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Taking Care of Me - 2017

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I've never been one for New Years Resolutions....i t always seemed kinda silly to me.... So many people make a resolution to change, but so few actually see it through. However, I do like to pick on word or thought to be a reminder to me throughout the year. The last few years, my thought has been to Choose Joy . We can all stand to have a little more joy and happiness in our lives.... but this year, I was ready for a new thought.... so, for 2017 - I choose to take care of me! Over the years as a wife and mom, I often get distracted with the busyness of life and have let myself go. When you have a mini farm, animals , grow and preserve your own produce , home school, run a home business , volunteer, have a special needs son, and in my case have cancer , chronic stress, and multiple autoimmune diseases..... taking care of myself is often the last thing I think of. So, this year, I am choosing to take care of me...... I'm having a relaxing soak in the bub

A Letter To My Other Son...

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To my son whom I did not raise.... You were my little boy. You followed me around the house and called me "Mommy".  You loved helping me in the kitchen - making daddy a cake was your favorite; you loved licking the spatula.  You loved going to the park and feeding the ducks.  You loved smashing ants on the sidewalk with your plastic hammer.  You loved the attention that your Uncle Marlan, Aunt Marla, and Aunt Rachel gave you... and wanted them to carry you everywhere!  You loved going fishing with daddy, and had your very own fishing pole. You loved wearing daddy's hat.  You loved your baby sister, and would call her "baby face" because you could not pronounce her name (Faith). You loved to play the keyboard; I have a picture of you when you fell asleep while playing it. You would watch me get ready in the mornings and would say "You pretty, Mommy".  You loved making forts with pillows and blankets in

Loving Your Hubby and Caring for Your Ex At The Same Time

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16 years ago, today in the basement of a courthouse in Athens, Georgia, I married my first husband, Jim - and I loved him . Circumstances beyond my control made our life together difficult, and 4 years later, we got a dissolution. I will always think of my ex husband as my friend, and part of my family . I care about him, pray for him, and want the best for him. Sometimes, out of the blue a memory of him or us together, will come to mind and make me smile. (There are sad memories too, our life together wasn't very easy, but the good memories are what I choose to remember.) Now before you get all worked up over the fact that me, a married wife, would write such a thing, never mind the fact that that is how I truly feel.... let me tell you something else.  I am deeply in love with my husband, Stephen . I love him with a passion that I never knew could exist between two people. He is my happiness . I'd lay down my life for him. I trust him with my

Enjoy Book Review

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Enjoy: Finding the Freedom to Delight Daily in God's Good Gifts  by: Trillia Newbell 2 Stars I enjoy reading books and am privileged to review books for Tyndale , Book Look Bloggers and Blogging For Books . I have found some really great and interesting books to add to my bookshelf . Some of them, I will read over and over again... they're just that good! But sometimes, I get a book to review and honestly - it's just not for me..... and that's how I felt about this book .  There's really not one certain thing that I didn't like, but it just didn't do anything for me. I guess you could say I was kinda board... it didn't hold my attention, and not to be conceded, but I pretty much already know everything the author talked about in the book. This is one of the books that will be donated, and hopefully someone, somewhere, sometime, will pick it up and find it useful to them. *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this

Starting The New Year Off Right

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Happy New Year! Here's to starting the new year off right! So many people make a new years resolution to loose weight, but quit after only a few days or weeks. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you owe it to yourself to try Shaklee's 180 program! We know losing weight can be as simple as it is difficult. That’s why Shaklee scientists, who are thankfully also human, designed the Shaklee 180 program to help you break the yo-yo dieting cycle to get healthier and fit for life. This customizable two-meals-a-day kit contains all you need for your first 2 weeks of the program including: * Two canisters of delicious Life Energizing Shakes packed with protein to curb hunger and increase energy. (16 grams of proprietary, ultra-pure, plant-based non-GMO protein. Added leucine to help preserve lean muscle and keep metabolism strong. A powerful patent-pending combination of prebiotics andone billion CFU of patented probiotics, and Omega-3 ALA to suppor

The Best of 2016

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This year there were 48 blog posts at SRKindredSpirits....  There were a lot of different topics.... Things to say on a job interview , Recipes , Visiting Louisville KY , Getting rid of cookbook clutter, Book reviews , Bookcase redo , Why I don't sell , Making an orb , Crochet Christmas tree skirt , Understanding a INTJ , Adoption , DYT experiment , My first speeding ticket , What Instagram really tells you , How to review a product company, Family quality time , A free health quiz , and much more. Here's the top 10 posts of 2016: We had our first giveaway here on SRKindredSpirits and it was a success! The Happiness Dare is a highly recommended book! Once you try these, you'll be hooked! Easy and yummy... you can't go wrong with these cream cheese roll ups! I wrote this post after reading the definition of the word 'family', it will give you a little insight to my life. Getting rid of the swimming pool was personal favorite and

