making a home – Treasuring Home

August 2025 ~ Apple Butter; Farmer’s Market; Thrifting; A Baby Quilt!

Published on August 24, 2025August 24, 2025 by JenniferLeave a comment

I’m making apple butter! I pulled out the canning supplies for the first time in years, scrounged up some jars from hither and yon, and heated up the kitchen (albeit during a fierce wave of heat and humidity–if a heat wave can actually last months.)

I first used the McIntosh apples from our backyard tree. It produced like crazy this year and the fruit was ready early. Then I acquired two buckets of Golden Delicious, which I am now processing. They are soft, so easy to cut up with the apple corer, and they cook up so nicely for apple butter. For the Golden Delicious, I have boiled the apple butter down a little more on the stove, after the crock pot cooking was done, for a thicker finished product.

Apple butter made in the crock pot is amazing—smells wonderful, tastes delicious, and Steve has been very appreciate of it. On a biscuit or raisin toast… yum. No need to even peel the apples during the process.

I used my immersion blender {affiliate link} to blend it up after cooking, and an apple slicer {affiliate link} has been marvelous, especially for the Golden Delicious which I mentioned are quite soft.

Farmer’s Market
I’m hoping to sell some jars of apple butter at the Farmer’s Market in a few weeks, too. Since my last post —a Farmer’s Market has appeared in our town! My mom is hosting it every Saturday morning. During the last several weeks of summer, the girls baked items for it every week. Micah sold lemonade (a dream come true for him!) and homemade mint iced tea.

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July 2025 ~ Being there; Gifts for Dads; Projects on the farm; Pumpkin patch and more…

Published on July 12, 2025July 12, 2025 by JenniferLeave a comment

This was supposed to be a June post, but it has now become a July post. Somehow we always have too much going on around here, but as Steve said recently, “That’s just how we roll.”

It’s good to remember that your own crazy life will look a little different (or maybe a lot different) from anyone else’s. God isn’t in the comparison business; He knows you, and He made you and your family unique.

So here are my ponderings and ideas for this month (updated from June to July!), along with a few happenings, for whatever they’re worth!

Thinking: The Gift of Being There

I hear the door open and a family member enters the house. I may be in the kitchen cooking, or in the back room folding laundry, or working at my desk. After a few moments I inevitably hear the words, “Where’s Mom?” And I call back, “I’m in here!”

My husband or big kid comes to chat for a few minutes about wherever they’ve been, or whatever they are doing next. What a gift it is to be able to simply be there, to be a grounding presence in the lives of my people.

As women we may often feel inadequate. We may not always know what advice to give or how to respond to various situations, but let’s remind ourselves that just being there, lending a listening ear when needed, and providing a steady foundation goes a long, long way.

Gifting: Two gift ideas for Dads

Alas, Father’s Day is over for this year, but dads also have birthdays and may need a few Christmas gifts… so here are two items you may want to consider.

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May 2025 ~ The “why” behind Motherhood; Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes; Outdoors on the Farm… and more

Published on May 13, 2025May 13, 2025 by JenniferLeave a comment

Thinking: The reason for motherhood

Have you ever considered the why behind motherhood? What is the framework for thinking properly about it? After 25 years of motherhood, I will share two brief thoughts that I think are foundational to our comprehension of this God-given role.

The why behind motherhood is first of all the covenantal love between a man and a woman. It is the beautiful and natural result of that sacred love. Second, our ideas about motherhood are best held within a framework of self-sacrifice (not self-fulfillment or self-glorification).

Yes, it is a giving up of yourself! And this is good, wholesome, and entirely redemptive. God has big purposes in putting us through the school of motherhood, so it will be tough and at times seem to be possibly the least fulfilling thing you have ever done. Hang in there, work is in progress, you are not at the end of the story.

Gardening: Outdoors on the farm

My irises are blooming for the first time since we moved out here (this is our third spring here). I moved the bulbs from our previous house and had given up hope of them ever blooming again. But then~ this!

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February 2025 ~ Soup Recipe, Parenting Pre-Teens, Chickens & Eggs…

Published on February 16, 2025 by JenniferLeave a comment

Eight short sections this month!

A Meal We Love ~ Ground Beef Vegetable Soup

I have probably made this soup recipe more than any other. I love making it in the winter with fresh rolls. It’s simple and adaptable, and it makes great use of those frozen garden tomatoes. (This summer I will have to share about the no-fail, simplest-ever method for freezing tomatoes.)

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Hello Again!

Published on January 19, 2025 by JenniferLeave a comment

After a hiatus of almost three years—hello! How are you??

One of my plans for 2025 is to post a blog here once a month, maybe a scattering of homemaking, cooking, raising children, general happenings, and what have you. We’ll see! How I have missed posting and sharing here.

I’ve updated my bio and about the blog page, to reflect where I am in life now. I’ll let you hop over to those pages to catch up, but I do have to say… I’m a Grammy now! Oh the changes three years can bring!

