30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 23 - Angelic Protection

We had a great time at Amanda and Phillips over the Thanksgiving holiday but, sadly, it's over. 😞 

Photo Credit

We got up early this morning and, after getting our stuff loaded up and saying our good-byes, headed for home as Amanda was leaving for work. 

We had several stops to make on our way home, but still managed to get back in town before noon...which was AMAZING! 😲

Today I am thankful for angelic protection and safety of travel as we go back and forth, to and fro, here, there, and yonder. 

"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (Psalm 91:11).

Until next time,

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 22 - Sweet Thanksgiving Memories

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Happy Homemaker Monday - November 19, 2018

Here's a special offer from Sue Hooley for Rebecca's HEARTH AND HOME readers and a great buy for those who are shopping for Christmas gifts!

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30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 22 - Sweet Thanksgiving Memories

For more than a decade now we've been celebrating Thanksgiving and kicking off the Christmas season in Kansas City. The tradition started when our youngest daughter and her husband married in 2008. 🦃💗🎄

The first few years we celebrated at their apartment in Claycomo, then at the new apartment in Gladstone. Over the years different friends and family members have joined us for the annual celebration and a lot of great memories have been made.

Last year we did what our daughter deemed as the "extreme church takeover" when friends and family congregated and ate Thanksgiving dinner together at the church that our son-in-law pastors. It was the first year that our oldest daughter and her family had been able to join us. It was such a joy listening to my daughters engage in sister-talk in the kitchen, while the grandlittles chattered away in the background and the fun-in-laws cracked jokes making the whole crowd roar. 

This year we're celebrating Thanksgiving in new place. After a decade of living in an apartment, our daughter and son-in-law were finally able to purchase their own home over the summer and we are thrilled to be celebrating their first Thanksgiving in their new home. 🏡

As I made the homemade dressing this morning, my daughter's eyes welled up with tears. "Always reminds me of Grandma," she said. 

"I know," I replied.

My whole life...no matter where the Thanksgiving feast was to be held...it was my mother that was always asked to bring the dressing, because, of all the dressing recipes in the world, hers was the best! The funny thing is, there was (and still is) no recipe! There's an art to making Mom's dressing and, someday, the the task of putting it together will fall on another, but, for now, the task falls on me. Mom's been gone now these past fourteen Thanksgivings.

I remember well the first Thanksgiving that I  was to be in charge of making the dressing. I just knew that I couldn't do it...not as well as Mom could anyway. I remember calling her and her walking me through the steps over the phone. I realized a couple of years ago that, even now, as I'm making the dressing, I am replaying that phone call over again in my head as I still follow Mom's directions to a tee. In doing so, the dressing turns out every big as good as hers ever was. Well...almost! 

After the dressing was made and put in the oven to bake, I went upstairs to shower and dress...and my mind started wandering. Once again I started thinking back over the years to when my own children were young and my parents and mother-in-law were regular guests at our annual Thanksgiving table. As much as I love my family now, I still miss those days when my own children were small and we were all safely together under one roof.

Further back than that, I thought about the days when my cousins and I were the littles gathered at Grandpa and Grandma's with our parents...collapsing into fits of giggles at the antics of one of our crazy aunts or uncles. It's amazing how fast time really flies.

As my heart and mind wander over the years, people and places flash through my memory...my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, old friends, church friends, people that we've shared meals with over the past 23 years in ministry, and new friends that we've made and shared the holiday with since coming to Amanda and Phillip's over the past decade. Many of them are gone now, but what a blessing they have all been! 💗

As time moves on and seasons change, people come and go in our lives and sweet memories are made along the way. All is woven into a beautiful tapestry called life and, in these early hours of Thanksgiving Day 2018, I am truly thankful for all of the blessings that the Lord has brought into mine.

I'd like to take the opportunity now to wish each and every one of you here a Happy Thanksgiving! No matter what your situation or season in life, look for God's blessings, because they're there. The little moments in life today will be the sweet memories and threads in your own tapestry tomorrow. Embrace them!

May God's richest blessings be yours today and always!

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 21 - The Opportunity To Spend Time With Our DD and SIL

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Here's a special offer from Sue Hooley for Rebecca's HEARTH AND HOME readers and a great buy for those who are shopping for Christmas gifts!

$3.00 off one Planner. Regular 14.99. Only 11.99 with 

coupon code NOV18300

$10.00 off three Planners. Planners are already discounted 

with the purchase of 3- $14.49. With the coupon the planners 
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30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 21 - The Opportunity To Spend Time With Our DD and SIL

Today I am thankful for the opportunity to spend some special time with our youngest daughter, Amanda, and son-in-law, Phillip.

John and I drove to Kansas City early this morning and, after unloading our stuff, we headed out with Amanda to do a little sight-seeing.

