♥ Catch-Up ♥

Have you ever visited an Amish community? If you haven’t and you get the chance, you should go! We were able to visit an Amish community in Tennessee when we went to my brother’s house for an extended weekend vacation last week. It was a very cool crisp day for the buggy ride through the Amish community. The driver was very informative and stopped at several of the Amish homes for us to visit their shops and purchase wares if we desired.

We watched them make sorghum molasses. We bought delicious peanut brittle that never made it out of the buggy. It was gone before we ever returned to our car! I saw the most adorable little Amish boy in his straw hat that I would have loved to scoop up and hug. I saw a little Amish girl cracking walnuts with her bare feet on her front porch, and eat them. And I had to buy this basket. I have a weakness for baskets in the first place, but this one was made by Amelia, a 12 year Amish girl.

On the bottom of the basket:  Can you see the handwriting -  Made by Amelia age 12

Monday night, we celebrated Jason’s 52nd birthday.

 

And we’re still enjoying the ice cream bar cake. It needs to be gone because it calls to me from the freezer.

 

You don’t get to see Colt (our oldest) very often. I was so glad to have him home for awhile last night, along with Amber. He told Amber he couldn’t believe I only took ONE picture of them. He knows me all too well. :)

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For Sandra’s 31 Days of Fall Challenge, here’s another photo by Joy. She’s keeping me stocked, isn’t she? Mums definitely say fall.

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And last of all, but definitely not least, I hope you’ll join me tomorrow on the sunporch for a chat with Lois of Walking on Sunshine. I’m pretty sure that Lois and I began blogging the same year. She’s a long time blogging friend and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know her a little more! Come join us!

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

♥ Simply Amish ♥

I was the lucky (or I prefer to say blessed) winner of Michelle’s giveaway (of Simple Pleasures)…….genuine Amish children’s clothing purchased from an Indiana Amish community. (Thank you Michelle!). I just love them!

I love and admire the Amish’s simple lifestyle and also recently read A Day in the Life of the Amish, so I was especially excited to be the winner of her wonderful giveaway.   It meant all the more! 

The dress and overalls came in the mail Friday. They are simple, but I think they're beautiful!

I just may be trying these on my 2 year old niece when we go to Alabama in a few weeks!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!   :)

Linking with Elaine of Sunny Simple Sundays.

♥ The Simple Life ♥

The Amish and their lifestyle have always intrigued me. I admire their gentleness and simple approach to living life. I like their priorities. They serve the Lord and honor and cherish their families. They choose to live life simply. Sometimes I secretly wish I had that lifestyle. Sure, I’d miss my computer. I already know I can do without TV, because we do it, for the most part. There would be adjustments to make, that's for sure. The Amish really work, but they also take time to play and enjoy their families too.

Just this week, I found this book at the library while there for the kids and I’m taking every moment I can to read snippets from it. It is written in a manner that I can do just that…….just read a few pages when I have a few moments because it was done in journaling form by Amish families. Since it is actually journals and pictures taken by the Amish, it makes it different from the rest of the books about the Amish. 

It’s called A Day in the Life of the Amish. With wit, wisdom and unique personal photos, Amish men, women and young people share a firsthand look at life in the “slow lane”. Sixty three Amish families were asked to keep a diary – all on the same day – of their dawn-to-dusk activities.  They were given a disposable camera to use on any photos they were comfortable taking and told to send the camera back to them and the folks compiling the book would have it developed.  This book is an inside look at the hard work, pleasant play, hearty meals and devout worship of these “plain people”.

Maybe your library has it. I highly recommend it if you love the simple life, are interested in the Amish, and just want to feel refreshed about the things in life that are most important. If your library doesn’t have it, it can be purchased through Amazon.   I think you'll love it!  

If my family is reading this post now, they’re probably getting a little worried because they know how I am when I'm interested or passionate about something  . They’ll be sure that I've decided to become Amish and that I'm making plans to move us to an Amish community. Lol!  :)  But truly, the Amish with their slowing down and simpler lifestyle is something to admire and take to heart, even if we can’t live exactly as they do. They have the basic right idea, don’t you think?

Thanks for stopping by today! I’d also love for you to join me on Pinned it, Made it Monday, which I will have ready for link up Sunday night. (And thanks to all the ladies that have been participating)!

And if you haven't signed up for my fall giveaway.  You can do that a couple of posts below. 

Have a great weekend! Enjoy “the simple life”!

I'm linking up today with Elaine for Sunny Simple Sunday.

♥ Tammy ♥