Merry Christmas Wishes

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May the melody and spirit of Christmas fill your home with joy and peace. May  your Christmas be decorated with cheer and filled with love.  During this season of giving, take time to slow down and enjoy the simple things. In this happiest of seasons, may you find many reasons to celebrate.  We would like to extend a big thank you to all our customers, followers, and friends for your support during 2016 and wish you much happiness today, this Christmas, and throughout the New Year! -Sincerely, The Kindred Family

Unlock Your Dream Book Review

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The back cover of this book states: "We all dream. The capacity for dreaming and pursuing those dreams is a gift given to every individual. But many people cannot even begin to describe their dreams, much less figure out how to bring them to fruition in the face of frustrating obstacles, distractions, and setbacks." "In Unlock Your Dream Philip Wagner will inspire you to engage in life’s greatest quest: discovering and reaching God’s purpose and dreams for your life. You’ll be empowered, equipped, and freed to give life to your dreams and to live with joy and expectation for an adventurous future." In complete honesty, I never finished reading this book. It wasn't all bad... Chapter 3 actually had some really good stuff.... such as trusting God and realizing that as we mature, dreams may need to be renovated, edited, and refined. Dreams change. I especially liked the following quote: "God never asks us to give up something that is

Understanding Architect (INTJ, -A/-T) Personality

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Ever wonder how to understand yourself? What is your personality? Why is it that you do the things you do? The last few years I have studied different types of people. It's easier to read others than myself, but I have gradually come to terms with who I am. According to 16 personalities , I am an Architect (INTJ, -A/-T)  which means that I am an:  Introvert,  iNtuitive,  Thinking,  Judging and  I am both Assertive (-A)   and   Turbulent (-T) at  the same time.  I am self-assured, even-tempered, refuse to worry too much and do not push myself too hard when it comes to achieving goals.  But am also  self-conscious and sensitive to stress. I experience a wide range of emotions and tend to be perfectionistic and eager to improve. I spend time thinking about the direction in which my life is going. Life is very stressful for me.  It is very rare to be me.... only .8% of people who are woman are (INTJ, -A/-T)! This test explains so many things about me.... how

Good, But Not Great

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You know there's a lot of things that I'm good at, but not any one thing that I'm really great at.... Back in 2012, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that is cancerous - for which there is no cure. Since then, I often find myself thinking about the meaning of my life.....  "What do I love, and what would I like to accomplish in my life......?" That's a hard question....  I love to sing... and would love to sing lead or background in a band. But how in the world do you get discovered.... I actually auditioned for a small group in 2015, and was given the gig, but they were located a few hours away and I would have been away from my kids and hubby 3-4 days a week.... I just can't do that right now, my family is too important.  I love plants and nature. I love making flower arrangements. (I have even though of opening my own florist shop...), but we live in the boonies and I would hate the tied down feeling of running a stor

Crochet Pattern for Christmas Tree Skirt

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Materials:  (1) 16 oz Yarn (color of your choice) *You can use different colors of yarn. I wanted mine to match my Christmas stockings so I made it all soft white. Crochet Hook (I used size H) *You can use any type of yarn or any size hook.... (The smaller the hook, the tighter the stitches. The bigger the hook, the more yarn you will need.) Glossery: (ch = chain, sc = single crochet, dc = double crochet, st = stitch)                                Directions: Row 1: Ch 22, dc in fourth ch from hook, dc in each ch across, turn. Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in each st across to last st, dc in last st, turn.  Row 3: Ch 3, dc in each st across, turn. Row 4: Ch 3, 2 dc in each st across to last st, dc in last st, turn.  Row 5 - 6: Ch 3, dc in each st across, turn. Row 7: Ch 3, 2 dc in next st, (dc in next st, 2 dc in next st) across, turn.  Row 8 - 10: Ch 3, dc in each st across, turn. Row 11: Ch 3, (2 dc in next st,

