Removing the Load Bearing Wall

Today has been a great work day for Michael and Joshua. They started early and made great progress. First, the day started with making the other temporary wall that would be used to hold our ceiling. After the temporary walls were in place, it was time to put the beam in place.

In the upper picture, you can see the beam at the top. The temporary walls are still in place, but Josh would be removing them soon.

Here he is removing the walls.

Missy has learned to sleep just about anywhere. She likes to be in the middle of the work site. I am amazed that she can sleep with hammering all around her.

Here is Michael with his newly installed beam. At this point, we were still hoping that it would hold the weight of the ceiling without any issues. Again, he is a nuclear engineer not a structural engineer and we were holding our breath just a little.

I took this picture from the corner of our kitchen. I can see the fireplace and living room from my kitchen, but I still have a small amount of wall to hide the kitchen dishes. I have to say we all LOVE the new house design. It makes our house feel so much more open and light!

This picture was taken from our front door. I know things are still a huge mess, but we have made great head way. Our next step will be to be remove the tile floor in preparation for our hardwood. Then we will be ready to put up dry wall. We also need to purchase new french doors before the dry wall goes up on the walls. Oh, yea baby!!!! I have been waiting for new doors for the last 3 years!!! Thus far we have spent a total of $130 for the beam, and around $100 for 2x4's to make the temporary walls. Michael will be able to use the 2x4's on another project now that we no longer need them to hold up our ceiling. Not bad for making a dream of a great room come into reality.

grace and peace,

julie

I can't believe that it is Friday once again. There is something about turning 40 that causes the weeks to go by faster! I also can't believe that we will have no football tonight. It is a welcome break in a hectic season. So what does a family of 7 do with a free Friday night? We plan a huge family meal, of course! All of my children will be around my dinner table this evening. There will be a few extra girls around the dinner table as well. I like it when we can all get together, break bread, laugh, talk, and just enjoy the journey that the Lord has given to us. Dinner is in the oven, and I am headed back to the kitchen to make some yeast rolls. My only regret is that I spent the morning at the dental office instead of cleaning the house. I tell myself that dental work is longer lasting than cleaning so that makes me feel better. I hope each and every one of you enjoy your Friday evening. I have looked forward to mine all week long!!!

grace and peace,

julie

The Look of Being a Community For Me

Our daughter has been studying marine life community in her science class. I have spent some time discussing these concepts with her. This past week the Lord brought me face to face with real life community...you know the kind of community that you can trust. It started with a desperate plea from our 15 year old to run a forgotten football jersey and 2 leftover steak sandwiches to the field house. (If you ever come to my house and it isn't clean, you know it is because I am always running things to my kids)! After dropping off the desired items, I was heading out of the parking lot. While I was waiting to pull out onto the road, I saw my oldest son's best friend pull into the parking lot. This child is like one of my own, and I haven't spent very much time with him as of late. I rolled down my window and told him supper was on the stove and he was welcome to come out and eat with us. He smiled and said he might. When I arrived back home, I quickly checked my email. There was an email from the father of the child that I had just invited out to the house. We are dear friends with these people, although we do not spend lots of time together due to schedule issues. He was overseas with his wife, and he wanted my husband to talk with their son about college. Apparently the young man hasn't been very happy with college and this father felt helpless being so far from the situation. I quickly called the child on his cell phone and told him that he was required to come out to the house for supper....I wanted to talk with him. Shortly after the phone call, the young man arrived at our home. He spent the evening with me talking and eating. To be honest, I don't know if he will follow my advice, but I do know that out of relationship he was willing to listen. We have spent the last 6 or 7 years building relationship with this young man. He is just as much a part of our family as our son is a part of their family.

When my dad was dying, our son came to Ky. to visit. Michael was suppose to take him back home at the end of the weekend. Michael needed to get back to work and Matthew needed to get back to school. My dad was so bad that Michael just couldn't leave his side. He called the father of Matthew's best friend and told him the situation. The father offered to drive 6 hours one way to pick up Matthew and take him back home. Michael met him half way to make the drive shorter for him. This family kept Matthew for the month and treated him as one of their own while we were in Kentucky with my dad.

Both of our families are Christian, although we are different denominations. We don't see eye to eye on everything concerning doctrine, but we do see eye to eye on everything concerning Jesus. We get together about twice a year to fellowship. I can't say we are best friends because we don't spend enough time together, but I know we are family...we are brothers and sisters in Christ. This bond transcends so many differences. We are there for one another...no matter the cost, especially where our children are concerned. Our church in Florida called this type of relationship a covenant. Although the language is different here in Tennessee, the meaning is the same. I have several of these types of relationships sprinkled throughout my life. I believe the Lord wants us to live like this. Along with helping one another, accountability is also another factor. Accountability comes with relationship. I could hold the young man accountable because I knew him. I could say things to him that someone who did not know him could never say to him. I had a point of reference with him that a stranger did not have. I also had his heart. Therefore, I could speak truth in love to him without offending him. The truth I spoke might have made him mad, but he knew without a doubt that I loved him.

What does Community look like to you?

grace and peace,

julie

This morning I awoke looking forward to my day at home. I had my own plans and agenda, and it was a good one! I would continue with the cleaning of the upstairs and then move to the dreaded downstairs. The downstairs is where all the men children live. It is a mess, and I hate cleaning down there. If the men children weren't bad enough, the big English Mastiff also spends much of her time down there as well. I was planning on making homemade chicken pot pie for dinner. I thought perhaps I could make two and share one with a family who is fighting sickness right now. As I was headed to take a shower, I stopped to pour me a cup of coffee. Then I saw it. I knew I had a choice to make. Matthew took off and left his book bag sitting on the kitchen floor. He is half way to college this morning. I knew he had three tests tomorrow and is a bit stressed. He planned on spending the whole day studying. He had even made arrangements with a friend to spend the night so he would have more study time. I had a choice. I could lay down my wants and desires for the day and do something to benefit him or I could make him come home and take responsibility for his actions. I knew instantly which one I would choose. I called him and I could hear his disbelief of not being prepared. He was quiet, not wanting to ask me to drive a two hour round trip to return his bag. He didn't ask, but instead I offered.

