♥ 31 Years! ♥

I just wanted to pop in here real quick for a couple of things.......

First of all, Joy has been in the hospital since Monday with a flare-up of the pancreatitis.  However, we caught this early on, so it looks like we're getting out of the hospital today!  And her pain level this time  is nothing compared to last time.  For that, we are thankful!  We're still praying for complete healing though!  We would appreciate your continued prayers!

Secondly,  today is Jason's and my anniversary....our 31st anniversary actually.  :)  I am so blessed to have him by my side in this life.  I trusted God for sending me the man he had for me all through my teen years, and He was faithful to send him to me.  I never would have thought it possible on our wedding day that I could love him more, but I do today.  Our love has grown in so many ways.  God has blessed us with our precious children and in so many more ways.  I am truly thankful for 31 years with him!  I can only imagine how love grows in the older years and I look forward to many more with this man God gave me!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥  

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 50

Hi there friends!  It's already that time again....time to share what we've been pinning and making from Pinterest.  Gosh, it really keeps me on my toes!  That's a good thing though.  :)

This week I'm sharing a fun activity for kids. Joy actually suggested this one and when I saw it, I knew Luke would love it!  It's an aluminum foil river of fun!

Here's the original pin:

Source

We had two partial rolls of aluminum foil on hand when we made it....one was the heavy duty (and a little wider) and the other just your normal everyday strength and width tin foil.  We used what we had.  I will say that the heavy duty works best.  It holds up to the water best.

As you can see in our pic, we had to use the actual cardboard tin foil box to reinforce our sides in a couple of places so they wouldn't collapse.  The heavy duty tin foil portion held its walls just fine though.

All you do is create the length of your river and fold up little "walls" on the sides to hold the water in.

Then get out those boats, sharks, jet skis, and all the other fun water stuff and let them go at it!  Luke had a great time with this!

Joy and I were sitting inside the house and we could hear him talking to himself the whole time!  He has quite an imagination.  I took a picture through the window as we watched him play.  :)

He played until he had to come in for supper.  We then folded up our aluminum foil and put aside for another day because he asked if we could save it and do it again.  Of course we can!  :)

So now it's your turn!  I hope you can link up something you've pinned and tried out from Pinterest.

And thanks to everyone for stopping by!  Have a great week!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥  

Wordless Wednesday

An everyday sight in China.  Finding myself missing China....the people are wonderful!

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch (with Patrice)

Good morning!  I am joining Patrice on her farmhouse porch again this week.  I hope it's not storming there like it is here today!  :)

It must be challenging to come up with different questions each week, and I always look forward to see what she came up with for the week.......and here are this week's questions:

1.  Do you use any type of water filter (pitcher or sink mount)?

I don't use a pitcher or sink mount filter, but we do have a filter on our refrigerator and we get our drinking water from the water dispenser there or else just drink bottled water.

2.  Do you have any tips for staying hydrated in the warmer weather?

I'm happy to say I've greatly reduced my carbonated drinks (um....that would be diet dew)....and am drinking much more water.  From about noon or so, I have a glass of ice water all day that I sip on and refill all day long.  Water is the best!

3.  Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

I don't have one single bit of wave or curl.  My hair is as straight as it gets and fine too.  I have to admit, I would love to have a little wave or curl to my hair.

Straight and fine hair.....

4.  Are you on top of all the chores/work you do, or are you always running behind? 

That's funny.....and easy to answer.  Always running behind.  I'm a list person and plan to accomplish much....and then sometime during the day, I have to go to Plan B.  :)

5.  If you could sing a song to Wendell, what would it be?

Hmm.....well I sing all the time...in the shower, in the car....working around the house....all the time.  I think if I was out there with Wendell, I'd probably sing something like "You get a line and I'll get a pole, honey."  :)  I think that Wendell might like it.  After all, he IS a country horse.  :)

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That was fun, Patrice!  Thanks for having us over!  And thank YOU for stopping by today!  You can join Patrice on the farmhouse porch too.  Just click on the button above.

Have a great day!

♥ Tammy ♥

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 49 ~

Good morning!  Monday sure does roll around quickly, doesn't it? I can't believe it's already time for Pinned it, Made it! Monday!  But it is and I have something "sweet" to share!  :)

This week I'm sharing another recipe I tried out from my Sweet Treats Pinterest board.  It's called Heaven in a Crockpot.

Here's the original pin:

Source

Heaven in a Crockpot

1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup butter melted
4 eggs
1 pouch Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix

Mix all together.  Cook about 3 hours on low.  Top with ice cream.


I followed the instructions on the website exactly and mine didn't exactly look like the original pin.  I am also assuming from the picture above that they topped it with chocolate chips as well because all of mine was melted together and there were no whole chocolate chips as shown above.

In the crockpot before dipping it out.....

The consistency of all of mine was more gooey, like the gooey party shown in the photo above.  Maybe if it had cooked longer it might have gotten more of a "cakey" consistency here and there?  I'm not sure.  Nevertheless, it was still very good, just the different look and consistency.

