My Heart My Home

Our Frugal Christmas Tradition - Free Tree!

When we moved to Oklahoma seven years ago, we were staying with my parents at Christmastime due to job loss and new job and job loss again - blah, blah...

We decided it would be great fun to go out in my parents' back forty and chop down a Christmas tree from the thousands of cedars that were overtaking growing on their property. Our children (ages 14, 11, and 5 at the time) had a blast with it (not so much the 11-year-old).

Well, it has become a tradition that some of us might give up with just a little nudging, but our daughter, now 12, insists it is one that shall never cease in her lifetime (or something to that effect).

So, with the explanation out of the way, here is our tree this year:

Before -

After -

Don't you wish you lived at my house?

This post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family

Thanksgiving 2009 in Pictures

Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday.Commercialism is low. Family time is priceless. We all get together at my parents' house on their 210 acre-wood in rural Oklahoma and have a grand old time. It doesn't get any better. Take a peek into Thanksgiving 2009...

My parent's house - lovingly called The Farm

The guys watching the game

The girls preparing the feast

The cousins

Oldest son Ryan

Son Colin (black shirt second from left)

Daughter Rachel

Brother Roland and sister-in-law Elizabeth

Sister Beth and brother-in-law Vince - shooting skeet

Fire pit behind house

Peace

Creekbed - Dry for now

More Fall beauty

My husband, Doug, and Dad putting the garden to bed for the winter

Minnie

Country sunset

I hope you and yours had a wonderful, memorable Thanksgiving also.

This post linked to Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers

Friday's Fave Five

I love the idea of Friday's Fave Five from Susanne over at Living to tell the Story. Here are mine for the week:

1. I am so excited that my blog is getting visitors - more and more each week. I love to check the stats and see that there are even a few "returning" visitors. lol. Of course, my only Bloglines subscriber at the moment is *me* but who knows what the future will bring. I love blogging and look forward to making lots of new friends in the blogosphere.

2. I am thankful for friends who invite me and my family to parties. Do you ever feel more loved than when someone invites you to help celebrate a special time in their lives? Happy 50th, Jim! We had a great time last night. Brenda is an amazing hostess and very good friend.

3. Watching my teenager struggle through the mess of whispers and rumors and teen drama is not one of my favorites. But helping him navigate the waters and being able to talk and direct and teach and maybe even impart some wisdom as he attempts to find his way through it is priceless to me. And to think that maybe he even listens and hears what I'm saying makes the whole mom-job worth the effort.

4. Growing a good friendship even deeper by holding each other up in prayer is a new favorite for me over the past couple of weeks. 

5. Watching the cold, drizzly day from my living room window while typing on my laptop in my favorite green recliner and listening to the dryer hum in the background (or squeak, as it were, due to a loose belt maybe?) is something I'm very thankful for at this precise moment. My kids are quietly going about their business, my husband is in his office working, my coffee sits beside me. Do I wonder how long it will last? Or do I just enjoy the moment while it's here? I think I'll just enjoy the moment.

Have a great day, everyone!

Thursday Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my kids and the opportunity to homeschool them. They are the best.

Being a part of their daily lives and doing what I can in helping them become what they were created to be are my greatest joys. Getting them through the turmoil of the teen (and pre-teen) years has become one of my greatest challenges. But they have proven themselves to be responsible and worthy of trust. They are talkative, friendly, moody, respectful, obedient, moody, disobedient, funny, loyal, moody, and did I mention moody?

I wouldn't trade my life for anything. Love you, guys. You're totally the best kids I could have ever asked for. I am one blessed mama.

Ryan - mysterious & philosophical          Colin - crazy & fun                    Rachel - beautiful & creative

This post linked to Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers

Thursday Thankfulness

I started last week sharing something each Thursday in November for which I am thankful.

Today I am thankful for "the farm".

This is my brother's coffee mug and the front porch of my parents' house - "the farm".

When we moved to Oklahoma from Texas 7 years ago, we had no idea the road we were about to travel. We were excited, happy, even elated at the new life ahead of us. My husband had lost his long-time job in Texas but had gained one near my parents in Oklahoma. We were looking forward to building a wonderful new home on my parents' acreage and couldn't wait to be country folks after living in the city.

When my husband then lost the job in Oklahoma, the grief over the lost dream of my new home in the country was more devastating to me than the loss of his job. We have been living in town (in a very small house on an extremely busy road!) for the past 6 1/2 years now building a new business.

But the farm? It's still there.

We visit with my parents at their home weekly. Our kids have grown up taking walks with the dogs down the lanes and into the trees and hollers. They have spent many nights at Grandma and Grandpa's house over the weekends. Our daughter learned to ride her bike there. Our oldest son has built a deer blind and trails and cozy places to hide out, build a fire, and enjoy the solitude. Our boys both enjoy riding the four-wheelers and shooting skeet at Thanksgiving. We pick berries, grow a garden, and wonder each year if the frost is going to get the peaches on their peach tree.

This is my husband tilling the garden.

The farm is a solace in the midst  of a sometimes tumultuous life. We love it so much and are very thankful for the opportunity it affords us to be still, calm our spirits, and continue to dream our dreams.

This is my husband and me taking one of our weekly walks at the farm.

We're still dreaming of that new home.

This post linked to Heavenly Homemakers

Finding My Groove in the Blog World

I spent a lot of time researching blog options and thinking through myriads of details before I even launched this blog last week. I've gone through a lot of hours trying to figure out what I want to do and where I want to go with this.

And so now here I am. Still pondering how exactly I want to do all of this. lol. So please bear with me while I find my 'groove' and 'voice' in the blog world. In the meantime, I may be posting some randomness and various types of posts before I finally settle into some kind of routine.

I hope it doesn't take too long...

:o)