Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Good morning!

  I'm going to say this morning that I agree with Sandra, this month has gone by really fast!  I can't believe its almost over and almost November...  It feels like October was just beginning!

   For me, October has had a LOT of soul searching.  At the beginning of the month I started a new blog just to feel it out.  A couple of weeks in, I enjoyed it so much I actually started working on trying to recover one of my old blogs to get some of my old posts back, and I was so happy that I was able to find this one!  Then after that week I got really poured into instagram and thought, maybe that was a better social media outlet for me than blogging?  I was super confused and discouraged, but after a few days completely away from instagram, it settled inside of me that even though it seemed fun at first, instagram or facebook is something that I left behind a long time ago, and it'll never be something that 'sticks'.  Blogging however has been one of the better parts of my life, and after some praying and encouragement from fellow bloggers, I decided to stay :)  

  I've read a lot about the October theory and using the last months of the year to do a hard reset, and I was doing great until we got insanely busy! But I still believe these last months are a great head start toward New Years, and I do plan to sit down and plan out some goals for the rest of the year!

   Just not today.  Today is another busy day!  Today my boys have a well check visit, then we plan to go shopping for their sister.  My girl turns 19 tomorrow, I can't believe that!  Tomorrow we will be celebrating, and we also get the pleasure of my oldest niece and my brother in law to come visit and stay with us a few days while she's doing the Governors Page program in Raliegh.  So I'm excited for some family time, and some time to celebrate my girl- who by the way did AMAZING in the State fair and is now an NC State Fair Blue Ribbon winner!!!  More about that in the 'Camera' section!  

   So for now I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy Homemaker Monday, and doubling up with Holly at Pink Lady and Sarah at Sunshine and Books for Hello Monday :)  So I hope you all are having a great week, and if you're new here leave a comment so I can follow your blog!  I'm currently rebuilding and following some new friends!  Can't wait to catch up with all of you!

*** The Weather ***
   It is finally fall and honestly somedays its really cold!  We were quite chilly on Thursday and Friday morning at the State Fair, and it never got really hot.  The afternoon weather is perfect.  We did switch the heat on last week!  Bring on the cool days, I'm so ready for them!

*** Right now I am ***
 Typing up this post and having a cup of water!  Enjoying my boys chattering away in the kitchen.  So thankful for my life!

*** Thinking and pondering ***
   We have had quite a busy month!  It was wonderful, but we had so many things to do!  I'm looking forward to slower days, to more time just spending days together inside with my family, and especially preparations for the holidays!  

*** How I am feeling ***
  I am very tired, but very blessed.  I'm thankful the Lord sustains us during busy seasons of life.  Saturday I wasn't sure how I would keep going, but He is good and faithful.  I am also thankful for this season of my life as a stay at home Homeschooling Mama, because I know we can go right into school and it feels like a rhythm of rest and I love that.   

*** From my blog ***
Share Four Somethings is one of my favorite linkups! It's kind of a 'catchup' for the whole month, and boy did we have a big month!  We visited our first NFL game, we had the NC State Fair, we had Homecoming and a big ladies event at church.. it was a lot!  But October was just great, I loved it so much!  

*** From a friends blog ***

  I've loved finding some new blogger friends and reconnecting with some other friends!  This week I LOVED Debbie's post You are loved.  I adore her blog, and I was so encouraged by her words!!!  


*** On the menu ***
  It's one of those on the go kind of weeks for a few days so I'm trying really hard to plan but I also know I must be flexible lol...

  Monday: Tacos

  Tuesday: Tomato basil soup with three cheese tortellini and grilled cheese- my daughters favorite for her birthday!

  Wednesday: Chicken and dumplings

  Thursday: Chili

   Friday: Pork chops, and since we don't celebrate Halloween we always bake something Christmasy and watch a Christmas movie lol.  This is also the first official day I allow my children to play Christmas music, so we don't get tired of it.  Otherwise they would play it all year long lol.  