Our first stop was Wallace State Park. Amanda and I both work for Missouri State Parks (me at Prairie and her at Watkins Woolen Mill) so we both "collect" them. She had visited Wallace before, but it was a new one for me, and it was beautiful!

Wallace State Park - Cameron, Missouri

On the way to St. Joseph we passed a HUGE wind farm! It was amazing! 😲

Wind Farm on 36 Highway

Our first stop in St.Joe was the house in which Jesse James lived and was killed. 

The Jesse James Home in St. Joseph, Missouri

The Spot Where Jesse Was Killed

The Jesse James home is located on the grounds of the Patee House Museum, so we toured it as well. 

Patee House Museum and Pony Express Headquarters
Pony Express National Historic Trail

The Patee House Museum

Amanda and I had both been there before (for me the last visit was about 35 years ago when my mom and I took my grandpa and my oldest daughter, who was just a baby at the time, up for a day trip; for Amanda it was more recently), but it was the first time for John and he was amazed by the the wealth of amazing exhibits, including the engine an a couple of train cars from the Hannibal-St.Joseph railroad and the original Pony Express Office Headquarters.

The Hannibal-St. Joseph Railroad Train Cars

The Pony Express Headquarters

After the Patee House we visited the spot where the Jesse James house originally sat before being moved.

The Monument That Marks The Location of Where the Jesse
James Home Was Originally Located in St. Joe, MO

After that we headed back to Amanda's to pick up our son-in-law and head to the Texas Roadhouse for dinner. It was our first time there and the food was amazing!

The Texas Roadhouse in Liberty, Missouri

John, Me, Amanda, and Phillip Waiting to Be Seated For Dinner

It's been a great day and, now, we're ready for sleep.

Until next time,

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 20 - The Seasons

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Here's a special offer from Sue Hooley for Rebecca's HEARTH AND HOME readers and a great buy for those who are shopping for Christmas gifts!

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$10.00 off three Planners. Planners are already discounted 

with the purchase of 3- $14.49. With the coupon the planners 
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30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 20 - The Seasons

When I got up this morning the ground was white with thick frost. I had gotten up early to start working on pumpkins that we have been blessed with, so as to start the process of turning them into pumpkin butter. The words to an old country song ran through my mind...

"And she said, "Hello, Country Bumpkin'

How's the frost out on the pumpkin'? 

I've seen some sights, but, man, you're somethin'

Where'd you come from, Country Bumpkin'?"

My mind started wandering and I've decided that today I am thankful for the ever-changing seasons here in my native Missouri.

For the beauty of spring as she comes in in wispy shades of yellow-green and pinky-purples...for rainy days and spring flowers. 

Indian Paintbrush
Spring

Slowly march her days through the calendar pages until summer arrives in all its glory...blazing hot, fiery...full of fun and lots of sun.

A Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Native Thistle
Summer

Spiderweb Draped Over Sumac Against A Backdrop of Fog
Autumn

For autumn (my favorite season of all)...the trees array themselves in splendid color...deep browns, golden yellows, brilliant oranges, and fiery reds...raging bonfires, crisp cool nights that turn cold...then colder...until, at last, autumn fades  into winter in an icy blast, as white, shimmering, swirling snowflakes dance in the wild winter wind.

Cactus Encased in Ice
Winter

These are some of the things in the different seasons for which I'm thankful! 

"While earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, 

and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and 

day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22).

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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Here's a special offer from Sue Hooley for Rebecca's HEARTH AND HOME readers and a great buy for those who are shopping for Christmas gifts!

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$10.00 off three Planners. Planners are already discounted 

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30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 19 - Our Little Town and Its Holiday Spirit

Today I am thankful for our little town and its BIG holiday spirit!

I just got back from running errands and was excited to see that our city workers were out putting up Christmas decorations along Main Street. 🎄

As I went into the post office there were flyers taped on the glass inviting people to a community Thanksgiving dinner, a community Thanksgiving service at the Methodist Church, and a community Christmas event at the high school. 🦃

As I rounded the corner headed home I decided to make a quick detour to see if the neighbors down the way were working on their annual Christmas display and, sure enough, it was already up! 🎅

Literally, at every turn, I saw the love and outreach of our little town and it's holiday spirit! What an awesome thing to behold! 💗

Until next time,

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Happy Homemaker Monday - November 19, 2018

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30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 17 - My Job

Here's a special offer from Sue Hooley for Rebecca's HEARTH AND HOME readers and a great buy for those who are shopping for Christmas gifts!

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$10.00 off three Planners. Planners are already discounted 

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Happy Homemaker Monday - November 19, 2018

Good afternoon, Sweet Ladies! Happy Monday! And Happy Week of Thanksgiving! 🦃 

As you can see, I'm running behind this week, but that's okay. I'm just happy to be here! How is everyone? And how was your week and weekend?

