Friday Blog Hops



Morning Musing Over Coffee - One Word at a Time

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Some days I sit down to write and have no idea where to start or what to write about. So I'll putter around the internet a bit, reading here and there until something begins to stir in my brain and suddenly words begin to form.

Other days there are still no words.

Then I am left with a choice - walk away and do something else or simply start writing anyway.

Many time I simply start writing anyway. Even if it's just type in the title - Morning Musing Over Coffee. Okay now that's done and out of the way. Insert the picture. One more step accomplished. And as I begin the process, suddenly words begin to flow and before I know it my screen is filled with one word after another.

Life is often like that.

Sometimes I feel stuck and don't know which way I'm need to go next. I read and ponder and pray and am still "stuck."

But if I simply get up and do one simple thing that I know to do, no matter how mundane, the grip of uncertainty begins to loosen. I may not know the end destination of the journey but the next step begins to show more clearly. Often the step taken is something simple and seemingly unrelated to the question at hand, it is simply something before me that I know needs to be done. And yet by doing those simple needed tasks, taking these small steps, I suddenly find that I have reached a destination at one time hidden from my sight.

And as I type one word after another, not knowing exactly where I'm going with this, but simply spelling out the next word, typing out the next thought, I find that I have written another post.

It works!

~ Linking Here~

Thought Provoking Thursday
The Wednesday Window

Applesauce Bread

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 cups applesauce

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and applesauce; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to the creamed mixture just until combined. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

~ Linking Here ~

SUNDAY – Strut Your Stuff, Sharing Time, Creative Bloggers Party and Hop, MONDAY - Unwasted Homemaking Linky, Sharing Monday, Making a Home,TUESDAY - Titus 2sdays, Domestically Divine, One Project at a Time, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table, Simply Homemaking, Tuesday Time Out, Tuesday Confessionals , Let's Do Brunch, WEDNESDAY - Homemaking Link-Up, Living Well Wednesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, {Wow Me} Wednesday,  This Chick Cooks, Foodie Wednesday, THURSDAY – Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Creative Juice Thursday, It's a Party, FRIDAY – Feasting in Fellowship Fridays, Fridays Unfolded, Sweet Tooth Friday,SATURDAY - Weekend Wrap-Up Party, Sweets For a Saturday,

The Fruit of Our Labor

The really satisfying part of gardening is beginning - seeing the actual fruit (or vegetables) of all the work. Here are some things that are starting to grow in our garden.

Cucumbers

Watermelon

Zucchini

Tomatoes

Peas

This is fun!

~ Linking Here ~

TUESDAY – Tuesday Garden Party,WEDNESDAY Frugal Gardening 101, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party, SATURDAY – Saturdays on the Farm

~ And Here ~

SUNDAY - Strut Your Stuff, Sharing Time, Creative Bloggers Party and Hop, MONDAY - Unwasted Homemaking Linky, Sharing Monday, Making a Home,TUESDAY - Titus 2sdays, Domestically Divine, One Project at a Time, Simply Homemaking, WEDNESDAY - Homemaking Link-Up, Living Well Wednesdays, THURSDAY - Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Creative Juice Thursday, It's a Party, FRIDAY – Fridays Unfolded SATURDAY - Weekend Wrap-Up Party



First Peas From the Garden - And the First Time Michael Has Seen Peas In the Shell

~ Linking Here ~

La-La's Home Daycare

Linda's Lunacy

Mama to 4 Blessings

Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

Frugality Is Free

Wordless Wednesday

Morning Musing Over Coffee - Thoughts on Humility

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Over at Ann Voskamp's blog A Holy Experience the topic today and for the next three Wednesdays is The Practice of Humility.

I wasn't too sure I had anything to say on this topic. I've been thinking about humility all week and still nothing that I wanted to write about. Humility tends to have some very negative connotations for me, along the lines of allowing others to run roughshod over me as I passively accept it.

Until late last night.

Some nights my four year old has a very hard time sleeping. He tosses and turns and cries out. He checks to make sure I'm there with him but then cannot seem to allow himself to be comforted.  Last night started out as one of those nights. Then, just as I was deciding it was going to be a very long night he did something a little different. He reached out and grabbed my hand and held onto it. And fell peacefully asleep.

And then it hit me.

What a sweet example of humility. Simply saying "I need you. Will you hold my hand awhile?"

