It takes no brains to do laundry

Now before you start commenting right away based solely on the title of this post....I asked you to calmly put your claws away and hear me out. Ok, whew, thanks.

Now that I have your attention...the title comes from a statement that I heard from a housewife herself at Danae's dance studio. Yes, a housewife made this very statement to me.

Let me set up the scene and dialogue it for you: It's Monday evening and several of us ladies are sitting in a hot pink crowded room while our little darlings tap their little hearts out. I leaned over to a lady I visit with frequently and asked her ,"Whatcha doing?" As she was diligently pouring over a notebook with all kinds of number combinations on it. She replied," I'm factoring polynomials." Well alrighty, I thought to myself. I replied, "Sounds like fun. Are you in college?" (Mind you, this is much older lady than me...I didn't think this was for homeschool as I was pretty certain we had talked about where her kids went to school. "Yes, and I'm loving it." She said. "It feels so good to use my brain. To learn and use what I learn and figure these problems out." I smiled at her. She went on to say," You know what I mean? It doesn't take much brains to do laundry or make dinner or raise kids." WAIT A MINUTE!!!! HOLD THE PHONE! NOT MUCH BRAINS????AAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! This is a housewife with 6 beautiful children and she is telling me that it has taken no brains to do any of it? Her oldest is 26..did he just arrive there alone? Needless to say my jaw was on the floor at these comments. I have heard this from career women time and time again but to hear it from another housewife just blew me away. Being a housewife is the hardest job I have ever had and ladies, I served in the United States Military and I'm hear to say that being a wife and moma is by far the most challenging position I have ever held!

Let's just go over a couple of areas where my brain is worked out 'real good' at home.
~I have to plan everyone's schedule and get everyone everywhere on time
~I have to come up with healthy yet frugal meals
~I have to shop for those meals all the while staying within a budget
~I have school to teach and curriculm to plan
~I have bills to pay and check books to balance
~There is a house that has to be cleaned and laundry that always has to be done
~Not to mention all my four legged critters that have to be cared for.
~In the midst of all these "few" obligations that I have stated I have to work in time to spend quality time with the Lord, with my children, and with my dear hubby.
~Oh, let's not forget church.
All this has to be done day in and day out, in the most creative ways I can think of...all the while considering the feelings, needs, and well being of those in my care every day! Plus...I have to battle spiritual warfare! I have to fight for my house daily. Ladies, I know you can agree this is no easy feat. There is an enemy ready to kill, steal, and destroy me and my family. If I had nothing else to do in my day this would keep me busy enough! My brain is active and very busy I assure you! How blessed am I that I am home with my family! How would this ladies children feel if they knew that it took 'no brains' to raise them! I know my mom labored day and night to ensure that I turned out well as I labor for my family. My kids don't love Jesus because I'm brainless. My husband isn't enjoying a wonderful marriage because I'm brainless, my house doesn't run itself and it can't runs itself...i'm the brains behind that operation! My friend isn't lifted up or helped out for afternoon because I'm brainless!

To all you with the high calling of being a Stay at home Moma and House Diva, You are beautiful and so super smart! Regardless of whether you house is ship shape always or if all your laundry is done or even if you fix Hamburger Helper every night this week....if your husband and children lay their heads down tonight and rest peacefully, full, and loved then you my dear have done your job and have done it well! And it took a lot of BRAINS to do it! Be blessed and smile! God thinks your the 'Bomb'!

From one joyful House Diva to another,
Kathy

I'm Back!!!

Oh my goodness....I mean Geez! I didn't think I was every gonna get to blog again! But finally my computer woes are resolved and my creative outlet is free to roam again! Of course over the last ten days I have had a million things to tell you and of course I can't remember ANY of them now! Lol! Let's just start fresh ok! How 'bout on Monday? As tomorrow is the Resurrection Day of my Savior and I want to celebrate with the ones I love! Be blessed my friends and go to church tomorrow and let everyone you meet know that Jesus IS ALIVE!

Joyfully typing again!
Kathy

Conflict resolution

Good morning! My computer has a virus so I am attempting to post by using my phone..... I really wanted to write this morning!
Anyway, I'm experiencing the ' coming out of conflict and healing'...... Friends, this recent event has been just terrible and I wondered how I was going to recover if I was going to at all. I have been praying and either God if being quiet our I'm not listening hard enough...... Regardless I know that forgiveness always is what He wants especially among believers! So as I was pondering how I was going to forgive and move on God have me a special reminder....For those if you who know me well, you know of my deep love of amish fiction! One book that I read there was a young lady struggling to forgive but really wanted to because she knew it would please God......her bishop told her this, "How would you behave towards this person if you had forgiven them?" She responded with," I would smile at them, talk with them, be happy to see them." To this the bishop said,"Then do that. Act like you forgive u them and eventually your emotions will catch up."
I happen to think this if amazing advice. When we behave in a Godly fashion I think it hurries our emotions along as well! So friends, here's to acting Godly and trusting Him to make my emotions catch up!

