Happy Homemaker

I’ve been pondering this season of life that I now find myself in .. that of a stay at home wife and homemaker. 

In my working life, I worked full-time outside our home for over two decades and all of those years my heart longed to be home.  I really enjoyed my work life roles, but the one I have now is by far the most spiritually rewarding and personally enjoyable. Caring for our home blesses my husband and family, and that brings me sheer joy.

I’ve always enjoyed anything home related ... cleaning, organizing, decorating, DIY, crafting, cooking and baking, caring for and nurturing our children when they lived at home, gardening, and sewing.  I lived for a very long time with an inner struggle of wanting to be home.

Thankfully, I’m blessed with a caring and wonderful husband who also prefers that I not work and who loves reaping the benefits of having a wife who enjoys and doesn’t find maintaining a home to be a dreaded chore.  A win-win for both of us!

There are countless helpful books dedicated to guiding women along their homemaking journey, but the greatest source I've found is God's Word.  Who better than our Father to provide valuable direction and insight into the important and honorable role of a homemaker? 

 

Meyer Lemon Blender Pie

Looking for a good and super easy lemon pie recipe?  We had this one on Christmas Day and really enjoyed it. It’s so simple and yet very tasty.  And, you use an entire Meyer lemon ... peel and all.  Just remove seeds and place all ingredients into a blender.  Thank you to my friend, Dannie, for sharing the recipe!

Thanksgiving Tablescape

Plans for Thanksgiving Day are moving right along!  So excited that our grand kiddos will be spending the day with us!  All the kiddos will be home except for our youngest son who is vacationing overseas at the moment.  We'll sure miss him but he's having a great trip and we're thrilled for him.

This year we cheated a bit and are having our main meal catered.  I only need to make a few appetizers and desserts.  It's been a wonderful break. The caterer will be providing our baked turkey with all the trimmings and sides.  We did this a few years ago as well and the food was every bit as good as home cooked.  A plus is that the turkey is already carved - boneless and sliced except for the legs.  Easy peasy!

Our tablescape is super simple - leaving plenty of room for serving dishes and platters when we remove the centerpiece.  Found these cute Thanksgiving wheels for the littles to color and draw.  And a couple of Thanksgiving Berenstain Bears books will be fun.   Made raspberry bars and oatmeal cookies today and will make brownies tomorrow.  Ordered a pumpkin pecan pie from a local bakery. We’ll miss several family members who won't be with us but we're looking forward to Thursday!

Thankful for ...

... the changing seasons and the trees that frame our home with colorful Fall leaves.   This is our second Fall in our home and it's by far the most colorful.  With our unpredictable weather, perhaps we'll be blessed with snow this Winter!

Natural Wood Handrail

Our new old stone cottage has some fun features outside, but one unique detail is a blend of outside on the inside ... a custom natural wood stair handrail. 

The stairs wrap around the original wood stove brick chimney and separates our dining room from our kitchen.  
 
Truth be told, when I first saw the listing photos, I absolutely positively did NOT like it at all.  Was prepared to have it ripped out and replaced with a conventional boring railing and spindles.  But, when we stepped foot inside and saw the handrail along with all the other elements that surround it, it just works!  Take my word for it - it does.  The mix of black granite tile on the risers, warm stained wood on the stair treads and the original brick chimney give the space a unique style that we had not yet discovered.  

The fact that we love it surprises even us - our former home was totally safe neutral with no surprise elements.  The move to our new old stone cottage has been a fun journey - and quite an exploration!  Will let this beauty speak for itself: