Home Sweet Home...Finally!

Finally, we are home again!

 

 

As most of you know, Anthony is a Catastrophe Insurance Adjuster.  This means that when there is a government labeled catastrophe, we head that way to inspect the damages to homes in the area. 

 

 

This year, we've worked in Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Indiana and Louisiana so far. 

 

We are blessed in that most of the time, we are able to travel as a family.  Because we home school, we don't necessarily keep a strict schedule of places to be at certain times. :)

 

There are pros and cons in this line of work, for sure!

 

Some Pros:

 

* We meet a lot of people on our work assignments that become our life long friends!

As a matter of fact, that's how Avery met our

 daughter-in-law, Jamie! They met in a Wednesday night Bible class at the congregation where her Daddy preaches! Technically, they had actually met once before at Bible camp, but they were little guys back then! ;)

 

* We are able to visit areas of the country that we might not be able to visit if it weren't for work!

I only have 8 more states to visit and I will have seen all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii!

 

*The work travel gives us LOTS of home schooling field trips! The Liberty Bell, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Battlefields galore, The Smithsonian Museums in DC, Fenway Park and every factory tour known to man! We've been there and done ALL of that, plus many, many more things!

 

Some Cons:

 

* We are sometimes far away from our family, for months at a time.

 

* We miss out on church growth, activities... in our home congregation.  We  try to play "catch up" as soon as we get home to get involved with church work again.

 

*Lastly, there's just

NO PLACE LIKE

HOME!!

 

Just a few weeks ago, we headed back toward our

Home Sweet Home... Finally!

 

I followed behind Anthony as we left the terrible flooding in Louisiana and I snapped a few pictures along the way!

 

 

 

It started raining, AGAIN on our way out of Louisiana, but I caught this beautiful picture right before the rain started.

 

I thought this picture was really neat, crossing a bridge near Baton Rouge. 

 

 

Then, as we left the rain, a beautiful rainbow filled the sky along our way!

 

I was so happy to be able to capture the rainbow and the camper in the same picture!

 

 

I love this picture!

 

Before we knew it, we were home again!!

 

Home Sweet Home!

 

The first thing I always do when we get home is to clean up and unpack the camper.

 

Then, lots and lots of laundry!

 

We are all so used to living in such a small space together, that it usually takes us a few days to realize that we can move around and all be in separate rooms!   Ha! :)

 

I will fill you in on a few of the things that I've been up to since I've been back home.

 

 First things first, I went to check on my other kiddos!

 

It just so happened that Avery & Jamie and Ashley & Ricky were all moving! 

 

Besides that, both Jamie and Ashley were admitted to the hospital as soon as we got home!

Jamie had a C-diff infection and Ashley had an emergency appendectomy and pneumonia!

 

Thankfully, I was able to be with both of them to lend a helping hand.

 

They are home and feeling better and we got them all settled into their new homes!

 

 

 

 

Now that I can know that they are all cozy in their homes, I can get back to mine!

 

I always go through a "Nesting" phase.

 

The very minute it was officially Fall, I hung my autumn wreath and decorated my pumpkin!

 

 



 

 

I also worked on a few little " no sew" projects that I had been saving up. 

 

During the summer, I had picked up some scrap material for less than $2.00 on clearance!

 

 

I would have liked to have a little more material, but this ended up working just fine for all I wanted to do with it.

 

I made a "Rag Curtain" ...

 

 

 

and

 

I made a table runner...

 

 

 

I've also been enjoying cooking again in my kitchen.

 

Tonight, I made one of Austin's favorite dinners...

 

It's not a fancy meal, but it sure is comforting!

 

 

Austin's Favorite Meatloaf

 

I'll share the recipe with you :)

 

Here's what you will need:

 

1 Pound of ground beef or turkey (I use turkey)

1/4 Cup chopped onion

1 Cup of dry oatmeal

1 Teaspoon of chili powder

1 Teaspoon of salt

1 Teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon of ketchup

1 Cup of milk

and

1 Egg

 

 

 

 

You just mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and place in a baking dish or a loaf pan to bake. 