Joyfully,
Kathy

MY DAUGHTER FOUND IT!

The post I had worked so hard on that had just up and disappeared...well here it is! Thanks to the lovely Kimberly who had more computer knowledge than I could ever hope to have! Thanks Kim! Enjoy~

Hello my friends, I pray this post finds each of your well! Even better than well...I pray that this finds you blessed beyond measure! I don't really have a whole lot to write about...just thought I'd tell you a little about what going to be happening around here this weekend. Tonight is family night and my family is coming to dinner! Best yet, my hubby is going to cook this delicious meal that we will partake of!  Anyway, my lovely family includes my mom, my dad, my little sister and I'm hoping my little brother! My siblings aren't really "little" as my sister is 13 and my brother is 22, but to me they will always be my little siblings! We are going to have our first family gathering right here in my new home!

These are my people minus my hubby who was working!

The blackberries are finally reading for picking! This afternoon my darling Danae and I will have an awesome time picking them and adding them to the fruit in our fridge!

Yummy! Bursting with flavor!

There is a sad spot in my weekend that I am trying desperately to not let it get me down...my sweet hubby will be away all weekend. We won't have the sweetness of his company until Monday evening and possibly Tuesday, depending on how tired he is Monday. He sure does work hard to care for his family! Thank you God for blessing me with a amazing hardworking, God loving, family adoring family!

Me and my sweet love!

Tomorrow my long time best friend is coming to visit! This dear lady and I have been friends for 16 yrs and don't get to visit too often so I am so looking forward to an afternoon of sweet fellowship!

I am in need of prayer my friends...Due to privacy of this situation I can't divulged many details but please pray for my family and I as we go to church this Sunday! May it be a sweet time of worship and fellowship! May the Spirit of God flow freely and without bounds in all of our hearts!

Lastly, we have blossoming fruit trees around this home! I'm so excited to walk out my door and just pick a priceless piece of fruit! Here are some pictures of what we have growing...these are just pictures and what I pray my will look like soon! They are showing promise of great harvest! We have orange, plum, and green apple trees. As well has blackberries and blueberries growing!

Tender plums

Beautiful green apples

Sumptuous blackberries

Sweet blueberries

Orange trees bursting with color

Oh! I almost forgot! I love to pick fruit! I mean, I love to pick my own or to go to a picking farms! I get such pleasure out of picking and selecting my own fruit! I have a sweet friend who has offered to let me and my girls come along with her to pick grapes this June! I can't wait! Also, my dear Jamie and I will be taking our sweet children to pick strawberries very soon at our local orchard!! Fun!

Isn't God so good! Not only did He make fruit with its sweet delicious flavor but He made it bursting with color and amazing shape! It's so pleasing to our eyes and our lips! God, I am amazed by You!

Have a greatly blessed weekend!,
Joyfully,
Kathy

ARGH!!!!.............

Friends, I am so very frustrated! I just spent a precious hour writing a wonderful post and filling it with beautiful pictures and now it is gone! I pressed Post and it's just gone! GONE! I don't have the strength or the extra time to repost all of that...so blessings to you this weekend!

Gritting my teeth JOYFULLY,
Kathy

Fast food, paper plates, card board boxes...Yup, we have moved!

Hello dear friends....it's been awhile! Things have been super crazy around here. I'm exhausted even now but I wanted to write a short post to let you know what has been going on 'round here. As the above pictures show...we finally moved! And boy was it crazy!

We have eaten more fast food than I ever care to in my life again! And pizza...ugh...no more! Please!

Please, can someone find my glass dishes! I'm not loving the paper place settings any more! If you can even say, "place settings" as we have been eating sitting on the floor or standing up!

My friends and my family have been an amazing help throughout all of this! I don't know what I would do without them! We had friends help us finish packing and move and then my sweet family came over and helped clean the old house and mow the yard!

During all this craziness we have had 4 nights of awesome revival at our church! Bill Stafford is an amazing man of God! Let's have church every day of the week!

This is pretty much how we look at the end of each and every day lately! EXHAUSTED AND FALLING DOWN WHERE EVER WE CAN FIND TO LAY OUR WEARY HEADS!

My sweet, precious friend from Simply His Home has been a wonderful help to me! Has been here at the new house often and has been lending a helping hand where ever needed! Today she took me on a wonderful outing! We had Chick Fil A for lunch, she got me an amazing Paula Deen Candle for my new house and blessed my family with some very much needed groceries! I got to tell you, this is an amazing family and we are so blessed that they are in our lives! Love you Jamie!

Last, but certainly not least..I'm praising God for the new beginnings that He is giving us! What a faithful, awesome, generous God we serve! I'm also thanking Him as always for my amazing family! It would all be for naught if it wasn't for them! Goodnight all! More when I can find a minute to sit down for a spell....

Til then......,
Joyfully,
Kathy