♥ Reasons to Smile ♥

Yesterday was a good day. It was a day to celebrate for two reasons!

First of all, these two precious little girls are officially Richie and Missy’s (my brother and sister-in-law). MY nieces. The adoption was final yesterday. It’s been a much longer process than they anticipated, but the judge declared it final today. Of course, Sydney and Ellie were already “ours” before that, but it’s a BIG DAY to celebrate because now it’s “official”! Yay!!!

Take a look at how they have bloomed! The picture on the left of this collage is Sydney on the first day Richie and Missy met them in person, and the one on the right was taken by Joy (at their house) in August! She has the sweetest smile and the prettiest blue eyes with the longest eyelashes! She’s also our little spitfire. Richie says she’s just like me. Well, good luck with that, Richie.  :)

And here’s little Ellie on that same day in July 2011, then again in August of 2012 in a picture also taken by Joy (at their house). Ellie is attached to her daddy, and she also has him wrapped around her little finger. It’s taken many trips to Alabama to get her to warm up to me, but it gets better every time! She just got one of her cochlear implants the beginning of this year. She has come such a long way. She is our little peanut and she is precious!

The second reason to celebrate is that our Luke had his check-up today with the Spine Clinic and got a GOOD REPORT! The doctor was amazed at just how normal he is and didn’t even think a MRI was necessary and told us that he’d see us in a year! Praise the Lord! God is good!

Just look how much our Little Emperor has grown. The picture on the left was taken in July 2010 and the one on the right was taken by Joy in August 2012 (right before he got a much needed haircut).  

Speaking of Luke, this is one of his latest things. He likes his monkey hat.

He has been wearing it to bed. He says it’s his sleeping hat. I think he’s seen people wearing sleeping caps in books. I couldn’t resist getting this picture of him asleep in his monkey cap.

Another one of his latest things is his imaginary friend, Bingo. This is new territory for me. Neither Colt nor Joy had an imaginary friend. Luke talks about Bingo a lot. He will say something and when we ask where he heard that, he says Bingo told him. Bingo has been in the hospital, but is out and doing better evidently. Bingo has black hair and gray eyes. Bingo sounds like a very interesting character.  Sorry I don't have a picture of Bingo for you.....you'll have to use your imagination!    

 And I’m going to share a couple more pictures with you today because they make me smile. Joy and Luke were singing and dancing around the living room to Mandisa’s song, Good Morning. Actually I was singing and dancing with them until I stopped to take the picture. We sure do love our music!

 

Thanks for stopping by today and remember to take time to stop and enjoy the music……and dance!

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ A Little Staircase Progress ♥

A stripped down staircase with no railings has become everyday scenery around here. There once was a time that would have really bothered me. I’m not sure it’s a good thing that it doesn’t bother me that much anymore though. Does that mean I’ve lowered my standards? Ha ha! Really, I’ve just learned that these things take time, and yes, I will have to live with inconvenience and an ugly staircase for awhile.  And folks coming in my home for piano lessons will see this mess.    BUT, in the end it will be worth it. And we can only do so much. I should actually say JASON can only do so much. I really have not had much to do with this home improvement project so far. Other than helping him hold a board here and there and moving boards from the saw horses, that’s about it. Bless his heart, he worked the whole time I was sick. I emerged from my 3 days in the bed to see a little progress!

Then this weekend, we could really see the progress. Just to update you, we decided against actual log siding for the walls. 1) Because it was really expensive. 2) Because the more we looked at the inside of cabins, the more we saw the knotty pine boards on the interior. 3) By using the knotty pine boards, all of the “woods” would match including the posts on the staircase.

Here’s the progress so far:

The wood makes it feel cozy to me. And for some reason, it makes that wall seem deeper. I like the stain color with my red walls, which was a custom mix by Sherwin Williams to blend in with our trim in there already . Although we won’t be able to work on it this weekend, we hope to have it completed before the first of October. We all know how that goes when you have a goal……something inevitably delays things, but we’ll just have to see.............

That ugly wallpaper is almost gone. There’s a little glimpse of it way up there……..see? I can't believe I ever liked that wallpaper.