As a mother, I have to make wise decisions concerning my children. I knew this morning that Matthew just made a mistake. He was up in plenty of time. He was being responsible. He just forgot his bag. I haven't always been able to say those things about him. There was a time that I would not have driven 10 minutes to return his things because he wouldn't take responsibility for himself. He would just let me do things for him instead of doing them. When I realized where he was at in life, I told him that I would no longer bring stuff to him. If he was unprepared, then so be it. He learned some hard lessons during that time in his life, but guess what...he grew into being a responsible young man.

This morning I knew what helping out my son would mean for my day. I counted the cost and realized that people are more important than things or even a clean house. As soon as I offered to bring his bag to him, I heard his heart in his voice. He was relieved and thankful. I think he was also surprised. I don't share this story with you to make myself sound good. I am not. As a person, I sometimes get locked up with wanting my own plans. I know the Lord calls us to lay down our life for Him. I know that the Lord pricked my heart this morning to lay down my wants for my son. I think it easier to do that for others that are outside of our own family. If my neighbor had needed me today, I wouldn't have even taken the time to count the cost. I would have just said a wholehearted "yes". I often forget that my ministry is to my family as well. So with a blink of an eye, my plans for the day were changed... and it is o.k. I know that I am being obedient to the Lord and with that comes much peace.

grace and peace,
julie

A Quick Fall Front Porch and Supper Idea

As we walked out the door this morning, my daughter squealed about it being cold. She was right. There was a chill in the air, and it is just one more signal that fall is here at our doorstep. This past weekend I grabbed a few mums and pumpkins to decorate our front porch. It took me about 10 minutes to put this together. I spent under $30 so that was also a plus. I always leave my big cedar bucket of dirt in all of my porch decorations. I pull out the used plants and start again with new plants for the season. I also keep the spikes in my planters for as long as they will live. This gives me extra height without extra money. I have had the spikes since early spring so I think that has been a good use of my money. I also reuse the same dirt so I don't have to spend extra money refilling the huge cedar planter. I am sure that sometime next year I will need to replace my dirt so that things will keep growing nicely. I am hoping to keep my mums blooming throughout the fall season. I would like to do more complex outside decorations, but time and money are limited so I make do with smaller. It still makes me happy!
Since the weather has turned cooler, I decided it was time to make some black eyed peas, rice and fried corn bread. I will add either some cooked spinach or fried cabbage to the menu. I also have some sweet potatoes that need to be used so I think I will include a sweet potato casserole. I am not for sure that really goes with the rest of the meal, but for those few kids that don't love the peas and rice they will really appreciate the addition of sweet potatoes. I love fall meals, and I love to cook them as well. They are generally cheap and easy to fix!!! That sounds like a winner to me!

grace and peace,
julie

Removing the Wall

Our house has been full of hustle and bustle. Everything around us is torn apart, but in the end it should be worth all the effort. Michael and Joshua have made major steps in removing the wall that divides our living room from our kitchen/dining area. Here in the upper picture, you can see the wall on the right. This is the wall that will be coming down in order to make a great room. The wall on the left is the temporary wall that Joshua built. Since the wall that is being removed is a load bearing wall, temporary walls had to be installed in order to keep our ceiling from cracking or falling.

Joshua did a great job building the temporary walls. He learned the old adage "measure twice and cut once" very well. While he was building temporary walls, Michael was at work on moving the electric from the wall. He had to take out the electrical wires and rewire them to other areas. He also ordered the beam that we will use for holding our ceiling in place. It cost just a little over a $100. I think that is a good investment for something that will help make our house much more to our liking. There is still much work to be done. I have given them a deadline of Thanksgiving. I really want our home put back together in time to host our annual family Thanksgiving. If it isn't completed by then, we will still be thankful and have everybody here anyway. It is just nice to have a goal!

Missy has been a little bewildered with all the mess. You can tell she isn't happy about the whole process. I told her she might as well get used to it!!!

grace and peace,

julie

Saying Goodbye to Summer

We have spent the last several months putting up the bounty of our garden. Summer is slipping away and slowly turning into autumn, and for that I am grateful. Although I didn't can like I usually do this past summer, our pantry is well stocked. We will have enough to carry us into next summer. We also picked up our meat from the butcher's a few days ago. As I was stocking our freezer with the beef that we raised, I realized that we have quite a bit to see us through the winter. I like seeing a stocked freezer and pantry. It brings comfort to me. I feel like I have spent the summer accomplishing something. I am ready once again to get pigs. I hope that some day we can have both pork and beef in the freezer at the same time!

grace and peace,
julie

Fall Is In the Air

We spent a lot of time outside this weekend, and I can just feel fall right at my fingertips. I love this time of year. I know I have told you that many times, but it is worth repeating. I like to bring fall into our home. I usually buy the little pumpkins and gourds to use for decoration. This year I found some fake ones at Walmart and since they were cheap, I purchased them. I have them in arrangements by the fireplace. I also splurged and bought some fall pillar candles to go in my large candle holder that sits in the fireplace. I poured some popcorn kernels in some large glass candle holders. I then added some pretty fall candles to that, and they are sitting in our living room. I pulled out our fall tablecloths for our large farm table in the kitchen. I grabbed my fall wreath for the front door. While at Walmart, I also purchased some pretty fall ribbon. I decorated a cake plate with the ribbon and added one of my large cake candles to make a nice fall centerpiece for our table. My kids were delighted. These few little things that took me about 20 minutes in all made several of my kids tell me how much they loved the decorations and the autumn season. What am I going to do today to help fall make its lovely debute? I am going to bake pies, but not just any pies. I am going to make Apple Pie and Cherry Pie. That should do the trick!

grace and peace,
julie

Wonderful Banana Nut Bread

The first time I made this banana bread I knew I had found a jewel of a treasure. I also knew that if I were to ever open up my own restaurant, this bread would be on the menu. Yes, it is that good. I like to eat mine with a cup of coffee outside while the autumn breeze is blowing! This bread screams "Autumn!" the whole time you are eating it. Enjoy!!!