Now it's your turn!  Come join the Pinterest party....share something you've pinned and tried out from Pinterest, whether that be a recipe, tip, craft, or idea.  It's fun!

Thank you for stopping by today!  Have a wonderful week!

♥ Tammy ♥  

Faithful Friday - "It's Okay to Cry"

It's Faithful Friday time!



Today, I prayed about what I should share....because I was really having a hard time with what I should or needed to share. You know.......some days you just need a boost yourself and this was one of those days!  So I did what I have done times in the past....I prayed, went to my favorite devotion book, His Princess (Love Letters from Your King) by Sherri Rose Shepherd  because I love how personal this devotion book is and how it always hits me right where I need it.  And God comes through every.single.time.  I asked God to give me exactly what I needed today and what He'd like for me to share.  So this is it.  I even spoke these exact words to Luke today over another issue....it's okay to cry:)  Funny how God uses my exact words to give me His Word for the day!  Thank you Lord for taking time to reveal Yourself to me today!

My Princess.....It's Okay to Cry

I see how hard you try to handle your heart, and I know you want to live a life without heartaches or pain.  I'm asking you to take a step closer to your Father in heaven by crying out to Me when you hurt.  Let Me heal you.  Remember My chosen, King David?  He cried out to Me in his fears, disappointments, and sin, and I answered.  You are also My chosen one, and you are My daughter....so it's okay to cry.  I don't expect you to pretend that pain is not real.  It is truth and tears that will give you the freedom that I want you to know.  Now let go of that part of your heart that only I can heal.  Let your heavenly Daddy hold you while you cry.

Love,
Your King who wipes away your tears

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs o fjoy.

Pslam 126:5 (NIV) 

Be Blessed,

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Reclaimed Living Space ♥

Don't you just love the feeling you get from a "reclaimed room"?  You know the room that was stacked up with something or being used to store stuff and then you get it back and get to enjoy it again?

Well that's what happened with our sunporch.  Since March, we have had a BIG stack of laminate flooring out there, along with the other supplies that go along with installing it.  It was all an eyesore to me.....especially since this is the first room I see when I come in from my carport/garage.  I kept telling myself, "this too shall pass" and tried to just not look at it.  But since a big part of that stack is flooring that will be used in the master bedroom (when we get around to remodeling it), it just wasn't going away anytime soon.  We have too many other projects going on....outside projects....that are keeping us from it.

I finally got to the point of enough is enough.  I'm was not going to go through the rest of my summer unable to really enjoy my sunporch.  So with the help of Joy (and Luke a little too),  we moved the flooring into the house and stacked them neatly under beds.  There they will wait until we are able to get to that project, which will most likely be a winter project.

And with that stack gone, I felt like I was looking at a new space.  What a great feeling!  So, I got busy tidying it up and tweaking.....you know moving stuff around.  And just those little changes made all the difference. I feel like I have a new room and I love it!

Already we have enjoyed sunsets, playing the card game, Uno, snacking, and just sitting out there doing absolutely nothing but enjoying it and each other's company.

That's my necessary crate...for all the pool stuff that will end up on the floor here otherwise.

Sometimes reclaimed living spaces are the best because they feel like new and don't cost a thing! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch - (with Patrice)

Not to be confused with my Sunporch Chats, this is Chats on the Farmhouse Porch with Patrice.  I'm joining HER on her porch for her weekly questions!  You can too if you would like!  The more, the merrier!

Each week she has a new set of questions.  I look forward to seeing what she's asking from week to week. I'm joining this week......so here goes!

1.  Have you cooked any interesting dishes lately?

Hmm...I usually share those on my Pinned it, Made it! Mondays if I have, so I'll share the latest one....butterfinger pie!  Boy oh boy was it yummy!

If you've just got to taste it, you can get the recipe here.  :)

2.  What question would you like to ask Wendell?

Now if you're just joining and don't know who Wendell is, well that's the furry member of Patrice's family.....her beloved horse and friend.

So my question for Wendell is.......We are a superhero fan family here......so we'd like to know......who's your favorite superhero, Wendell?

3. Have you had any thoughts of Christmas yet?

Actually my mom and I were just discussing it this morning, as in how quickly this year is passing and before we know it that Christmas will be here.  I love fall and the days leading up to Christmas, but I'm not rushing it!  Christmas is my favorite holiday though!  :)

4.  Do you make jams and jellies?

I make strawberry freezer jelly.  And it's time to make more.  I'm down to only 4 jars.  That will be a big project one day soon.  My mom will probably come over and we'll make a day of it and stock up both of our freezers and some of our family and friends' too!  My kids think there's no other jelly but this....it's THE BEST!  If you want to know how to make it, click here.  

5.  Do you have any board games that you enjoy?

As of lately, my newest thing closest to a board game we've been playing is Uno.  Love it!  I also love Phase 10, but haven't played it in awhile.  I also like to play this board game called Word Trio with my family....it's a mixture of drawing, describing, and acting out words!  Lots of fun!  

