SRKindredSpirits

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...

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

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...

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,...

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...

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,...

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 Loo...

"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.

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...

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...

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 p...

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 ...

The Curated Closet By: Anuschka Rees 3 Stars I am a visual person when it comes to learning! So, while reading  'the curated closet' , I loved the suggestion on creating a 'My Style' Pinterest Board . After looking at my style board , it helped me see a pattern. I like above the knee length denim straight skirts, bodycon skirts, denim and leather jackets, brown boots, strappy sandals, cardigans, and chunky jewelry, to name a few. I am a Type 3/secondary Type 2 in Dressing Your Truth - so you'll find lots of Type 3 colors in my style board. I think the most important thing to remember when building your curated closet is that you personalize it to you. Don't try to be someone else's style look alike! Overall, I thought this book had a lot of good useful ideas, the only downside is that the photos were not vivid or engaging, and overall dull and boring - but that may just be my Type 3 personality showing! I am not doing a closet ...

 I'm 33 yrs old and I got my first speeding ticket today. I was driving through Carmel, IN.... on my way to my first consultation with my new surgeon. I've never driven though Carmel before, and every street I took had a detour that routed you to another street that had a detour, that routed you to another street that had a detour..... so after my 3rd detour reroute in a strange, busy city, I was started to worry that I'd be late - even though I left a half hour early....  Anyway, the speed limit was 40 (last I saw) we were on a 4 lane street and there were cars all around me. I was in the right lane. There was a guy behind me honking his horn for me to go faster (I was going about 47...) anyway, the guy passes me on the left and as soon as he does, there are police lights behind me. The officer said I was doing 50 and sure enough, the speed limit had just changed to 30 and in the confusion, I didn't see it.... so yes, I admit I was speeding , but I d...

Fourteen years ago, I was a single mom. I made $12,000 a year, and lived paycheck to paycheck. It wasn't much, but it paid the bills. I provided for my daughter and I. Life was good . We were happy . A couple years later, I married this  great guy . He was every thing I didn't know I wanted. He lived in another state. Owned his own home. Had a good job. Was a man of good values. He loved God. He loved me. Loved my daughter. Asked me to marry him. I said yes. Life was good . We were happy. Over the next few years, we worked hard making our little piece of land into our dream home. Had a two more kids. Hubby continued to have a good job. We bought toys, but never living out of our means. Life was good . We were happy.... most of the time....  Every now and then - we felt something was wrong, but could never figure out what, so life went on. Last year (2015) we paid off the house/farm, bought a new car, bought a new tractor, and ...

Our oldest daughter got her first real job this summer, which has made us realize that our season of life is once again changing! Don't get me wrong - I'm happy that she has a job, that she is growing up, learning new experiences, and becoming a responsible member of the community....     But at the same time, I realize that life is going to be different. She isn't always around. We have to check not only my husbands work schedule, but also her work schedule before we plan things.  So, we have been trying to fit in more quality family time.... Simple things like target practice.... Going to museums.... Having more campfires and making s'mores.... Taking walks and bike rides/visiting the cemetery.... This year our family did the local Walk for Life fundraiser.... Playing games....  Watching movies and eating popcorn.... Going on small trips Nothing fancy or extravagant.... just tryi...