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans, divided

Orange Glaze
1 cup powder sugar
3 Tablespoons orange juice

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla. Mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, add to creamed mixture. Fold in 1 cup of pecans. Transfer to 2 greased loaf pans. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours or until toothpick comes out clean. (I baked mine for an hour). Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pans. As soon as the bread is removed from the pans, drizzle glaze over warm bread. (This bread is best if allowed to sit for a day before cutting. I usually bake mine first thing in the morning, and then we enjoy it that evening or the next day. Since it makes two loaves, I always freeze one of the loaves for another occasion. Let the bread cool completely. Wrap in tinfoil and freeze. To serve, remove it from the freezer the day before you want to eat). (This recipe was found in Taste of Homes Magazine).

grace and peace,
julie

What Do I Enjoy?

A friend from long ago reconnected with me yesterday. We met when our husbands served in the Navy, and we both were still young wives. We watched each other go from being just wives into being mothers. We lost track of one another over the years. Time has a way of doing that. Yesterday I received an email from her and I shot her a quick email back. In passing, I asked her what does she enjoy now in her life. A simple question, but oh what a thoughtful answer she gave me. As I read it, I smiled and knew all was well. I asked her permission to share her thoughts with you, and she agreed.

Let's see, what type of things do I enjoy? I enjoy spending time with people whom are loving and kind and love the Lord and like to talk about spirituality. I enjoy music and the arts and theatre. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when I achieve something I've been working toward. I enjoy biscuits and honey and a hot cup of tea with milk and honey...I enjoy the smell of the air after it's rained, the feel of wind against my skin, and picking vegetables in the garden. I enjoy a soft bed when it's been a hard day, a ice cold glass of fresh squeezed lemonade on a hot day, and spending time learning more about the God who created me, and what He wants for my life... If you want the more standard version, I do enjoy photography, literature, art, music, design, scuba diving, hiking, driving in the country just to gaze upon the beauty, and my family....(not to mention your coconut pie!) I love my family and friends! I have enjoyed being at home since not working. I'm here to see everyone off to school and to work, to prepare their breakfast and lunches, and to be here upon their return...That's pretty cool in my thoughts!!! (Words penned by Leigh Stannifer)

Oh, I loved her list and her thoughts. I too love almost all of those things except the part about scuba diving! I would like to add to her list...

I love the feel of my husband's touch and his look that assures me all is well with the world... I love the sound of laughter ringing from my children's lips...I enjoy cutting fresh flowers and the beauty of the farm... I enjoy when my older boys wrap their arms around me and tell me how much they love me... I enjoy when the youngest boy tells me that he will always be my little man...I enjoy hearing my daughter's ballet pointe shoes clicking on the floor and seeing her smile when she accomplishes her goal... I enjoy watching my kids interact with one another and enjoying the treasure of being in a large family... I enjoy the fog on the mountains and the sounds of the cows mooing... I enjoy a clean house and the smell of fresh baked bread and a well stocked pantry brimming with food that came from our own garden...I enjoy being with my husband and hearing him laugh and sharing my heart with him...

"What do enjoy?" is such a generic simple question, but oh the possibilities!!!! How about you...What do you enjoy?

grace and peace,
julie

Just a Thought

As a little girl, I remember going outside with my baby doll and playing house. I looked so forward to the day that I would have a real house. I spent countless hours pretending to cook dinners made of mud and leaves and sprinkled with dog food. I had to add the dog food in order for my German Shepherd to want to eat it! I kept her food in my pocket and she followed me around the yard throughout all of my imagination wanderings. Looking back, it is funny to me to realize that my childhood backyard house never needed cleaning. It was a magical time where I could play the part without having to do the work.

I have since grown up and had a house of my own for many years. Michael and I are now on our 22 year of marriage. I have to laugh at myself because some days I would rather be outside dreaming of something else than taking care of the house that I now have. I have grand visions of how clean and beautiful I will keep our house when all the renovations are completed. When I am honest with myself, I know that no matter how pretty the finished product is I will still have to wash the same yucky dishes and clean up the same muddy paw prints! I am challenging myself to be content with what I have at this moment even if it means my walls are undone and my floors are unfinished. Being thankful changes my outlook. If I am thankful for the food that we consumed, than the dirty dishes aren't such a problem. It would be heartbreaking if we had no food to put on those dishes. If I am thankful for the farm that we own, the dirt from the yard isn't such a big deal. It is all in the attitude. Today is one of those days that I would love to go outside and sit on the fence and dream about something else. I am old enough to know that it would be more productive to just finish the task at hand rather than let my thoughts carry me away to another project or place. My heart is full of thanksgiving for what the Lord has given me...the good, the bad, and the dirty. It is time to once again tackle those dirty dishes and piles of laundry with a grateful heart. Then maybe there will still be time to go outside and dream of dreams that have yet to come to past knowing full well that when I go back inside, my house will be clean!

grace and peace,
julie

Do You Want Some Puppy Chow?

My family loves Puppy Chow! There I said it, and now you too can know that we are a little wacky. Missy loves Puppy Chow too. Your family can also love this quick and fun snack/dessert. I made a big batch of Puppy Chow yesterday afternoon. It took me about 10 minutes to fix and it was a hit for the football game. I also packed up some for the sweet friend that was headed back to college. It is nice to have a little bit of home when you are stuck in a dorm room! Hope you enjoy the recipe!