Last week was busy here. The early part of the week was spent getting preliminary things done towards the weekend...cleaning house, doing laundry, pulling out tablecloths and linens that hadn't been used since last year and getting them washed and ready, pulling the turkey out of the freezer and thawing it in the fridge, and making up a batch of my refrigerator roll dough recipe...which is great! It can be made up to eight days in advance of when needed. What a life-saver!

On Wednesday I presented two Wild Cats of Missouri programs at the local library. The children had a great time viewing a bobcat mount and a real mountain lion pelt. 

Wild Cats of Missouri

They also had fun making a wild cat of their own to take home.

Miss Amy did a super job on creating this mountain lion picture!
Wow! 😲 Good job, Amy! 💗

Thursday was middle of the month budgeting and banking day. Then, I took my car in for an oil change. 

I worked Friday and Saturday and evenings were spent making pies and other goodies for Sunday's dinner. 

On Sunday we served a Thanksgiving dinner to our church family, a neighbor, and my cousin. A couple of our children and their families joined us and a great time of fellowship ensued. After lunch I delivered refrigerator rolls to a friend who loves them, then put the turkey carcass on to cook down into good bone broth. When it was done I pulled another quart freezer bag of meat off the bones and ended up with nine, 2-cup portions of bone broth for the freezer. This will go a long way towards good soups this winter!

And so, here we are, headed into another week of happy holiday happenings! Let's get started, shall we?

Today I am joining Sandra and the other ladies over at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom for Happy Homemaker Monday. Please be sure to go over and check them out! 💗

Right now I am...

... getting ready to fix lunch, making mental notes, and writing lists while working on this post.

Am thinking...

... about the week ahead and all that needs to be done before heading to K.C. for the holiday.

On the breakfast plate...

... This morning I had cottage cheese on sprouted toast, a piece of leftover pumpkin pie, and a steaming hot cup of Twining's Irish Breakfast Tea. 

The weather...

... At the moment it's sunny and 45 degrees. The high today is expected to be around 50 with the low tonight hitting right at freezing (32 degrees F.). The rest of the week promises to not be too bad with highs in the 50's and lows in the 30's.

On my reading pile...

... I managed to finish both The Buffalo Train Ride by Desiree Morrison Webber and Dear Christmas Mothers by Connie Hultquist this week and have started two new books, Introduction to Home Economics - Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking by Mrs. Sharon White and The Great Buffalo Hunt by Wayne Gard.

I will be doing a review of this book and hosting a giveaway
for it very soon, so be sure and watch for it! 

On the menu this week...

Monday - leftovers from the weekend
Tuesday - leftovers or something from the freezer
Wednesday - out of town
Thursday - Thanksgiving dinner at dd's
Friday - broiled salmon, baked sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli
Saturday - homemade pizza (freezer)
Sunday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans

On my 'to-do' list...

- Monday - Plan the week ahead, do a condensed version of my weekly "home blessing", do laundry, run errands
- Tuesday - Get together with my BFFF for prayer and pack for upcoming trip
- Wednesday - Travel to KC
- Thursday - Enjoy Thanksgiving Day in KC with dd and sil
- Friday - Travel home from KC
- Saturday - Work
- Sunday - Church

In the craft basket...

... Nothing at the moment, but found these really cute cookie ideas to share...

50 Fun Christmas Cookies To Make With KITCHEN FUN WITH MY 3 SONS

These two are my favorites...

Hot Cocoa Marshmallow Cookie Cups from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons

Gingerbread Cookie Sticks from Munchkin Munchies

So cute! And absolutely adorable! 💗

Looking forward to this week...

... Spending time with our youngest daughter. We have a little day trip planned and a Christmas project that we're going to work on together. 🎄

Something interesting I watched this week...

(WARNING! This is one of those 'you-know-you're-a-naturalist-if' moments, so beware!)

I was trying to help park visitors identify some tracks they had found
along the edge of the road at work on Saturday and got distracted
by these burying beetles working inside a dead skunk. 

From the camera...

This picture of our next-to-the-youngest granddaughter by her daddy (our youngest son) who happens to be a professional photographer. Aren't those eyes mesmerizing? She melts my heart! 💗

Miss Kira Niomi  Faith

Scripture passage...

Well, Ladies, that's it for this week! I pray that each and every one of you have a blessed and beautiful week ahead, and I'll see you next week! Blessings!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Here's a special offer from Sue Hooley for Rebecca's HEARTH AND HOME readers and a great buy for those who are shopping for Christmas gifts!

$3.00 off one Planner. Regular 14.99. Only 11.99 with 

coupon code NOV18300

$10.00 off three Planners. Planners are already discounted 

with the purchase of 3- $14.49. With the coupon the planners 
are ONLY $11.16 each. Use coupon code: NOV181000   

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 18 - Good Food

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 17 - My Job

Happy Homemaker Monday - November 12, 2018