I think this guy had something to do with the missing bread.




Or perhaps, these older gentlmen can explain...
Did you guys eat the missing loaf???
They just look guilty!

If my walls could talk...

Happy children live here, is what they would say.

These walls protect and shelter from the storms and the cold.

These walls witness our joy and tears.

They hear our hopes and secrets.

Sometimes........

they take a bruising when country mouse rides through these halls.

I am thankful for these walls and the family that dwells here.

I am most at peace in this home.

Cooking and cleaning, loving, and teaching!

My life's greatest calling!

Thank you God, that I listened.

smooth tasty treat

Make a tasty healthy treat today.

Strawberry banana smoothies...Ingredients needed:

• 6 fresh or frozen strawberries
• 2 bananas
• 2 heaping spoonfuls of organic yogurt
• 1-2 Tablespoons maple sugar (natural sweetener)
• 2 Tablespoons Wheat Germ
• 1/2 cup of juice (apple, orange, or tropical fruit)
• 1 cup crushed ice

few fresh blueberry's for topping

Add fruit juice, bananas, yogurt to the blender
next add wheat germ, and maple syrup

then strawberries. Blend until smooth and then add in 1 cup of ice (adding more to thicken as needed.)

Top with berries and enjoy. My children love these, and I love the healthy vitamins in the fruit and Wheat Germ.

Fresh market day

This weeks shopping trip looks much different than the past. Today, I shopped the local produce market that is supplied by local farmers. If you read my last post, you know why the turn around in the way I feed my family. The documentary about food has changed the way we look at our food.

Even, my little boy is on board with the changes, and he used to ask for a Happy meal if we went anywhere near town. Now, he is informing everybody to stay away from fast food period. For snack time today I made smoothies. I will post the recipe a little later. They where delicious and healthy.

Here in Florida, it is just about planting season, and farmer husband is itching to get started. The land is tilled and turned. The seeds are being gathered. The fun is about to begin.

I am seeking all the information that I can find right now on clean/organic eating. Food that is raised and prepared the way the Creator created it to be. Cows should be pastured and eat grass, chickens should be pastured behind the cows for them to be healthy and clean, hogs should not be processed in filth. None of the animals we eat should need to be pumped with antibiotics. Eating animals that have been treated with antibiotics, can cause a human to become allergic to antibiotics. What about the growth hormone(rbst) given to milk cows to increase milk production and growth hormone to chickens to make them grow bigger faster. What have these hormones done to our bodies after so many years of consumption? Could this be contributing to the epidemic of obesity in our country? If it works on the cows and chickens, why would it not be effecting us? Just my thoughts...

I have become passionate about eating cleaner. Hope you are giving a second thought to your foods as well.

God bless and happy eats!