Hello Friends,

Wow! It’s been awhile. Life has been a bit topsy-turvy for us these past few months. I am finally popping on here for a bit of an update. Between happenings at church, at home, and   some new projects I’ve tackled, life has been busy. Goodness, I’ve barely had time to read – which is rather unusual for me! I’m finally getting back on track and figured it was about time to update the blog. 😉

Let’s jump in –

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September and October Highlights:

As some of you may know, our son was scheduled for his 3rd and final heart surgery in early October. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, his surgery was cancelled and we have been delayed for many weeks. We’re now preparing for his surgery – again. It was a hidden blessing as we were able to thoroughly enjoy the month of October. Here are some highlight’s from the past two months:

• Our 5th Anniversary! In September, Adam and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. Time has flown and I can’t believe we’ve already been marred for 5 years – it gets better and better!
• A mini family vacation. We were able to go away for a few days as a family in September, and we had an absolute blast. We made lot of memories and took lots of pictures that I will cherish for a long, long time!
• My birthday. Yes, I was able to celebrate another trip around the sun! Thank you, Lord for the wonderful gift of life!
• A baptismal service at church. We had yet another baptismal service at church – which is always so exciting to see. We are grateful for the born-again believers who made the choice to follow Christ in Baptism.
• Fun times with Daniel. We’ve been able to do some extra fun things with Daniel since his surgery was delayed.
• Projects, projects, projects. Since we were in limbo for a couple weeks after Daniel’s surgery got cancelled, I made some project lists and challenged myself to get as many things accomplished as possible. Those projects have kept my hands (and my mind) occupied which is a blessing as we wait for surgery #3.

September and October Reads:

Confession: I have read very, very little since the month of September. I hit a wall with reading and just haven’t been in the mood to pick up a book. I am slowly pulling my way out of that slump – but in the meantime, here are a few books I enjoyed in September.

Raising Men, Not Boys by Mike Fabarez

 This is an excellent book for Christian parents who have sons! I loved the entire book and only came across one statement I mildly disagreed with. I highlighted and highlighted – and highlighted some more. I was afraid this book would not have much to apply to me since my son is only two – but I was wrong. There is so much in here for parents of sons, fro babyhood to manhood. I will definitely be referencing this book again.  (Unfortunately, this book is not KJV only.) You can purchase the book here.

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

Heretics of Piedmont by D.J. Speckhals

 This was an excellent novel based on the Waldensians (early Baptist history). The book was a little slow going for me in the beginning, but once I reached the halfway point, I could not put it down. It was so neat to learn more about the Waldensians (called Vallenses in the story) and I was challenged spiritually throughout the story as well. It’s also really neat because I have met the author who wrote the book! I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Lord of Luserna! You can find both books here.

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

Diana, Her True Story by Andrew Morton

 Since the Queen Elizabeth’s passing, I’ve been intrigued by the royal family. Our library had a stack of books for sale on the royal family (including this one) so I decided to buy it and read about Princess Diana. Her story is a sad one for sure – without a happy ending. It was interesting to learn about her childhood and then her courtship, engagement and marriage to Prince Charles. One can’t help but feel sorry for her and I only wish she had come to know the Lord before she died. I probably won’t read this book again – but it was interesting and I learned a lot about Diana, England, and the Royal family in the process. You can find a copy of the book here.

I gave this book 3 stars on Goodreads.  

September and October Goals:

As I mentioned before, it’s been busy time for projects! I also recently got my hands on the 2023 Powersheets Goal Planner which is what I use for my goal planning. Can’t wait to dive in to the New Year with my favorite resource! Here’s what I’ve worked on recently:

• Made progress on my photo books! If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you know that I have been working on 5 year’s worth of photos. Well, I finally finished two books and ordered them. I am working on finishing 2021’s photo book and starting on 2022.
• Hosted a Ladies Fellowship. This is always a big project for me – but a fun one! I hosted a ladies fellowship in my home for all our church ladies and it was a huge blessing to me and hopefully to all who came!
• Created a new shop resource! Much of this was done in October and finished in early November, but I created a new resource for all of you called Our Family’s Christmas notebook. Originally, this was just going to be for my family – a binder of lists and resources to keep track of everything during the Holidays. However, I decided to turn it into something that I can share with others. I just added it to the shop in the past few days and you can check it out here.

In the coming months my main focus will be getting ready for the Holidays and helping my little man recover from surgery!

September and October Favorites: 

The Chosen 

My husband and I finally caved and watched the first two seasons of The Chosen. The storyline and the characters are very intriguing. Not everything is 100% accurate to the Gospels, but overall, it’s very well done! We will definitely watch season 3 once it’s available. You can watch The Chosen for free right here.

The Happy Planner

I have been using a Happy Planner for several years now. It has my calendar and it houses my daily and weekly lists and plans. I was super excited to find a 2023 Happy Planner for less than $5 at Michael’s – this time it’s a Big Happy Planner (this one is similar to mine). Sometimes, I just like to page through it and imagine all the things it will be filled with in the New Year. Yes, I really do have a thing for planners!

Raw Carrot Salad

I’ve been trying to implement this more often. It’s basically a detox salad to help get rid of excess toxins and help clean out your liver and such. I have noticed a difference in my skin and overall health when I am consuming this regularly. Here’s how I make it:

• One carrot peeled or grated
• A squirt of two of MCT oil (I use this brand)
• A splash of apple cider vinegar
• Pinch of salt

Sometimes I also add chopped apples for some extra sweetness and crunch. It’s not the tastiest thing in the world, but the benefits make it worth it!

I Would Love to Know

• Do you any favorite memories from the past two months?
• Did you read any good books?
• Did you accomplish any goals?
• Are there any favorite things you’ve been loving?

Please share with me in the comment section below!

Until Next Time,