I’ve decided we must have lost our minds to begin this project right before getting back to our homeschool routine. But that’s just like something we would do!  :)   Oh well, good thing about it, I’ll have a brand new staircase to decorate for Christmas! :)  And Jason even thought to put me some outlets in there for my lights.    :)

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

♥ Tammy ♥

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 8 ~

Thank you for your comments regarding the beach/mountains question! It was really fun reading your preferences and “the why” behind it. And it was also a reminder to me that God designed us all differently yet He created all of that beauty for us to enjoy! What a blessing!

Another week has zipped by. I still didn’t get to the project I really wanted to do and share today for Pinned it Made it Monday. Actually I’m waiting on my hubby to cut out some wood for me, but I’ll eventually get to it. But, I do have something to share.



When I pinned these baked chili dogs, I did wonder what would make them more special than a regular chili dog. But I decided I was going to try them out and see for myself. Here’s the original pin (from sunshineandbones.blogspot.com). She calls them oven hot dogs.

Pinned from sunshineandbones.blogspot.com

Oven Hot Dogs (Baked Chili Dogs)

8 hot dogs 
8 hot dog buns
1 can of chili
1/2 an onion diced
cheddar cheese 
mayonnaise
mustard
sweet relish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Line inside of hot dog buns with mayonnaise and sweet relish. Evenly add mustard. Fill with hot dogs and squish into a 13×9″ baking pan.

2. Top hot dogs with chili, cheese, and diced onion. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.


**Note from Tammy** I used beef hot dogs because that's what we prefer.  I also used hot dog chili (you know the kind without the beans), and shredded cheddar cheese.

 It was a pleasant surprise to bite into one of these. There’s just something special about those ingredients baking together……the mustard, mayo, sweet relish, chili, onions and cheese, and then eating them when they are piping hot out of the oven. We added baked potato chips for our supper. My mom dropped by about the time we were eating so I sent a couple home with her and she called me later telling me how delicious they were. So, not sure why it makes such a difference, but the next time you’re thinking hot dogs, give these baked chili dogs a try and see for yourself!

These were mine before putting them into the oven

And after they came out of the oven.

Do you have something you’d like to share for Pinned it Made it Monday? If you’ve pinned something and tried it out, won’t you join me? Don’t forget to link the specific post showing your project to the linky tool below this post.

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

Just grab the button code for your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. Be sure to link up on the linky tools at the bottom of this post.

I'd like to invite you to follow Country Girl at Home (the blog) as well as Country Girl at Home (on Pinterest)!  And thank you!  :)

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

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Your Place of Simplicity ♥

We all have that place that we would love to go for our place of simplicity. It’s the place where we are happy to do nothing, relax......take in the beautiful surroundings, and just have our place of peace and rest. Of course, home is my favorite place to be (as I'm sure it is yours too), but realistically it’s not always calm and peaceful. I’m talking more about that vacation or get-away spot that would fit the above description.

That brings me to my question. For you, which one would be closer to your place of simplicity………the beach or the mountains?

I know for some it’s that cottage on the beach where you kick back and listen to the waves and walking the beach feeling the sand between your toes. Looking out as far as you can see and seeing the water gives some a sense of God's presence.

Beach Cottage Pic taken from Google Images

For others, there’s just something about the mountains that bring that peaceful feeling and sense of awe.  Looking at the handiwork of God's Hand in carving the mountains seems to make them feel closer to God.

Cabin in the Mountains pic taken from Google Images 

I’ll start.

For me, it’s most definitely the mountains. And if it's a cabin in the mountains, all the better!  I don’t have a thing against the beach and love to go every once in awhile, but the mountains are just beautiful to me.  The ocean can make me feel a little lonely.  I'm not sure why, but it sometimes does.  However, looking out over the mountains just gives me a peaceful, calm, restful feeling and makes me feel the awesomeness of my God. I remember one vacation, we were sitting on the front porch of our cabin in the mountains during a thunderstorm and it was the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen…..simply majestic! If I could just take my house and plant it in mountain country, I would be completely living my dream!  And if there was a lake in that scenery or even a creek nearby, it would be heavenly!  :) 

So now it’s your turn…….I can’t wait to hear yours!  Would you share your preference (beach or mountains) and why it's your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by today! I’ll have Pinned it Made it Monday ready for linking up sometime Sunday evening! I’d love for you to join me!