 

 

I choose to bake meatloaf in a baking dish. 

I feel like it cooks more evenly.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour!

 

While that was baking, I was putting up my spices and decided to show you the struggle that I face in my kitchen. 

 

 

YIKES!

 

 

This is my spice cabinet and it is PACKED!

I have rows and rows of spices that I constantly have to climb up there and dig for what I'm needing!

 

I need more cabinet space!

 

Okay, back to the meatloaf...

 

I spread ketchup all over the top surface of the meatloaf about half way through the cooking.

 

When the hour is up, it's time to eat!

 

 

Now that's comfort on a plate!

 

Before I go, I want to share one more thing that I've been up to!

 

I was chosen by the hospital to be one of their

Newborn Nursery Cuddlers!

 

 

 

I don't get paid a dime, but I LOVE this job!!

 

I plan to participate in this volunteer program when we are home. 

Then, when we travel for work, I'll leave for a while, but as soon as I get home, I will head straight back to the nursery!  <3

 

Well, those are just some of the things that I've been up to since I got back home.

 

Now, if we could just stay here for a little while... :)

 

 

Before I go, I wanted to share a couple of household tips with you.

 

"The Works" brand cleaner to remove calcium, rust and lime from bathroom surfaces works just as well as the name brand cleaner CLR!

 

 

They both do a GREAT job removing rust!

 

But...

 

 

CLR= $4.99+

(You can find it for this price at just about every grocery and department store around.)

 

 

 

The Works = $1.00

(At any Dollar General and Dollar Tree near you!)

 

I was amazed at the job "The Works" did on my camper shower and toilet bowl!

 

 

Just one more tip...

 

Use a few drops of peppermint oil mixed with water in a spray bottle to kill household sugar ants!

 

 

 

This tip came from my Mama and boy does it work! 

I just spray it all over my cabinets and counter tops and it will not only kill any ants that are there, but it will also keep them away!

 

While using this spray, you are not breathing in any chemicals and your house will smell nice and minty! ;)

 

Hope you have a beautiful weekend!

 

~ John 2: 3  "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." (KJV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Very Last First Day Of Homeschooling...

Hi there.

I hope all of you are doing well.

It's been quite some time since I've written on here!

It's been a very busy summer for us! We had a summer full of work travels and we even squeezed in a little fun here and there!

 

Hopefully you have enjoyed your summertime too!

 

I absolutely cannot believe  it, but it is already time for school to start!

 

 

Many of you have already been in school for over a month now!

 

As most of you know,

we homeschool.

I have been so very blessed to be able to home school our 3 children for the last 20 years!

 

This year is going to be so bittersweet for me...

 

Sweet, because Lord willing at the end of this 2016-2017 year of school, I will have home schooled for 21 years total!

I feel very happy about that!

 

Bitter, because after this last school year, life as I know it will be different!

 

I will officially have an empty nest!!

 

I won't be ordering any more school books, buying school supplies or grading papers!

 

To be honest, I'm pretty nervous about this new life that's waiting for me, but I know that with God's help, I will be okay.

 

So, in honor of our

Very Last First Day of School,

 I thought I'd post a few pictures of our Austin

 through the years...

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Where in the world has the time gone??

 

We are so very proud of you Austin!

We love you and even though it may seem like I'm going to hang on to you for dear life as you prepare to leave my nest, just hang in there with me and don't panic!

I'm working on it and everything SHOULD be fine by graduation!

 

Unless...

 

 I decide you're not ready to graduate and hold you back!!!

 

Hmmm,

I wonder how many years I could try that one and get away with it... :)

 



 

I love you and I am looking forward to our last year of schooling.

 

~Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (KJV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Recipe For Homemade Banana Pudding That's Sure To Make Your Day A Little Happier

Hello there! 

I hope you're having a good day so far.

 It's so hard to believe that March is already here!

