SRKindredSpirits

Today, while spending time outside, I took some great pictures of this Killdeer protecting her eggs. Killdeer remind me of two things; Spring and my Grandpa Frick When I hear the Killdeer, I know Spring is on its way...  Every year, we have a pair of Killdeer make their nest in our drive.  Our youngest daughter loves it. She gets out the bird book and looks them up, and tells everyone that they are her favorite bird. Killdeer remind me of my Grandpa Frick. I remember him taking me to his field and showing me their nests. He could also make an exact replica of the killdeer sound. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, here's some Killdeer facts... Killdeer have brown upper parts, white underparts, and orange rumps. The eyes are dark with a bright red eye ring . In flight, the Killdeer's long, slender wings have conspicuous white wing stripes. Killdeer live in open habitats such as fields, meadows, gravel bars, and mudflats. Name "killdeer" refer

" Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." - Matthew 5: 13(KJV) The "Ye" he is speaking of are Christians. We should be salt. Salt = we should give flavor to the world. We should make others desire God by the way we live and act. We should be so salty that it makes others thirsty for Jesus. If Christians have no flavor = christian influence on the world, they are good for nothing = not good and it might as well be cast out. In Bible times, salt that had lost its flavor was thrown out in the road for people to walk on. It was no longer used for flavoring or for preserving food. It was no good. As a Christian, make sure you have some flavor. Make others thirsty for God by the way you live your life. Be an influencer for good. Make a difference in the lives of those you come in contact with. 

“Mice and pigs, chickens and cows- Squeak, oink, cheap and moo... Oh, the animals God has made! And, Hey, He made me too! Night night, God. ” As the big moon rises, the jungle settles in for the night.  All around, jaguars, lemurs, and monkeys cuddle close and say, “Night night!”   These little board books are absolutely adorable. Night Night, Farm and Night Night, Jungle are amazing books that incorporates both learning about animals and a love for God.  I love how God is woven within these bedtime stories. A wonderful way to begin a prayer for little ones. It's the perfect end before dreams begin. The stories come alive with the illustrations that are bright and colorful.  If I had to give it a critique, it would be that I wish there was more touch and feel in the Night Night Farm Book. But, all in all, these are both adorable little books and will make a cute gift for my brand new  niece or nephew that will be arriving in a few months. Dis

Happy Easter from the Kindreds.... Easter 2018 I have always loved our great big fireplace since the first day I laid eyes on it. We try to take a family picture in front of it every Easter and Christmas. Some years, we forget, but I thought I'd post our family pictures with all the kids from years past....  So, here's a trip down memory lane.... Easter 2017 2016 2015 Easter 2014 Easter 2013 Easter 2012 Easter 2011 Easter 2010

I absolutely love flowers. I think they are beautiful and if they smell heavenly than that is just icing on the cake. I love having a bouquet of fresh cut flowers on my table to look at, every day. They just make me smile. Flowers are my love language. Since I got that off my chest....  Martha's Flowers is a truly a beautiful book. The first surprise about this book is it's size! This is certainly a coffee table book in size, quality, heaviness, durability, and photos.  What pleased me most about this book is that these aren't rare or difficult to grow flowers, but rather the old fashioned garden flowers most gardeners will already have growing in their gardens; roses, peonies, lilacs, hydrangeas, etc. However seeing them so artfully, elegantly, and dare I say simply arranged, is nothing short of inspiring! Each flower/bush has a dedicated section with a story from Martha then specific, detailed directions regarding growing them and suggestions with

For those of you who don't know, my daughter, Faith is an amazing writer and is extremely gifted at putting her words down on paper.... so she's guest posting on the blog today.  I love taking personality tests and seeing how people are different by their own types. I  am an introvert and extrovert myself and agree completely with 1 and 2. However, number 5 is completely not me... isn't it interesting how God made each of us uniquely different? Here's what Faith has to say about what introverts want us to know.... As an introvert myself, I really value my alone time. It’s a time to unwind, be myself, and do stupid things without having to worry if anyone’s watching. It’s my “happy place”, my recharge, and I depend on it to get me through life’s hectic situations. Sure, I like spending time with friends, going shopping, and eating out, but honestly, I like my solitude even more. When I try to explain this to certain people, they often don’t get i

Anyone that has followed my blog any length of time knows how much we try to live a clutter free life. That being said, I'm always on the look out for different approaches of getting rid of more stuff... (my long term goal is to get our stuff down to fit inside a 20x30 ft cabin that the hubby and I would like to build and live in after the kids are grown.) But even in our current house, I love having a clutter free home and with living on a hobby farm and 3 kids, we are always bringing in stuff, so there is always things to get rid of. I will just put this out there.... I am a huge Joshua Becker fan and have read all his books. But I also enjoy reading different peoples approaches to decluttering and minimalism; like the Kon Marie Method ,  Courtney Carver's Project 333 , or  The Minimalists    so I was excited to read Dana White's  step by step approach, using the 5 steps. Step 1: Trash Step 2: Easy Stuff Step 3: Duh Clutter Step 4: Ask the Declutt