*** What I am wearing ***
  I'm obsessed with these sweatpants I got from Target, so I wear them basically everyday lol.  I have the heather gray ones on today and a black tshirt.  

*** On my reading pile ***
I'm still reading Sisters of Fortune and haven't read in days, but its SO good.  

*** On my TV this week ***
   We loved DWTS last week but we won't be watching this week, we aren't interested in anything with Halloween.  But we are still enjoying it and can't wait to catch back up next week!   Callie and I have to get back into When Calls the Heart, its been so long!  Friday is our long awaited Christmas movie night, which we usually watch Christmas with the Kranks.  It's one of of favorites and we are always excited to watch it!  The kids and I also discussed during the cooler months we need to binge some Marvel and Star Wars movies.  We've seen them all over and over again, but we love them so much.  

*** Looking around the house ***
 We had company after church yesterday so it looks pretty nice!  We found someone to paint our cabinets so I'm happy about that, I wasn't sure I could do it myself lol.  I finally got some of my fall decor up, I'll finish it up and take some photos to share next week!

*** To do list ***
Fall decor, paint the front door, and declutter my closet.  I dug a sweater out of my closet which reminded me I really need to put up summer clothes and get out our winter things.  Its certainly sweater weather here!

*** From the camera ***

   So the State Fair was AMAZING!  We have never even visited the State Fair before, so when Callie signed up to ride we didn't know what to expect.  Honestly though, it was one of my favorite things we have done!  

   Callie looked amazing!  Her show shirt is the first one that she's owned, she's borrowed from her instructor in the past but my Dad bought her this one for her graduation gift, and it looked amazing!  Especially since Trouble is so dark in the wintertime!  My Mom and Stepdad got her a new hat, and she looked absolutely incredible!  

Her piano teacher who has been her teacher since she was around 8 even showed up to watch her!  

She won her BLUE ribbon while Susie was there, so that was extra special!  Her and her husband were so proud, we love them so so so much!

Susie has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing surgery today.  Please pray for her and for her healing!  We LOVE her so much.

She won a BLUE ribbon in the State Fair! That's something to brag about!

And my Mom and Stepdad drove from the Mountains to watch her! It was a long trip but they were SO happy to be there!!!  He's the one who put her on a horse when she was 6 years old lol, so it was extra special that they were able to attend her big show!

We also really enjoyed visiting the fair!!!  It was SO much fun and the weather was perfect.  It was plenty crowded, but we really enjoyed it nonetheless!  My sweet oldest niece came with my Mom and Stepdad, so we LOVED spending time with her as well!

I sure love doing life with this man, and I'm so thankful for him...

Just a few more show pics :)

She ended the shows placing in every class she showed in!  She got 1st place once, second twice, and third once!  I was SO proud of her, especially for her first State Fair!

Saturday our church WMU hosted a Ladies Brunch.  We had a speaker from the State WMU leadership, and we enjoyed her so much!  It was very well attended and we had some delicious breakfast foods!  I was so happy with the ladies who came out on a Saturday morning!

There were around 40 in attendance!  Great group!

Then Sunday was Homecoming at church!  What a busy weekend!

I love that our church has a traditional homecoming.  Lots of churches now have it catered, which we do have BBQ and chicken catered, but everyone brings their side dishes and desserts!  There's lots of food, and everyone enjoys time together.  My husbands sermon was also just perfect for homecoming.  It was a great day!

My kids adopted Grandfather from our first church and his sweet niece came to homecoming

and visited with us awhile afterward.  It was SO nice to have them with us!  I'm so blessed to have our church family, they are just wonderful people!  

So it has been an incredibly busy few days, but its been a huge blessing to see

what wonderful people God has put in our lives, and how he has blessed my daughter to live out her dream!  I'm so so blessed and beyond thankful!

Thanks so much for visiting today!  I can't wait to see how you all are this week!