Puppy Chow
9 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup Semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
powder sugar

Melt chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Heat about 30 seconds more. Stir again. (You can also do this on the stove top if you prefer not to use the microwave). Once melted, stir in vanilla. Add cereal and stir until chocolate mixture covers the cereal. Once covered, transfer into a ziploc bag that contains about a cup of powder sugar. Shake until well coated. (I usually do this twice using half the cereal the first time and then adding some powder sugar and doing the rest). Let dry and store in a jar or a ziploc bag. We never have any left to store so that hasn't been an issue for us! This mixture makes nice gifts too. Enjoy!

grace and peace,
julie

Sunday Scripture

"He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. " Psalm 62:6

Country Problems

Living in the country has many great things, but there are a few down sides. We have been bothered with a fox that sneaks in and out of our woods. We are having a terrible time catching him, and he has eaten all of our chickens except the two that sleep on top of the roof. Our baby chicks are located in the shop to make sure they are out of harms way. The other bad thing is that this fox obviously has mange and is sick. He comes out during the day which is not normal. We did just get a trap to see if we can catch him. There will be no way that we can ever free range our chickens if we can't get this fox under control. I am now a bit worried about Seth playing outside by the barn due to the fox. We are watching and waiting. I am looking forward to when this problem comes to an end!

grace and peace,
julie

Momma Missy

The Post Office called early this morning to tell me that our baby chicks had arrived. I had forgotten that this was the week so I was caught off guard. I made a quick trip to town to pick up the chicks, and I quickly got their new home in the shop put together.

Of course, Missy had to help make sure they were all well. She likes baby chicks. She wants to have her nose in everything especially where baby animals are concerned.

Don't you think she would have made a good momma? Do you see the worried look on her brow? I think we should have bred here and had little Missy puppies everywhere. Okay, I have had one cough drop too many over the past few days!!!!! I think I am losing my mind.

grace and peace,

julie

A Nice Appetizer or Side Dish

The other evening I thought all of my family would be around my dinner table. I made 9 large baked potatoes. I generally throw an extra one in the oven for leftovers for lunch. Our dinner was late due to a football game, and several of my kids had already eaten. I had 6 large baked potatoes left. A couple of days later I pulled the potatoes out of the frig and created a quick appetizer. First, cut the potatoes in half and then cut again. Each potato will result in four long pieces. Heat some oil in a cast iron skillet. Fry the potatoes until heated through and browned. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with Kosher salt. I then sprinkle cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and chives. Serve with sour cream. This dish probably took me about 10 minutes to make because the potatoes were already baked. How is that for a quick appetizer for a household of hungry males?

grace and peace,

julie

The Best Thank You Gift Ever

Recently a young family that we knew from Florida came to visit with us. We haven't seen them since their wedding 8 years ago. We got to meet their 3 children and we had a wonderful time getting to know each other all over again. About a week after they left our home, we got a package in the mail. Let me just say, "Oh, MY!" I have often times received thank you packages, but this one was different. They gave each member of our family a special gift and on the outside of the package they wrote a special letter to each person. The gifts were great, but the letters were priceless. It was obvious they spent a lot of time this weekend getting to know us.

Seth LOVES cars and can you guess what was in his package?

Josh was thrilled with his letter and gift. He smiled all over himself when he read the note written to him. He kept saying, "I can't believe they got me a gift!"

Jacob had never eaten a Gobstopper until they gave him a handful one afternoon. He was hooked. You can imagine how happy he was when he was given his own box of Gobstoppers! It too came with a special note which made him smile from ear to ear.

I didn't get a picture of Hope opening her gift. Her note read "You were pretty then, but you are beautiful now..." which, let me tell you, made a 10 year old girl smile from ear to ear. The gift also made Hope smile. We had all gone to Walmart together and Hope had spotted some big blue earrings that I wouldn't purchase for her. Well, Stacie made a mental note. She went back home to Florida and bought the earrings that Hope had wanted so badly. (Stacie, you scored big)!!!

Each gift was special and each note was a treasure and it made all of us feel so very special. I think that is the best thank you gift ever! Thanks bunches Greg and Stacie!!!!!!

grace and peace,

julie

Calling All Beef Jerky Makers: HELP ME, Please

We didn't butcher our jersey cow, but we did take our Black Angus cow to be slaughtered. I could have used her picture, but I am funny about looking at pictures of animals that we are eating so I deleted them all. I don't feel so bad about looking at pictures of our jersey cows that are still very much alive and well here on our farm. Now that you know one of my little quirks, I am asking for your help. No, I don't need help with my mental state, but I do need help in learning how to make beef jerky. My kids love beef jerky. Over the years, I am sure I have used up our potential retirement account keeping these kids in beef jerky. Our local Mennonite store sells wonderful beef jerky with a very large price tag. I was appalled to see two of my boys down $10 worth of jerky before we even got back home! I am on a quest to create our own wonderful jerky. I have the dehydrator for the job and the cow, but that is as far as I have gotten. Please post comments or direct me to some great tried and true websites for making this manly snack. I don't even like jerky, but my men and daughter sure do!!!! Missy,the English Mastiff, also wants me to let you know that she loves jerky almost as much as shoes!!!!! Thanks in advance!!!!

grace and peace,
julie

Maybe This is the Problem!

My husband bought me a treadmill because it was almost impossible to find time in my day to exercise outside of our home. I tried the whole getting up at 4:30 a.m. thing and I went to the local YMCA. Let's just say by 4:30 p.m. I wasn't very pleasant. It only got worse as the night continued. I am thrilled with my treadmill and I am using it often. My kids are also using it which is a double blessing. My oldest son, the resident health nut and lifeguard and worker at the YMCA, came in one day while I was on the treadmill. He came downstairs to encourage me in my effort. As he came closer to me, he saw that I was watching the Food Network while running on the treadmill. "Could that be your problem, Mom?", he asked. What problem??? Is it my fault I like to dream of yummy desserts and special treats while being on the treadmill? I think not!!!!

grace and peace,
julie

Fall Beckons To Me

I know that colors like these are just around the corner here in East Tennessee. It won't be long now, and I feel it in the air. I love the beginning of a new season. It seems as if one season isn't quite ready to give up and the new season is dancing a teasing dance beckoning me to come and play. I find that during this time of year I am anxious to switch to more fall menu ideas. Tonight we will be eating White Bean Chili and I am going to try a new apple bread recipe for dessert. If it is a hit, I will post the recipe soon. I am also getting back in the mood to bake breads again. There is something about the change from summer to fall that draws me back into the kitchen to play. Perhaps it is the fact that the canner is put away until summer once again forces it back to the top of my priority list and stove. I can already feel the slower pace that a new fall brings to our house. The days are getting a bit shorter which causes us all to settle in at night a bit easier. Yes, I am ready for a new season. How about you?

grace and peace,
julie

Farm News

The garden is winding down. We still have lots of peppers and enough tomatoes to still pick and eat. Our zinnias are still beautiful. I just wish I had my house renovation finished so I could enjoy lovely bouquets throughout our house. I lose my motivation for arranging flowers when I still have kitchen cabinets sitting on my floor!



