A Mushy Heart, Good Light, & Love

 

As I'm folding the laundry, I can't help but think about our weekend in Breathitt County, Kentucky. The faces of the people we met are fresh in my mind and their stories, still fresh on my heart.

For many years (I don't really know how many) a dear family member of our church family has provided a community clothing giveaway at the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson Kentucky. The people in Breathitt County were always on his heart. He loved them. And I'm pretty sure they loved him. But back in January he unexpectedly went to be the Lord. And although, I didn't know him extremely well, I know the family he left behind and I knew that I wanted to do something in his honor. That's right, the clothing giveaway. So Curtis and I offered to drive the clothes up to Jackson when our church goes up there for vacation bible school in July.

To be honest, I was a little apprehensive about it but I was also a believer in knowing that the Lord makes things work. You see, we have been blessed with a truck that belonged to my dad before he passed away and a trailer that Curtis received as a birthday gift from his parents a few years ago. We had the exact things that would be needed to continue this special work for these special people. We didn't buy either one of them. They were blessings to us, and we were going to use them to bless many others. But God had an even bigger plan than me! We collected so many bags of clothing that we had to rent a uhaul to get it there!

 

Then, God provided a safer and cleaner Motel for us to stay in. Where we usually stay has gotten really nasty and there was a murder there just last week. So instead, we stayed at Paul's Motel and it was a great little place for our families.

Breathitt County is one of the top five economically depressed counties in our country. Nearly 43% of children under 18 are below the poverty line (and many of those are well below). The median income for a family is about $23,000. There are many families without running water or electricity. One of the men from our congregation went out with the Jackson church van to pick up families for vbs and witnessed a young girl (about 10 years old) washing her hair in a drainage ditch. That family had neither water or electricity. After worship on Sunday morning, the Jackson church had a meeting and made plans to reach out to that family this week. The work there is much. And the people living there, doing the work are far better than I could ever hope to be.

The clothing drive was more than a success! It was a greater blessing than I could have ever imagined. The people were given big trash bags as they arrived and I think almost every person filled up there their bag! One man was searching for underwear like he was looking for a treasure. Another man needed work boots desperately and when he saw a brand new pack of white socks, his face lit up with joy. I could tell story after story of the desperation, the love, the kindness, and the needs. I guess in my old age, my heart just continues to soften more and more. At this rate, it'll be pure mush by the time I'm 40. I wept in the bathroom during the giveaway. I wept in my motel room that evening. I wept when I got home. And I'm fighting to keep my composure as I type this. Mush I tell you!

I've been poor. I've never been dirty or hungry but I've had needs that I couldn't meet on my own. I've been a young single mother on food stamps. I've had to ask organizations for free diapers and clothing for my baby. I get it. I was there and I made it out and I want to help. Romans 8:28 tells us that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. I believe that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And let me tell you something about my church family! They're awesome. Awesome in the ways that the Almighty God in Heaven is pleased with. They were willing to do whatever it took to make this mission a blessing to as many people as possible. They taught classes and hugged sweet children and sorted clothes and moved bags and handed out flyers and listened to stories and on and on. Even the youth! They worked just as hard as the adults. 
 

 

 

By the end of the clothing giveaway, one lady said that she wanted to take the rest of the clothes home to her 12 family members. The picture below was taken about 2 hours after the ones above. So, every piece of clothing was put to use and if we would have had more, they would have taken that too.

 

 

We are already collecting clothing for the next giveaway in October. I was sad to see that we didn't have any little boy clothing and very little children's clothing in general. We hope to collect a good variety for the next giveaway. Men's, regular and especially plus size women's, and all children & baby are needed. Also shoes, purses, socks, new underwear, and household & children's items would be appreciated. I want to be respectful by offering items in good condition but I know the need is probably greater than that and we should bring anything useable. Maybe a pretty purse or pair of shoes isn't a life saving item but it can certainly bring someone joy and maybe lift their spirits enough to keep trying. We're to be the light and salt of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Light and salt make things better. I'm a natural light photographer and everything I do revolves around the light. Good light make all the difference. As I've been off and on the Whole 30 diet, I have come to fully appreciate the way salt can transform a bland vegetable into something I can really enjoy eating. Salt and light!

 

 

Thank you to everyone who cared enough to read this post! May you all be blessed :)

 
 

Our December Kitchen

I had planned on doing an awesome 2 part post on our lovely kitchen makeover. But all that I managed to post was A Tiny Peek at Our Kitchen Makeover. No part 1. No part 2. No big kitchen reveal. Just a peek and not much of one.