Have a great weekend! 

♥ Tammy ♥

Faithful Friday - "Protection"

I’m really sorry I missed Faithful Friday last week. I pretty much spent four days in the bed, but I’m back today!



I’d like to share something with you that I don’t believe I’ve ever shared.

I love Psalm 91. It’s a prayer of protection. It’s a prayer that I pray over my family. There have been many “little” instances where God has protected us by urging us to not go a certain way or delaying us which has saved us from harm.

I also know my mother prays this over our entire family every single day.

Psalm 91

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,  nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.    A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.    If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,  no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;    they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.   “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.   He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.   With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

I want to share a story that happened to my brother when he lived near us (about 20 years ago). He was working in a town that doesn’t have a very good reputation for being the safest (and he was carrying money which folks probably knew because it was his line of work). He was driving his truck down the road when he passed a man with a hood on his head and both hands hands in his pocket. As Richie  passed him, he said something just didn’t feel right about it and as he looked in his rear view mirror, he saw the guy pulling something from his pocket and the next thing he knew the back glass of his truck was shattered. The man had fired a shot at him.  Richie made it home, all shaken up of course!   The police were amazed that he was alive. You see they found the bullet lodged in the head rest of Richie’s seat (at the back of his head). They really didn’t understand why it didn’t go all the way through but instead was hanging, lodged in there. But we knew. And we praised the Lord that He saw fit to protect Richie for all harm and evil intended for him that day. We rejoiced that he would be here to watch his then only child grow up. Of course since then, he’s gone on to have two more children and adopt two more growing his family to five children. As a matter of fact, his oldest (that was about two at the time) is here with us this week. He and his wife, Shauna, are spending the week with us. We’ve been having a good time with them. I love it when they come.

Cute couple (ugly staircase behind them)!  lol!

I look at Trey (and the other four children) and think how grateful we are that God protected Richie that day!

Would you like to share something from your Christian walk too? We’d love it if you did! Just do your own post and link up with Joy here. You can grab the button from her blog or from the “button” tab at the top of my page. Whether you participate or are just stopping by to read, thank you so much!

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And since I promised last week to share the very difficult :) strawberry cake (that I had for my birthday), and didn’t get to do so, I will do that today. I will be linking it to Lois of Walking on Sunshine for Foodie Friends Friday.

Are you ready for this? It’s SO hard!  :)

Mama’s Strawberry Cake

1 box of strawberry cake mix
A can of strawberry icing
A carton of frozen strawberries in syrup. (I think it comes in a pint).

Bake the cake according to the box directions. Let the cake cool. Ice it with the strawberry icing. Spoon the carton of frozen strawberries evenly over the cake. Then spoon the left over liquid part over the cake evenly.

**It’s best to bake it a 9 x 13 glass dish and just leave it in the dish so the strawberries and their syrup will not run off and so it soaks into the cake better making it deliciously moist.**

Enjoy!

Told you it was SO HARD! Didn’t I? It is so simple and everyone thinks it is so moist and it tastes much fancier than it takes to make it!  There are always compliments on it.   But shh…..don’t tell anyone that it’s super simple! They’ll never know! It’s my favorite! I always ask for this for my birthday.

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

♥ Taking the Challenge ♥

Last summer, I asked the very question in a post that Karen of My Colonial Home is giving as a challenge. I love seeing the names of blogs and my curiosity got the best of me and I just had to ask that question……..how did you all get the name of your blog. And many of you told me in a comment. And I enjoyed it! So I love that Karen is giving this challenge. I hope many more take the challenge because I enjoy learning the story behind the blog name.