This past weekend resulted in temporary fences almost completed. It took Michael and 3 boys a lot of hard work to clear out the weeds and string up the fence for our cows. We were also able to load up the remaining meat birds and take them to a friend's house so her family can butcher them. We have enough in our freezer, and we just ran out of time and desire. This way they will still be used for their intended purpose. I now feel like I can roam around my barn without being stalked by the great meat birds!

The man who is clearing our woods stopped by yesterday. While he was here, Michael asked him to look at the Black Angus cow that we are going to use for meat. We didn't think she was big enough, but he assured us she was at least 850 pounds. He has dealt with cattle for a long time so we are taking his word for it. Michael will be loading her up to go to the butcher either today or tomorrow. I really like this cow. She is mellow and easy going. I guess the truth is I don't like to butcher any of our animals!

The other large job that was accomplished this weekend was that we brought back our Black Angus cow named Agnus. She is our breeding cow, and she has spent some time at TnFarmgirl's farm enjoying the company of Big Daddy the Black Angus bull. Agnus delivered a beautiful calf this past Wednesday. We went and loaded the both of them in the stock trailer and brought them back home. We still have two more cows to retrieve. Those are the two that wandered over to our friendly neighbor's farm several months ago. As soon as the temporary electric fence is finished, we can get those two and we will have everybody back where they belong!

I am looking so forward to fall this year and tucking our farm to bed for the winter. Once we get these chores finished, we can then get hot and heavy on the house renovations. I can't wait!!!

grace and peace,
julie

Sunday Scripture

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." Romans 12:9

Farm Fixes

We have dedicated this weekend to working on our fences in order to bring our cows back home. This will be a large job for my husband and 3 sons. My daughter and I will be at ballet! We have two cows at our neighbor's house. A tree fell on the fence between us and of course our cows went to stay with him. Have you ever heard the old saying that the grass is always greener on the other side? Enough said. We also have our Angus cow living at a friend's farm not far from here. We took her to stay and visit with our friend's bull. I am looking forward to bringing her and her calf home later today. We only have 6 cows at the moment. We no longer have sheep or horses so our fields have grown up beyond belief. My husband promises me that it is good for them to rest a while. I think they just look messy and undone. The good news is that this winter we won't be spending $4,000 on hay. It will be much cheaper than that with only the few cows that we have now. The truth is I miss my sheep terribly. I loved having sheep. Michael wants to get sheep again once our fences are completely redone. I didn't like the whole part of the sheep being eaten. I just like the sheep because they are so peaceful. Only the Lord knows what will come in the years ahead, but for now I am looking forward to seeing all 6 of our cows out in our field.

We are preparing our farm for winter. There are so many things to clean up and fix before the cold months come. We have honey to extract and some more tomatoes to be canned. I also ordered 25 more laying hens. They should arrive in the next few weeks so the farm will come to life with new baby chicks. Baby pigs will be arriving soon as well. I have enjoyed the summer, but I am ready to slow down and enjoy the fall that is just around the corner.

grace and peace,

julie

Honey Bun Cake Recipe

It is football time once again here in East Tennessee. For our family, that means every Friday night is dedicated to go watch our son play high school football. Plus, we open up our home to any of the football players on his team to come and eat dinner with us. We are never for sure just how many will show up for supper. Tonight I am expecting anywhere between 8 to 12 football players to surround our supper table. This is one way that we can develop relationships with these young men and spend some time to get to know them. Kids will relate just about every time if you give them a meal or two. It is a great opportunity to get to know the kids that are on our son's team. I usually do not use many prepackaged ingredients when I cook. However, I do have some tried and true recipes that start with a prepackaged ingredient. This Honey Bun Cake is one of our favorites. I make it when I need a quick dessert, and I have also included it in a morning buffet menu. Hope you enjoy!

1 yellow box of cake mix
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
8 oz Sour cream

Mix the above well with a mixer. Pour half of cake batter into a well greased and floured 9x13 cake pan. In seperate bowl, mix 1 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Sprinkle that on the cake. Pour rest of batter on top of cinnamon mixture. Bake in 350 oven for about 38 to 40 minutes.

Glaze
2 cup powder sugar
4 Tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Pour over hot cake.

grace and peace,
julie

Today I Smiled

I woke early this morning and I quickly threw together some homemade pancakes and sausage for breakfast while I was downing my first cup of morning java. After breakfast, all the kids who attend school loaded into his truck and I drove them the few minutes to school. While I was driving home, I was thinking of having another cup of coffee but at a much slower pace. I wanted to sit and enjoy it this time. I was even thinking about sitting outside and enjoying the cool of the morning before starting Seth's school with him. I was comforted by the hum of his big red truck listening to the diesel roar while I drove down the road. I smiled because I knew my dad would approve of his big red truck hauling grand kids to school and then hauling my husband to work shortly there after. Then it dawned on me what day it was, and I expected tears to stream from my eyes. Instead, I was rewarded with a smile on my face. I already knew what I wanted to do to mark this day, and I have made plans to fulfill my thoughts. I have researched and this afternoon I will be purchasing a rose bush to plant in my own yard as a token of my love for my dad. It is a silent way to honor this man who meant so very much to me, and who has been gone from my life for four years as of today. Yes, I want a red climbing rose. I want it to be a variety that smells delightful and brings a smile to my face every time I walk past it. As I look at my mountains all around me, I know he would be pleased with the place that we call home. After all, he loved Tennessee. As I look at my children, I also know he would be more than pleased. I also know that he would have enjoyed them in their teenage years, but that is something I can only imagine. I took a few minutes this morning to read some of the journal that I kept during the last year of his life. In honor of my dad, I will leave you with a few of my thoughts that I wrote four years ago...



