my blessed life

Don't miss anything at My Blessed Life!  Subscribe by email and "like" our Facebook page today! It's hard to believe that 2012 is nearly over and we begin a New Year next week!  I feel as though this year just started last month--I guess that's a sign of getting older, right? Not too long ago I blogged about how I am "cleaning off my plate" , "trimming the fat" from my schedule, so to speak.  That's definitely not something that happens overnight with a simple decision.  It's an on-going commitment and also a challenge. An important part of that commitment is continuing to make time daily to spend with my Lord and Savior.  It's a proven fact that starting my day in The Word makes a real difference.  Not being much of a morning person, I love to read at bedtime--and don't plan to stop doing that either--but disciplining myself to get up early and begin my day in The Word is worth the effort. I was excited that m...

Hello, Blogland Friends, Yes, I've been a bit scarce lately, but 'tis the season for family, friends, and making merry with them, right?  I'll be back regularly after the first of the year, but until then I'll pop in when I can. I hope and pray that you are enjoying a meaningful Christmas season with your loved ones.  I am trying to "be in the moment" and not worry about all the things on my holiday bucket list that didn't get crossed off. Today I've been having fun preparing for our big family dinner tomorrow.  We are having are traditional meal tomorrow afternoon, then on Christmas Day we'll have a big breakfast and then a smaller Mexican meal later in the day.  We've done it like this for a couple of years now and it works perfectly for us! Here's what's on the menu: Christmas Eve Dinner ***** Mandarin Orange Salad Copper Pennies Shoe Peg Corn and Pea Relish ***** Coca-Cola & Brown Sugar Baked Ham with ...

I just have to share this little remodeling project the hubby and I whipped out during the holidays.  I really hadn't planned to wait until I was in the middle of Christmas decorating to do it, but it just didn't happen before.  Plus we had the paint handy and with both of us working together we knocked it out in just a couple of hours (if that).   The fireplace in our house is made of brick with a nice wooden mantel and {ugly} brass/glass doors ; however, the brick seemed dated and dirty, the mantel was nondescript and sort of 70's looking--which makes sense because we live in a 70's house--and I just really hated that brass and glass front.  It just needed a fresh look.  My solution: remove the doors and paint it white.  Perfect, I thought since the trim and doors in our house are already white.  I can't tell you how pleased I am!!  I LOVE the way it turned out!!  One of these days I want to add a nice black screen, but for now the...

Welcome!   It's time for the annual holiday home tour.  Probably a little overdue, right?  I was a little late in finally getting it all done this year.  But now it is all up and we are so enjoying it!   So come right on it... the front room (our library) tree, full of all of my glass ornaments the Dickens Village is also in this room~here is the ice skating area touches of Christmas all around vintage holiday postcards a lovely garland that brings us into our learning room some festive touches in our learning room our Jesse tree, made from a branch from our backyard pine tree my elf~and, yes, he's on a shelf even though we don't keep that tradition:) vintage Santa mugs and more in the kitchen more Christmas in the kitchen my fruit and veggie tree~I love this little one! more Christmas garland the kiddos' photo ornaments garland heading into the family room our family room tree that ...

Today my thoughts and prayers are with the families of Newtown, CT.   For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.   II Timothy 1:7

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!  My hubby has been channeling Clark Griswold and keeps putting up more lights~I think he finally ran out:) I'm finally finished with all of the inside decorating (a holiday home tour soon to come!), am working on Christmas cards, and am ready to finish up my shopping! How about you?  Are you in the Christmas spirit?

We recently visited our local history museum and learned so much more about the area in where we now live.  Cities and even smaller towns often have a local museum and I really encourage you to check these out!  It's amazing the things you will learn. Our small town has three local museums: one for history, one for fire vehicles and other transportation, and one for a resident's circus collection.   At the history museum one of the workers (and I imagine a local historian) gave us an introduction and then provided the kids with a scavenger hunt which required them to actually read about the displays (thus requiring learning) in order to complete the hunt.  The kids had a great time with it!  getting an introduction and group instructions learning about the tobacco wars in the early 1900's a broom-making machine Next we crossed the street to the fire and transportation museum where the kiddos once again had a scavenger hunt to comp...

Last year some friends of mine contacted me to say they were putting together a cookbook full of recipes from women in the ministry and asked if I would like to contribute.  Me & recipes??   Of course I jumped right on that and sent them two of our family faves!   I've been looking forward to this completed project ever since and it has just come out!  Right in time for Christmas!  It is very nicely done with beautiful, glossy pages.  Each layout features a bio of the woman in ministry who submitted the recipes and then her recipes on the facing page.  The sepia-toned photos through out give it a beautiful, vintage look.   Come and Dine: A Tribute to Women in Ministry Cookbook is 150 pages and includes over 130 dessert recipes and over 200 photos.  Personally, I can't wait to try out some of the yummy dessert recipes offered here!   If you're interested in ordering a copy, see the website .  Each book is ...

This week is off to a much better start than last week.  While I am still battling an ear infection, my strep has cleared up and I actually feel good (except for that can't-hear-out-of-one-ear thing).  I've been making progress with the Christmas decorating and am almost finished.  We even completed another remodeling project last night~whoo hoo!!  (Pics to come soon on that). This week doesn't have too terribly much on the calendar, so I should be able to get my house cleaned up and back in order (finally!) and maybe even start some Christmas baking.  I already whipped up a batch of Praline Bars last night (so easy and so yummy!). Monday: -Finish with the Christmas decor/put away all boxes -Go grocery shopping -Dinner: Poppyseed Turkey with rice -Moms Night Out with my homeschool group peeps Tuesday: -Clean the house! -Dinner: Turkey Spaghetti , Salad and Garlic Bread Wednesday: -Go Christmas shopping! -Dinner: Tostadas -Bible Study/Children...

This will be my last Weekly Wrap-Up until next year!!  Our Christmas break begins today~yea!  It's been a busy few weeks since our last Wrap-Up and I'm probably even more ready for our break than the kiddos are. To end our school semester: We have way more days of school under our belt than we did last year at this time so I'm thrilled about that.   The Princess finished her first Total Language Plus unit ( The Whipping Boy ) for this year. The Princess finished her first math book for this year (although I am looking at a mid-year switch in math curriculum ....again). Both The Princess and Mr. B are tracking nicely in their other subjects.   I am pleased at where we are curriculum-wise and schedule-wise in almost everything so far.  I'm excited about our next quarter.  We won't be participating in co-op for the 3rd quarter, we just need to focus more here at home.  Then I think we'll be ready for 4th quarter co-op.  This fall has ...