I am taking Karen’s challenge. My blogging name is not really a big mystery. But there WAS a lot of thought that went into it. A LOT. When I began blogging, I was on the Country Sampler forum with many ladies that now have blogs. (As a matter of fact, that's where Karen and I met).  :)  Several of the ladies were starting their blogs and I enjoyed them so much and I just decided that blogging was something I’d really enjoy. I was so technically challenged (still am but I just jump into it until I learn). I knew I wanted to share my home………decorating, crafting, thrifting, repurposing, home improvement projects as well as family and faith. I didn’t want to attach a name to my blog that would tie me down to something I might not “be” in a few years. I knew I’d always be a country girl. I’ve been that since I was a little girl. I even wrote a book in 7th grade that was entitled Country Girl. And later if my decorating preference wasn’t completely primitive (which it really isn’t) since I love rustic and farmhouse styles as well, I would still want my name to represent me. The only other name I considered was This Country Girl. I think I must have really annoyed my family trying to get their opinion between that one and Country Girl at Home. In the end, I thought Country Girl at Home fit me best. I will always be a country girl and home is my favorite place to be and I wanted to share all those above mentioned things from my home with the blogging world. And that is how Country Girl at Home came to be. It was born in May of 2008. My first post summed up how I’ve always been a country girl. If you’d like, you can read that first post here.

A dear blogging friend, Mandie, of Life in the Craft Lane, did random acts of kindness.  She chose me for one of her RAKs and made the header for me that I use in my blog.  She did it all without my knowledge and just sent it to me.  She found the picture of my home on the blog and designed it. If you notice, I never change it, because I've never found anything I like any better than it.  She is a sweetheart and very talented graphic designer.

  

From the beginning, I’ve met so many sweet people and made such wonderful friends. I’m just amazed at the compassion and generosity among my blogging friends! Sometimes I talk about you ladies to my family and they know you by name. I know that if I ask you to pray, you will pray. Thank you for that!  And I look forward to my time spent sharing posts here and visiting your blogs! Thank you to all my blogging friends for your friendship! I treasure it!

Thank you for stopping by today! Have a great day! :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Pinned it Made it! Monday ~ Week 7 ~

I’m so thankful to be feeling well enough to be back on my computer and just in time for Pinned it, Made it! Monday. No worries though, Joy was ready to jump in and do a post for me if need be.


Thank you all so much for the prayers! I could tell I had many praying. Turns out I don’t remember much from Thursday through Saturday. Everything was so hazy as I had days of chills and fever and aching. I finally felt that I could sit up long enough to go to the doctor on Friday (Jason took me). I had a severe kidney infection. The one antibiotic they could’ve given me in shot form, I am allergic to, so that left me with having to get down a total of 5 very powerful pills over the next few days (one a day). She said if I couldn’t keep them down, I would have to go into the hospital and be on IV fluids. Believe me, I’ve prayed over each and every pill. I have two more to go! And how is it that smells are so magnified when you are nauseous? Anyway, just today, I finally feel like I have joined my family life. Bless their hearts! Joy was a tremendous help to Jason with Luke, which was such a blessing as my parents were out of town. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate your prayers!

Okay, on to what I have to share. I didn’t get to do what I planned on doing for obvious reasons, but I have another delicious recipe that I tried out the beginning of the week (before getting sick). I found the recipe on Mary Ann’s blog, A Joyful Chaos.  Here's the original pin from Mary Ann.

She claimed that she had tried many recipes (including Amish ones from her parents and grandparents since she was raised Amish) as well as others along the way, and just now found their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I knew when I read that and saw the picture of her cookies, I wanted to try them. I have to say they WERE delicious!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 ¾ cup butter flavored crisco
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
4½ cup flour
2 cup chocolate chips

Mix together crisco and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, soda, and salt. Mix really well and stir in chocolate chips. Using your hands roll into balls not quite the size of a golf ball. Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake in a preheated 375º oven on the middle rack for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute before removing from cookie sheet.

Enjoy!

**Note from Tammy ** I used milk chocolate chips, but I’m sure semi-sweet would have been just as delicious.

So now it’s your turn! What have you pinned and made or tried? Won’t you join me and link up and share?

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

Just grab the button code for your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. Be sure to link up on the linky tools at the bottom of this post.


Thank you for stopping by! Have a great week!

♥ Tammy ♥