"There are so many things I could write, but it is time to close this chapter and move forward to the next one. My father lives on in my heart and memories, but he also lives on in myself as well as my children." (August 27, 2005)



grace and peace,

julie

You might also like to read other thoughts I have shared in the past concerning my dad. Click here and here

Desserts are something that my family really enjoys. I usually only serve them on Sunday or whenever we have company. A dear friend of mine shared her baby cheesecake recipe with me. We love baby cheesecakes! These little jewels are easy to make and taste best if made ahead of time. To serve them, just place the little bite size cheesecakes on a pretty platter so that each guest can choose his own. How easy is that?

Her recipe is posted here


Take a few minutes and check out Concetta's Cafe after printing her Baby Cheesecake recipe. This girl knows how to cook and how to host ANY gathering. Every time I eat at her table I feel like I have just landed in a magazine with all the pretty things around me. Then reality hits me as she so graciously makes a meal into wonderful fellowship and I know that this is no magazine, but instead a time of treasured friendship.

grace and peace,
julie

A Glimpse Into My World of Menu Planning

I love to cook which works out great for my family since they all love to eat. It is a win win situation until I get tired or burnt out of ideas. For me the hardest part of cooking is the planning of the menu. I plan my menus for two week periods. It works well with our paycheck cycle, and I have been in this habit since we were first married. I plan my menus when everybody else is still in bed. I need it to be quiet so I am not distracted! I pour myself a cup of coffee and find a comfortable seat and I start writing. My first thought is what sounds good to me. I then think about if I were to go to a restaurant what I would order. This helps get my thoughts flowing. I also keep cooking magazines and cookbooks within arms reach so I can look through them to get ideas. I always ask my family what they would like to eat over the next few weeks. Usually my kids give me at least four meals that sound good to them. I also try to include a new dish every now and again. Everybody likes to try something new every now and again. I also look at scheduling issues for the upcoming two weeks. If we have football games 3 nights out of the week at 5:00 p.m., them I don't want to be serving food that has to be made minutes before eating. Instead I look to things like casseroles, soups, or crock pot meals that can be cooked before hand so we can eat as a family after the game. Obviously money is also an issue for meal planning. If money is tight, serving steak isn't an option. I am realistic when I plan my meals. Purchasing food for two weeks seems like a lot of money, but in the long run it saves money because we aren't eating out or stopping at the store to grab just a few things that add up to over a $100. Here is another great tip for meal planning. There are many restaurants that have their menus displayed online. I get on my computer and look at different menus to give me ideas of things I would like to serve my family. This has been great for those times that I am not really in the mood to plan. I also use a copy cat web site to help me create some of our favorites from different restaurants. Several years ago, I bought a copy cat cookbook and I have enjoyed many of their recipes. One of our favorites has been a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich that is always a treat when I serve it. I know I promised a recipe for today, but instead I am going to post some links. Happy Planning!!!

http://www.chilis.com/menu/default.asp

https://www.crackerbarrel.com/


http://www.olivegarden.com/default_f.asp

(Olive Garden even shares a few of their recipes for you).

http://www.copycat-recipes.net/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/

grace and peace,
julie

Happy Days Are Here Again

Although our main computer bit the dust, my husband was able to save our two hard drives which means that all of our pictures were saved. We learned a valuable lesson from this computer crash. Now we have several different backups of our pictures as well as our finances. I will be posting regularly once again now that I have my pictures. We decided not to replace our computer for awhile, but we do have a nice laptop that we can use. I have missed the blogging world, but I have gotten quite a bit accomplished during my absence. First, I canned 45 quarts of tomatoes, and 6 more pints of sauce. We also had a wonderful visit from out of town friends. Come back tomorrow and perhaps I will post a yummy recipe. I have cooked a lot recently so I have several recipes that I would like to share. Hope you all have a great day!
grace and peace,
julie

Computer Crashes and Other Tidbits

Our main computer has crashed. Michael has removed the hard drive and is in the process of buying a device to try and reinstall it into another machine. Our hard drive contains ALL of our pictures that have been taken over the last several years. We are hopeful that the pictures can be reloaded onto a new computer. I also lost my email again yesterday. I no longer have any email contacts or information. If you usually contact me via email, please call me if you need something from me over the next several days. Although I can post to my blog using our laptop, I am going to take a few days off from blogging in hopes of retrieving my pictures. If we can't get them back, then I will start posting again with a fresh batch of pictures. You can also be sure that over the next few days I will be in the kitchen canning tomatoes, tomato sauce, and jalapeno peppers! No computer needed for that adventure!!!

grace and peace,
julie

Weekends Are For Canning

There are tomatoes waiting to be turned into sauce and canned tomatoes. They bring an abundance of flavor to winter time stews, pizzas, and spaghetti sauce. Canning tomato sauce is a time consuming endeavor, but well worth the effort in the end.

The peppers are finally making their way to our table. Jalapeno peppers are also waiting their turn in the canner. We love these little gems served with our Mexican dishes or next to a nice pot of dried beans in the winter. My pantry would not be complete without our canned jalapenos.

Peach jam is also a necessity when stocking up for winter. It is a lively taste of summer during the cold winter mornings. I also cut up peaches and put sugar on them. Once the sugar has turned to syrup, I then package these treasures in ziploc freezer bags and freeze. These are the base for our Christmas morning fruit salad, peach cobblers, or as a topping for our winter time Angel Food cake.

Weekends make the best time to can green beans or tomatoes. I will be filling our last canner load of beans today. We only hit the 50 quart mark, but it should be enough if I use them carefully throughout the winter. Our plants are still producing enough to make a pot of green beans upon occasion. This will help keep us from tapping into our winter storage of beans.