We all want to be needed. And it we're honest (and not too proud) we all know there are times when we need someone else to simply hold our hand awhile. We're all in this life together. And when we offer a hand and are willing to reach for and accept a hand to hold onto, we are practicing humility in all it's beauty.

~ Linking Here~

Walk With Him Wednesday
The Wednesday Window

Dinosaurs and Playdough

The last few days have been hot and muggy so after taking advantage of the coolest part of the morning outside, we've been coming back in and playing with playdough and the dinosaur playset.

These dinosaurs had so much fun in  playdough land!

~ Linking Here ~

SUNDAY – Craft Schooling Sunday, The Sunday Showcase, Link & Learn, MONDAY - Learning Laboratory, Made by Little Hands Monday, TUESDAY -   Noted Show and Tell Blog Hop, THURSDAY – It's Playtime, FRIDAY – Preschool Corner, For the Kids Fridays,  The Play Academy, Fun For Kids Friday, High Paw,

Weaving

I have piles and piles of fabric that have been sitting in storage. I've never wanted to give it away because I just know I'll do something with it . . . eventually.

A few days ago I noticed this baby gate sitting in the garage. The way this house is set up we really haven't needed it but it's a good gate so we just stored it.

So I took the gate, and cut some fabric into strips approximately an inch wide and tied them to one end of the gate. Then I let them have fun weaving the fabric strips through the holes.

Simple and free. My favorite kind of fun.

~ Linking Here ~

SUNDAY – Science Sunday, Craft Schooling Sunday, The Sunday Showcase, Link & Learn, MONDAY - Learning Laboratory, TUESDAY -, Noted Show and Tell Blog Hop,  THURSDAY – It's Playtime, FRIDAY – Preschool Corner, For the Kids Fridays, Outdoor Play, The Play Academy, Fun For Kids Friday, High Paw,

VBS Fun Day

Yesterday was the wrap up of the week of Vacation Bible School our church just had. Doug, Austin and Michael were there every evening and it was fun to the highlights of what they had been up to all week.

After the main service where we were treated to glimpses of the week's fun and learning we had a meal and lots of games and fun activities for the kids. The church provided the hotdogs for the meal and then everyone brought drinks, salads and desserts. There was lots and lots of good food.

I got some pictures of the fun.

Austin and Aaron have their "oh no she's taking pictures again" faces on.

The bounce house.

Water slide

 

The dunk tank was a huge hit among the older kids.

I told Aaron if he got in I was definitely going to dunk him. He did and so did I.

Even Amanda, who tends to be more of a watcher at events like this, got in the dunk tank. I wanted to dunk her to but didn't get a chance.

A big thank you to all those who made VBS week such a good one.

 

Morning Musing Over Coffee - It's Going to Be a Busy Weekend!

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I'm sitting here on the couch with the laptop and I cup of coffee when I probably should be up getting some things done.

It's going to be a busy weekend. At the moment Doug has Austin and Michael and two of their friends with him helping a family from church move. Amanda is still asleep and there is one child playing here in the playroom as I type. Later there will be three more kids coming for the day.

My agenda for today is caring for the kids, finishing up activitiy prep for next week's activities, grocery shopping, and making a dessert to take to church tomorrow.

Tomorrow our church is havinga Vacation Bible School Fun Day. There will be special presentations during the main service and then afterwards there will be a meal and lots of fun activities for everyone. I am looking forward to a fun day. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures to share.

And now I had better get moving and clean up the kitchen and start working on kid activities.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Green Water

Water play is one of the favorite parts of summer but we really haven't done much of it yet this year. So I decided it was time to dive in - so to speak. Monday evening Austin and I mixed food coloring into water and put it in muffin tins in the freezer so we could have some colored ice. And today we had fun playing in water with these ice cubes. We used blue, green and yellow food coloring, so in the end we had some bright green water.

They played with the ice and watched it melt sparking some discussion about how water freezes and thaws. We also talked about how blue and yellow mixed makes green.

And then the filling and pouring began.

Oh look! Green hands!

Empty cups float but when filled they sink.

And when the water is not in a container it begins to drip through the cracks in the table.

Who new green water could be so much fun?!?!

~ Linking Here ~

SUNDAY – Science Sunday, The Sunday Showcase, Link & Learn, MONDAY - Learning Laboratory,  TUESDAY -   Noted Show and Tell Blog Hop,  THURSDAY – It's Playtime, FRIDAY – Preschool Corner, For the Kids Fridays,   Outdoor Play, The Play Academy, Fun For Kids Friday, High Paw,