That's always fun!  Remember you can join too!  Click the button at the top of this page and join Patrice on the farmhouse porch with your answers to the questions!  And thank YOU for stopping by my little corner of blogland today!  I appreciate you!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 48 ~

Good morning!  I didn't forget Pinned it, Made it Monday.....I'm recovering from a busy weekend of painting again and running slow this morning!  Thanks for being patient with me!  :)


This week I'm sharing a little "fun for kids" activity....easy peasy......but a winner at our house!  It's a car wash!

Source

Or in our case...a truck wash, because Luke is fascinated by 18-wheelers!

Notice that his trucks are lined up waiting their turn.  And yes, that's a toothbrush he's using to clean them with....his daddy's.........not really........it's an old one I gave him to use!  :)    He had a good 'ole time with this....talking over a loud speaker announcing when it was the next truck's turn.

Now it's your turn!  I hope you will link up and join in sharing your Pinterest-inspired project!  And if you just stopped by to visit, thank you for that too!

Have a great week!

♥ Tammy ♥

Faithful Friday - "Teach Them Diligently"

"Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Deuteronomy 11:19

I love this Bible verse!  It's a great reminder that as parents, we have a huge responsibility to teach our children everyday, from the time we rise until we lie down at night.  We should be teaching our children God's ways - what He's done for us and to trust in Him.  We can't depend on the church to do this.  It is OUR responsibility.  This is a constant daily thing that just takes place naturally as we go about living our lives making the most of every teaching opportunity - explaining choices and consequences as well.  And teach them WHY we believe what we believe!  This is important.

In another place in Deuteronomy it says to do it diligently, "lest they forget".  In today's society, forgetting is happening everyday.  And there will always be someone else or something else to replace what they forget with their philosophies or beliefs. 

It's easy (if you're a stay-at-home mom especially) to think that what we do doesn't make a difference, but we are!  Our children - our family - ARE our ministry and this verse is a great encouragement!  I hope it encourages YOU!  Parenting is a wonderful ministry!  I think it's the best!

We might not change the world but we might be raising a world-changer!  :)

Be encouraged!

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I'm linking with Joy for Faithful Friday.  We'd love for you to join too.  Click on the button above to join or just read more Faithful Friday posts!  And have a great weekend!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Thrift Shop Finds ♥

My mom, the kids, and I spent the day Tuesday at the antique gallery and thrift shopping.  My niece, Laci, is here with us this week so she went also.  Everyone that came along loves thrift shops and the antique gallery......... except Luke.  He told me he wished they would knock down the antique gallery and make it into a Walmart.  :)  I really think it's because I make him ride in a cart because I'm always afraid he'll bump into something and break it. I'm going to have work on making him a collector of something so he'll enjoy it too.  :)

Between the antique gallery and the thrift shop, here's what I came home with:

The chair was the big find of the day for only $3!  It has an H engraved in it, but I will just pretend it stands for "Home" and I will probably fold a quilt or homespun over it anyway.  This will go in the bedroom that I'm decorating.  Slowly, that bedroom is coming together....at least in my mind's eye it is.  When I have everything I need, I'll get to work on putting it all out and on the walls.

The oversized twig basket excited me too!  I love baskets and twiggy things and this was both.  I'm not sure yet where this will land, but it was definitely coming home with me for $10.  And the faux potted flowers will probably go in the Cedar Loft....not sure on that yet either, but it was only $2, so I couldn't pass it up either.

I might just hit some yard sales in the morning.  :)  I've got thrifting fever this week!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you're having a great summer!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥   

♥ Lovely Porches ♥

I love porches.  To me, porches give a home an instant cozy and welcoming element.

There are memories made on porches.......in days gone by especially.  In those days when times were simpler and folks weren't on the go constantly running their children to extracurricular activities, they would gravitate to the porch in their rockers, swings, or benches, and watch the kids play in the yard during the day or catch fireflies after dark, while they enjoyed simple conversations ,sipping their lemonade or coffee.  Porches were actually just an extension of their living space.  Families LIVED a great deal of their lives on porches.

I love the appeal of porches.  Every house I could or have ever dreamed of living in or imagined in my life has ALWAYS had a porch.  And I admit that I will slow down and take a closer look at porches when I drive by them.....whether they be large meandering wrap-arounds or cozy small ones......they all draw me in!

Wanna take a stroll with me today as I stop by and visit some pretty and inviting porches?  We can imagine who lives there and what it would be like to visit for awhile on these cozy welcoming porches!

Okay, let's go......

I just love that last one!  Whoever lives there would have a hard time getting me to leave!

And mine seems so simple compared to some of these, but I worked with what I have.  :)  Here's our front porch this summer.....

Thanks for taking a stroll with me today.  I hope you enjoyed the porch tour! I bet you had a favorite that you could imagine yourself on right about now!  :)

Take time to grab you a cool glass of lemonade or a cup of coffee in the morning and enjoy YOUR porch.  Enjoy the simple moments!

♥ Tammy ♥