The older I get, the faster time seems to go.

I am excited to see Spring coming!

 I always love to see the new blooms growing on the trees and to see the daffodils and other pretty flowers popping up everywhere! 

There's just something about Spring!

~A new beginning~

Speaking of flowers...

My favorite flowers are Tulips!!  

I love them in every color!

A couple of sweet ladies from church brought these beautiful red tulips to me at our Ladies Breakfast in February!  

There's just something about fresh cut spring flowers!

I don't know about you and your family, but my family usually enjoys eating certain foods during certain holidays.  

In the spring, with Easter just around the corner, a menu of 

Ham

Deviled Eggs

Yeast Rolls

Macaroni and Cheese

Green Beans...

comes to mind.

Oh, and of course there will be dessert!  

One of my very favorite desserts at Easter time is

Homemade Banana Pudding 

Oh dear me!!

Does it get much better than this???

Let me share my favorite recipe for 

Homemade Banana Pudding

 with you... 

Here's what you will need:

1 Cup of Sugar

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of Self Rising Flour

1 and 1/2  Cups of Milk

1 Teaspoon of Butter

2 Large Eggs, Separated

Vanilla

and 

Vanilla Wafers

Oh and of course you will need...

 Bananas!

The first thing that I do is to pick out a pretty bowl that I want to use for my banana pudding.  

Then, I line the bowl with vanilla wafers.

Next, I slice bananas over the top of the wafers.

Now, in a large saucepan, I mix my sugar and flour with a whisk.

 I add 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk.

Next, I beat my egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the milk and mix that into the other mixture.

Add the rest of the milk, the vanilla and the butter.

 Now, I turn on the heat to medium and cook until I see the mixture is to the thickness that I want.  You will want to continue to whisk the mixture as not to burn it.  

It won't take too long before you will see the mixture is a thick and smooth pudding!

This is just so yummy and rich!

Head over to the bowl of bananas and wafers and pour some of the pudding right over the top of the bananas!

 I'm drooling!!!!! 

Repeat the layers until you run out of filling!

Now, it's time to top your pudding with meringue to make it extra beautiful!

Just beat your egg whites and some sugar (about 1 tablespoon)  with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

After you have a big puffy meringue, spread it over the pudding and bake in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes, just until it is lightly browned on top!

That's it!! 

You've just made a delicious 

Homemade Banana Pudding

from scratch!  

Put your pudding into the fridge for a couple of hours before serving!  

You will LOVE this recipe!

~ Enjoy your day~ 

~ Hebrews 13:2 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (KJV)

 

 

Sharing A Recipe For Homemade Lotion

Good morning! 

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend.

 The weather here in Alabama was just beautiful!

It's Monday; and since sometimes Mondays can be a little bit "Blah", I decided to share a quick and easy recipe that is sure to perk up your day!

Today I'm sharing a recipe for 

Homemade Lotion! 

I LOVE this recipe! 

My dear friend from church, Sherrie Stephens, shared it with me about a year ago and I've been making it ever since.  

It is the softest lotion and smells oh so good! 

Here's what you will need:

8 Ounces Of Vitamin E Cream

7 1/2 Ounces Of Vaseline

15 Ounces Of Baby Lotion

This is so easy to do! 

You just mix all of your ingredients together with a hand held mixer and that's it!!

Fill containers with your lotion! 

I use the container that the Vitamin E comes in by just peeling off the stickers and washing the empty container out.

 

I think it's my favorite type of container to use. 

I didn't this time, but sometimes I use small canning jars too for pretty gifts. :)

You can change the scent of the lotion to fit your preference.

I sometimes make Cocoa Butter and I've made Lavender for a soothing scent, but my very favorite is Baby Lotion! 

Hmmmm... I wonder why.

I'm forever thinking of when I had babies! :)

They may not smell like baby lotion anymore, but they will always be my babies! ;)

Happy Monday!

~ Ephesians 4:4-6 "There is one body, and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (KJV)