I'd like to say that it's because I'm just too busy but that wouldn't really be true. I am super busy but the real reason I've haven't posted about my kitchen makeover is- I don't know if we'll ever really be "finished". It appears to be one of those projects (like every other project) that will take us years and years to actually complete. So I'll just try to post an update every now and then :) 

 

Let's start this kitchen post with a quick reminder of our kitchen last year.

Leaky dishwasher. Rotted floor. Bad wallpaper.  

 

 

 

 

Ugly huh? We really didn't change very much. Just the floor, backsplash, and color. There is still sooo much to be done.

And to be honest, the floor isn't finished, the backsplash isn't finished, and the paint isn't finished. I still have plenty of trim and caulking to do. Not to mention a few tiles that need to be repaired already.

So try to see past the dirt on the floor and stools, the rubber bumper on the corner of the counter, and the bad lighting, and just see how far we've come.

 

 

 



 

Thanks for stopping by :)

I'm the One That Needs to Adjust & Breakfast Cake

We've made it to week 5 of school. It feels good. Taylor received her first progress report on Monday. Three A's and one B. I'm impressed. I love that they're learning so much and trying so hard to do well. They are adjusting well.

 

I guess now I'M the one who needs to adjust to school schedules and demands, being at home with two unpredictable little girls all day, and juggling home management & a small business by myself (with said little girls at my feet).

 

My biggest challenge (like most moms, I'm sure) has been feeding my family. I love to cook but I do not enjoy rushing. I enjoy meal planning, but haven't found the time. I didn't expect this to be a problem for me because that's one of the things I've always been pretty good at. But since school started we have had pizza and Cheetos for breakfast, cereal for dinner, and this week I paid for the school lunch, then made lunch from home and sent them to school with it. I'm a mess!

   

I'm a morning person. I like to get up and get going. I like morning showers and coffee. I like getting my chores done early and having the rest of the day stress free (it doesn't happen often but I like it). I have no excuse for being this unorganized with my meals, other than the forty reasons that I could give you that explain why I'm this unorganized ;)

 

So I'm going to share some of my favorite easy breakfast recipes and some new (hopefully good) ones that I'm planning on experimenting with, then sharing the details. I'm hoping it will encourage me to do better and maybe even inspire someone else to make more breakfasts. #journeyseats

 

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes, adapted from a combination of recipes over the years. It's perfect for fall. For school mornings. For weekends. For anytime. We've been enjoying this for a long time (and not just in the fall and winter).

 

Lets call it:

 

Blueberry Pumpkin Oatmeal Bake :)

 

Start the night before by soaking 2 cups of oats in a teaspoon of kefir, buttermilk, or yogurt and cover with water. Soak overnight. Drain and rinse oats in the morning.

 

I'm big on improvising and using whatever you have on hand.

 

 

Mix together:

 

Soaked oats

1-2 eggs

1 t. baking powder

1/3 cup of pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling

1/3 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

3 T. maple syrup

 

I usually put a casserole dish in the oven with a couple of teaspoons of butter until the butter melts and coats the dish well. Then I pour my mixture in the dish and bake at 350° for about 40 minutes.

 

My recipe changes a little each time I make it. You can literally add anything you want to it (raisins, apples, brown sugar, peaches, honey) and it's always turned out awesome for me. Some people may like it a little creamier and want to add a splash of milk to the mix.

 

I top it with powdered sugar and more blueberries. The kids call it breakfast cake. They love it!

 

A Tiny Peek at Our Kitchen Makeover

I guess we'll start with this crazy awful embarrassing picture. The right side is the dirty old green cabinets and the left side is the clean new grey cabinets (obviously). I actually like the old green color and seriously considered repainting them the same exact color. But then I thought, if I'm going to go through all the trouble of painting my entire kitchen, I may as well change the color.

 

What do you think about the grey?

 

 

I went back and forth after painting this one little section. I never really decided if I loved it or not but I didn't want to repaint what I had already finished. I'm really lazy and I can't work on any one project for very long. I usually have at least four things going at once. I like to hop around and have the choice of what I feel like working on. I like change, so I just keep on moving around and changing.

 

I know this is not much of a peek but I don't want to spoil the big reveal :)

 

 

Happy Tuesday Friends!

It's Friday! SO How About a Cookie Recipe!

 

This school lunch business is really making me crazy. I don't mind them eating sandwiches and chips (that's what they ate many days homeschooling) but I can't handle or afford the little prepackaged snacks.

 

I'll admit it, I bought some. I was overwhelmed (like most parents) this first week and I caved. I didn't really feel bad about it either. But into the second week, as we were running out of lunch food, I felt like I could do better. Mary said that one kid had cookies and another had fudge rounds and a list of other things that I don't buy regularly.