This weekend has been very productive in the canning department. I went to bed last night around 11:00 p.m. exhausted with the days work, and knowing full well there was much more to can over the next few days. Happy Canning to You and Yours!

grace and peace,

julie

Ready or Not Here Comes the Routine

In our area, school always starts back around August 10th. For me, this seems like the middle of summer. Since none of the school officials consulted me about the scheduling for the year, our children returned to school this past Monday. There have been changes in our home this year concerning school. Our oldest will be starting college soon and our youngest is starting kindergarten at home. Our other three children have all gone to our local schools. We live in a small community and our schools are also small. My kids have had a great week, but the tiredness is showing on all of our faces this morning. It is hard to end summer so abruptly and start a new school year. I like when old familiar routines return. It reminds me of slipping into comfortable old shoes! They help keep me on the right course. I have learned that a good day starts the previous evening. The kitchen must be in order so that breakfast can be prepared on time to get everybody out the door. The kids choose their clothes for the next day and take their showers. My daughter is much better about this than I am. She has always lived her life in this manner. Usually by the evening, I am finished and don't want to attend to another thing. My motto is that it can wait till morning! I am trying to break this habit in my own life.

I feel as if I am living in two separate worlds at times. One world says it is fall and it is school time. The other world daily displays the fact that summer is still very much a part of our life. The summer heat is bringing in tomatoes by the bushels. This is the time of year that canning is rampant in our home. Although I haven't canned as much as in years past, it is something that is still a part of almost everyday in our home. If I am not canning something, then my hands are busy in the garden. I think I will call the school officials and tell them this early to school schedule thing isn't working for me. I would prefer a September date to start school. Something tells me that they don't really care so I guess I will just focus on cleaning the kitchen after dinner each evening! I am sure that will be more productive!!!!

grace and peace,

julie

Every Girl Needs Some

I left the house this morning in the care of our oldest. His plan was to spend some time with his youngest brother and do some school with him before I returned. I climbed into the car that our oldest drives and headed down the road. I turned by the school and drove until the road started to curve back and forth winding up the mountainside. As I drove, I noticed that I was no longer looking at the mountains from a distance, but I was now in the very presence of them. The road was at the base of the mountains with trees growing up on both sides of the mountains. To the right was a stream that lapped against the rocks. In places, it was peaceful and other places the water was harsh pushing all the time. Along the drive, the stream was there as a guide and its beauty beckoned me to come and drink in the view. The land was sprinkled with homes some no more than shacks. I have read about these homes in books about Appalachia. Other homes had no more money to support those living inside, but they were in better upkeep, usually with a well tended garden along the house. I love this drive. I don't get to make it often enough. As I turned right just past the school in the next state over, I know that shortly I will be to my destination. As I arrive, I am beckoned to once again come and sit; to drink in the coffee and friendship of the one who lives there. She is a sister in the Lord and there is always good conversation and laughter that comes from friendship. We spend time chatting and catching up on each other's lives sitting outside with the breeze tickling our faces. Her dog comes and nuzzles my leg; a familiar feel that I love from any animal. Too quickly the time ran through our fingers, and it was once again time to leave. Coffee mugs were gathered, hugs were exchanged with the promise of getting together again soon. I climbed back into oldest son's car and drove away back down the winding, twisting road. Fellowship is sweet, and too often we as women do not take the time to embrace it. Fellowship was much needed in my world today and I am thankful that I took the time to drink of that sweet gift. Although I lost an entire morning of working in my home, I feel much more equipped to deal with the things of the day. I have stopped and been refreshed and now I am ready to pour into others.

grace and peace,

julie

Tomatillo Salsa

I have grown tomatillos several years in a row. I am ashamed to admit I have never once tried them. I have never made any dish with them up until yesterday. I don't know what got into me, but I decided this was the year to actually eat some of the tomatillos that we planted. So I made a salsa out of them that was wonderful. I still love traditional salsa, but this dish was a great change of pace. Hope you enjoy!

Cut 10 tomatillos in half and place under broiler for about 7 minutes.

In blender, mix the following:

roasted tomatillo

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded

1 Tablespoon Lime juice

1/4 teaspoon sugar

salt to taste

Pulse all the ingredients until it is the consistency you like. I like mine to have some small chunks. Let cool in the refrigerator. Serve with chips.

grace and peace,

jule

The Wall is Coming Down

This is the wall that separates our living room from our kitchen and dining room. The structural engineer man finally came. He was only 8 days late. As soon as I saw him, I decided I couldn't be frustrated with his inept scheduling and lack of phone calls. He looked like one of my dad's old friends and my heart quickly softened. He also said things like "this will work fine", and "your house will still remain structurally sound if you follow these steps". The great part about it was that he didn't end any of his sentences with, "I think". No, he was completely positive about his recommendations unlike the nuclear engineers in my husband's office who ended every sentence with "I think". This is why it is wise to trust a structural engineer when building or tearing down walls, and a nuclear engineer when you want to make power or blow something into small bits.

Our next step will be for Michael to detail his plans on paper, and then he can order the beam that will be installed to support the load of our home. I am wanting this to be done NOW, but I know he needs a bit of time to think it all through. Michael doesn't do anything without a well thought out plan. That is good when you are removing walls. It is amazing that I can get anything done in all the kitchen mess, but these kids want to eat no matter the state of the kitchen. Come back later today and I will post a new salsa recipe that was out of this world that I made for the first time yesterday.