Read and Share Look, I'm Reading! Bible Storybook Review

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The day this book came, I sat down with my 6 yr. old daughter Adilayia, to read this book together. She enjoyed it.  By replacing key words with graphics, the child can fill in the story by looking at the picture which represents the missing word.  I used to love these books when I was a kid!  Some of the short stories are:  Beginning, Flood, Abraham’s Family, Moses, the Promised Land, Ruth and Naomi, David, God’s People Made Slaves, Esther, and Jonah in the Old Testament and Jesus is Born, John the Baptist, Jesus’s Life, Jesus’s Death and Resurrection, the Holy Spirit Comes, Saul Becomes Paul, Peter, and the Best is Yet to Come. The cartoon like drawings are simple and fun-   but some of the people images v.s words were kind of confusing to explain to a 6 yr old. but overall,  I think this book is a great addition to our home school library for my son and daughter who are learning to read. To comply with regulations by the FTC, Book Look Bloggers has provided me wi

No Apology

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"Never apologize for how you choose to take care of yourself!" I needed this reminder.....  In this season of my life, I often need to sleep more, rely on convince food, stay close to home, have help with dishes, cooking, cleaning, and laundry.... I can't do for others like I used too.... I cook and bake less, I give less, I focus on me and my family more. I need rest and a peaceful environment. And for all that... I will not apologize. I do not have to explain. I am taking care of me.  No apology needed.

Thankful For Us

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Today is Sunday.... the weekend before thanksgiving. My family's all home - it's the first time in 17 weeks that hubby did not have to work the weekend. The smell of warm coffee cake baking in the oven, sounds of Christmas music coming from the stereo, the warmth of the fire in our big stone fireplace....the Christmas lights twinkling on the mantle.... I look around... I love this time of year... and I love spending time with my family. I look at my love... he smiles back, the fact that he works hard to give me this great life is not lost on me. I snuggle a little closer and lay my head on his chest. The two youngest are so excited as they pull Christmas decorations out of boxes.... today we will decorate our Christmas tree.... the teen puts down her phone and joins in on the fun..... the holidays are here! Later, the in-laws will stop by to visit, and we'll watch movies, and have some hot chocolate.... but right now, the living room is a mess with Christma

Adoption....

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Today is National Adoption Day .... and although I am blessed with three kids of my own, I have always wanted to adopt a child and give them love, family, and a place to call home. There over 450,000 kids are in the foster care system. And over 100,000 kids are approved and waiting for family's to adopt them in the USA. The average wait is over 3 yrs. It has been estimated, that there are over 350,000 churches in the USA. If only one family in each church across America would adopt a kid out of the foster care system, could you imagine the difference that would make - not just on an individual level, but as for America as a whole!?!?! Research shows that Christians are the first people to speak out about abortion being wrong, but they are also the last ones to step up and adopt America's foster kids. I find it interesting to know that American families will spend thousands of dollars and wait for years just so they can adopt an infant, when there are so many k

Lessons from Gran Torino

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We recently watched Gran Tornio (the movie).  I know a few people who say it's an extremely bad movie to watch.... I disagree. I actually thought it was really good.... in fact we watched it as a family - yes, that means my 15, 9, and 6 yr. old watched it with the hubby and I. Please let me explain my reasoning.  Let me start by saying that the movie has a whole lot of bad language, which I usually don't care for. But that's how much of the world today is, and while I certainly think they could have left out a lot of the profanity, it actually works in this movie in its context.  I was struck by the fact that the  Mr. Walt Kowalski's  own k ids and grand kids were only interested in what they could get from him. They thought he was a burden.... never truly loving him.  (I saw that happen In my Grandpa's life.... everyone wanted a piece of him, but few truly cared about him.) The older I get, the more I realize that more and more families and people in

All The Pretty Little Things Book Review

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All The Pretty Little Things By: Edie Wadsworth 5 Stars I read this complete book in one day! I was drawn to it like I haven't been drawn to a book in quite awhile, and so will you!     Get ready to go on a journey.... one of sadness, drunkenness, broken relationships, fire, poverty, and abandonment. But also a journey of finding hope, love, grace, forgiveness, and wholeness.....  To all those who feel fatherless, you have a Father God that loves you.... (and deep down your birth father probably loves you too -even if he really doesn't know how to show it.) You are worth a Father's love! All the Pretty Little Things takes you on a journey of how one woman finds emotional healing.... Are you in need of emotional healing? Spiritual healing? What about physical healing ? Our bodies were designed to work well with all three aspects. If one is lacking, you will suffer. ( Take our FREE Healthprint Quiz to help find physical healing.... and to ge