A Meal We Love ~ Chicken Pot Pie

The main thing with this recipe is the filling. Feel free to use any cooked chicken/canned chicken, any assortment of veggies, and feel free to use a frozen pie crust. It’s the filling that makes all the difference. We always eat it with a salad.

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Happy New Year! – Patchwork Post {January 2022}

Published on January 2, 2022 by JenniferLeave a comment

Hi dear ladies, congrats on making it to January. We can all take a deep breath and also take a minute to realize what we’ve accomplished. We’ve navigated another holiday season. Although it was done imperfectly, the fact remains that we served our families to the best of our abilities, did all the shopping, choosing, planning, decorating, cooking, wrapping, sizing, baking… and all the other things. God is gracious to give us such a reason to celebrate and the strength to make it special for our dear ones.

The last link of the Christmas countdown chain!

You can read our family Christmas Update 2021, here.

Just two things have been on my heart for the year ahead.

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Patchwork Post {September 2021}

Published on September 1, 2021 by Jennifer3 Comments

So much to share! I’m popping in with some various links, ideas, and news!

Rise and Worship Album

We’ve listened to this album countless times since Joshua brought it to our attention early this year. Refreshing, convicting, artfully done, worshipful, Christ-honoring. I want to fill our home with this kind of soul food.

An idea for children’s artwork

Children go through (sometimes lengthy) stages of wanting to create various types of art. What to do with all the masterpieces? You hate to throw them away, but can’t line all your walls with coloring pages held up by painter’s tape, either. (Side note: Painter’s tape does work well for temporarily hanging art work.)

I have ended up stashing the artwork papers in a “file” (using that term very loosely) and then going back to the collection on various occasions. Does someone need a letter sent to them in the mail? Or a birthday card? Do big brothers need a care package? We pull out the stash and look through. Such cries of delight as my young ones find treasures they had forgotten about. They select the perfect one, we write some words on it, and voila! Ready to go! Now to gather up the artwork spread out all over the floor…

History Recommendation
In my February Patchwork Post, I recommended a history book. Unfortunately, I will have to retract that recommendation, since the denominational and doctrinal ideas ended up being just too distracting from the history we were setting out to learn.

Now THAT’S a fish!
Sammy has been fishing as much as he possibly can, lately. Here’s a 4 pound bass he caught while out with his Uncle Tim. (Uncle Tims are just the best. Everybody needs one– and we are blessed with one on each side of the family!)

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Sharing the gospel with our children through family devotions

Published on June 30, 2021 by Jennifer1 Comment

Q: I am taking a look and considering our schedules at home in light of promoting the gospel to our children. I was wondering what a typical day/schedule/routine looks like for you in summer and school year. 🙂 I know it sounds like a strange request, but I was curious seeing what you do…also especially curious on how you approach devotions with the kids.

A: Promoting the gospel to our children takes so many forms as it interweaves itself into our family life. All of Christ for all of life… a phrase that says so much (not original with me). But specifically for this post– family devotions! (I will try to answer the daily schedule question in another post… my answer to the devotions part is long enough for one post!)

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Where children flourish

Published on May 7, 2021 by Jennifer5 Comments

Anything created by God will flourish best wherever it is placed by God. Remove that created thing from where God placed it, and it will die (at worst) or not reach it’s full potential (at best).

“…the wise tried to see where God placed individuals in the natural order of things, the assumption being that since God is good, the environments that He puts things in naturally help them to flourish.” – C.R. Wiley

As we seek to raise a child so that he will thrive, not just survive, in this harsh world, we should remember where God placed the child to start with. The child is placed within the mother’s body first, and then in her arms, and then by her side– and all within a home and in a family. This placement has everything to do with allowing the child to flourish.

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Patchwork Post {March 2021}

Published on March 12, 2021 by JenniferLeave a comment

The Household and the War for the Cosmos
This is an excellent series with deep and relevant content. We have watched the short videos and are soon going to be reading the book. I wish every Christian parent today could hear, understand, and emulate these concepts. From the book description: Because people saw themselves as part of an ordered whole, they also believed that they had obligations to the people around them. They were not just autonomous individuals, but members of households with unique duties to past and future generations. Words like “piety” and “religion” did not refer to what you did in your quiet time, but were more like the seemingly obsolete values of “duty” and “honor.”

Ring-a-Majigs
I found these little toys at a consignment shop while we were deep in the winter doldrums about a month ago. I was instantly taken back to my childhood! I had these toys as a child, in the same container. Anyone else remember these? Turns out they are as much fun today as they were back then.

K’nex
Also during the winter doldrums, this classic toy provided hours (literally hour upon hour) of constructive entertainment. Toby and Sammy especially enjoyed making some very complicated creations, including some with moving parts connected to a little motor. We have some books of designs with detailed instructions which helped them with ideas and specifics. Did I mind having K’nex all over the living room floor, 24/7, for weeks on end….? Yes, but not really, if that makes sense.

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