grace and peace,

julie

A Sunday Thought on a Monday Evening

I found myself sitting several seats down from my beloved during our Sunday service this week. I almost always sit by him, but for some reason we got mixed up and several children ended up between us. After the last song was finished, we sat down waiting to hear the the Word for the day. I was sitting still when I realized that an arm was quietly wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me closely to his side. It was a familiar feel, but it didn't come from the strong arms that always wraps me up during Sunday service. I tilted my head up and looked into the face of my first born. He glanced down and smiled then squeezed my shoulders. He kept his arm around me until it was time for him to leave. As I listened to the sermon, I was rewarded with the smiles of a young toddler in front of us. I watched as his daddy held him lovingly and sang the words of the song into his older son's ear. I remembered those days, and they didn't seem that long ago. Now, my little man was holding me and reminding me of his love. I miss the days of holding little ones in church, but I wouldn't trade them for the days that I have now when older boys hold me. Time is never still. It is always making its mark in our lives or on our faces; changing us daily when we are not even paying attention to the fact that it is there. It changes our babies from little bundles of joy to large muscular boys. It scratches lines in our faces that were not there before, and turns our hands into that of our mother's or father's while we are busy with the cares of the world. I am not sad that my little man isn't so little anymore. On the contrary, I am enjoying watching him grow into a man much like his own daddy. I smile when I think of the days when our children were all little, but I also look forward to the days that they too will produce little bundles of joy for us all to enjoy. Until then, I will continue to enjoy each and every stage of life that we are experiencing. I spent too much of my life looking forward to the next step instead of enjoying the day that was before me. I have made enough trips around the sun to know that time goes by quickly, and I don't want to waste another minute looking to the next thing. I live my life purposefully to enjoy the journey. How about you?

grace and peace,
julie

The Tomatoes are Coming, The Tomatoes are Coming!

I feel like Paul Revere making the midnight ride warning all of my family that the tomatoes are coming!! My older boys weren't around to hear my cries so they walked into our home with that familiar wrinkled up nose and promptly stated that they don't like it when I am canning tomatoes. It smells. It was agreed upon by all children that it is better than when I am canning dill pickles and using lots of vinegar. Apparently to my children, vinegar REALLY smells. Strange little people!!! I did start canning tomato sauce yesterday. I was down picking beans last night, and I noticed there are lots more tomatoes to be picked. Our tomatoes are not doing the best this year so I am thankful for each and everyone that have made it into our stock pot. We have had so much rain that it is causing them to rot before they are truly ready to be harvested. I have out smarted the rain. I now pick my tomatoes a little bit before they are good and ripe. I let them sit for a day or two to finish ripening, and I have nice tomatoes for the canner. I don't think we will have near the amount of tomatoes that we had last year, but it should be enough to get us almost through winter. It is hard to predict these things. I was sure I could get 70 quarts of green beans with no effort at all this year. I am up to 45 quarts, and our bean plants have all but stopped producing this past week. Go figure. It must be the weather or maybe it is the fact that the plants are tired. If you would like to read more about sauce making, click here

grace and peace,
julie

Frustrations

Thank the Lord we have outgrown these mad fits, but I sure felt like pitching one myself yesterday. First of all, the structural engineer that was suppose to come and solve all of my great room questions didn't show up at all. We still are unsure which direction to take and now I am a bit concerned about taking the advice of someone who makes an appointment with me and doesn't even bother to call when he decides not to keep the appointment. He better have a good reason for not calling! Secondly, our email crashed. If you are waiting on an email from me, you better go do something else. I no longer have my email contacts to get back with you. You are welcome to resubmit an email to me and I can now answer it, but we lost everything in our email program. It was just one of those days yesterday. I guess everybody has them from time to time.

grace and peace,
julie

This and That

I spent the morning in the garden. Garden produce waits for no man or woman so you better be prepared to harvest when it is ready. I will spend the afternoon canning green beans and tomatoes. Our tomatoes have had issues all year due to the wet weather. I am hoping to get enough canned to get us through the winter, but I am not sure that this goal will be achieved. Each year it seems that one thing doesn't do well, but another crop does exceptionally well. Last year our green beans were uncooperative. This year they are great. Last year our tomatoes were the best we have ever had. This year they are poor at best. If there is a bumper crop of something one year I guess it would be best to can extra because you can't count on that crop producing next year for sure. My flowers are gorgeous this year. I could spend all of my spare time playing in the flowers if I let myself. Our fall garden plants are growing nicely. Joshua already started preparing several beds for our fall plants. It will be awhile before the plants are ready to go outside, but maybe this year we will have the beds ready and waiting.

Tomorrow will be the final call on our kitchen renovation. Everybody Michael has talked with have said it would be fine to take down the load bearing wall and each person gives a whole hearted "I think" at the end. Neither one of us feel real comfortable banking on people's "I think". Most of the people that have been asked are engineers, but nuclear engineers don't know all the ends and outs as structural engineers. We decided to bite the bullet and hire a professional to give us the truth. Michael told him his plan and the structural engineer told him that it sounded good, but he needed to see it to be 100% positive. Of course he got an invitation to our house for tomorrow. We will know without a shadow of a doubt if removing the wall will cause any damage to our home. As much as I want a great room, I would rather have a house that doesn't slant, droop, or fall down over time. I will be sure to pass the verdict on as soon as I know it myself. I sure am ready to get on with it one way or the other. He has spent the last several nights pondering and looking and calculating and looking some more. I am a doer and my nature is to tear the wall down and repair the damage later. Michael is much more methodical than I am so we work well together in the end. The saga of the wall continues until tomorrow!!!

grace and peace,
julie

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

I miss the days of a clean kitchen. It seems like so long ago that everything was in its place. Instead now everything is one big gigantic mess while the paneling is being ripped off the walls. The hutch is sitting on the floor and dishes are now stacked on the very top of my upper cabinets to keep them out of harms way. So whenever everything is one big mess what is a family to do? Pack up and go on a weekend trip of course! Why would we want to do such a thing you ask? Well, it was time for our little ones to return home from visiting grandparents in Kentucky. We went and spent some time with our family. We returned home last night with all of our children back in their rightful place in our home. It was nice to forget about the mess for several days. I live with the motto, "Out of sight, out of mind!" So I could be away pretending all was well in our lovely clean non-remodeled home. Never mind the fact that the walls are really coming down and the dryer, weed eater, tiller and various other items are broken! On the up side of things, the English Mastiff has now returned to her content self since all of her children are back home again. She must have been bored this past week because she kept getting herself into all kinds of trouble!

grace and peace,
julie