 

I get it. They want sweets and junk food. So do I.

 

My last couple of batches of healthy sweet stuff haven't been very tasty so I needed to try something less drastic. My theory on food is "make good choices when you can, anything is better than nothing". So I made a batch of semi healthy chocolate chip cookies. They are no doubt better than pre-packaged desserts and they actually tasted really good. Yes, I ate three of them :(

 

Here's my recipe! Use what you have. Pretty much every ingredient is organic so I'll spare you and not put organic in front of everything.

 

Semi Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 

1/2 cup shortening of your choice

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 cup oat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sucanat

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

 

 

Mix ingredients in order of recipe with an electric mixer. Then stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

 

 

Roll or drop (I did both and they both worked) onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 60.



 

 

Paisley approved!

 

 

 

Have a Super Happy Friday!!!!

 

 

 

Hello August, School, and a Birthday!

For everyone who's waiting on Part 2 of Our Detour, this is not it. This is an "oh my goodness, I can't believe the girls are going to school!" post. Oh my goodness. Not only can I not believe that I've put them in school, I can not believe that their first day is already here!

 

We did the half day/registration day last week and everything went well. Registration day pictures :)

 

 

 

Mary's classroom and teacher are awesome. She was excited to meet new friends and is looking forward to the third grade adventure! Her classroom theme is The Third Grade Explorers. Mary was definitely born to explore!

 

 Taylor said that she felt very welcomed by her new classmates and teachers. Everyone was super friendly and helpful. We were sent home with a mountain of papers and forms and the usual beginning of the year fundraiser stuff. I'm sure some parents are annoyed with the mountain but I'm not. I get it. After being the PTO president at Taylor's elementary school years ago, followed by 5 years of homeschooling, I can totally understand the amount of time, money, effort, and papers! it takes to run a successful school. 

 

 

We made a quick (not-so-quick) run to fill up on school supplies and we were READY! Except that three of our notebooks were wrong, we forgot the antibacterial wipes, and we couldn't decide if the mixed media paper would work for canvas paper. But eventually we got it all worked out, after two more trips to the store ;)

 

So... on to the birthday part of the first day of school. Yes, the first day of third grade was also Mary's 8th birthday! Craziness!! So what do you do when your child is super nervous about her first day/birthday? You bake something fun, I guess.

 

Here's my version of unhealthy birthday cookie sandwiches.

 

1 box of funfetti cake mix

1/2 cup butter

8 oz. cream cheese

1 egg

Lots of sprinkles

Mini m&ms

Mini chocolate chips

 

Mix all of that together and chill for about 10 minutes.

 

 

Roll into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

 

 

Cool.

 

 

Admire the awesomeness (forgive my phone pics)

 

 

Bandage a boo-boo and wash hands.

 

 

Spread on some vanilla marshmallow frosting (store bought) and smush together. Roll edges in sprinkles.

 

*As I admired these lovely cookie sandwiches I realized something. Sending these extremely gooey sugar sandwiches in, for third graders to attempt to eat at lunch on the first day of school may not be the best idea.

 

So.... back to the drawing board (or kitchen).

 

 

Truffles!

 

 

I made truffles for the class to enjoy at lunch. The gooey cookie sandwiches were sent home with each kid as a treat. Double the fun, right!

 

 

 

It took some time to organize and then reorganize but I think we got everything where it needed to be.

 

 

Since Mary's teacher Mrs. B's theme for the year is The Third Grade Explorers, I decided that I just had to make her a canvas for her classroom! I hope she loves it!

 

Happy Back to School Kiddies!

"I Love You Because...." Valentines

I know there are millions of people out there that despise Valentine's Day but I am not one of them. I love it! What better than a whole day devoted entirely to love?! Nothing :)

So this year we did this very awesome activity with the girls. Each person decorated there own Valentine's Day box with their name on it. Then starting on February 1st, we each had to write one reason why we love each person in our family and put it in their box.

The first 3 or 4 days were easy, but after the obvious reasons were done, we had to do a little more thinking. Why did we love each person? What is so special about them?

Then after we gave the kids our gifts from us, we all dumped out our boxes and read aloud each little note we were given. We started by saying "I love you because....." and then finished with the note. I was AMAZED at some of the things we came up with. The girls thought of things about their sister that I would have never guessed. Some reasons were funny and some were emotional. But when it was over (and it took like an hour) everyone was happy. The kids begged to do it again next year. It was free and it was special. Isn't that what were all looking for?!

 

For dinner we enjoyed heart shaped pizza and a heart cake. Simple but exciting for the little ones.