family – Treasuring Home

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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Helping your child discover his unique gifts & talents

Published on June 18, 2025 by Jennifer2 Comments

Each child is uniquely gifted by God. One of our roles as parents is to help the child discover those gifts and seek to draw them out to a place where the child is empowered to use those gifts to bless others and add light to the world. How can this be done? Here are some points.

Notice when your child “lights up.”

What activities do they do that they can’t wait to talk you about later? What makes their eyes light up?

One of my sons was looking back on a picture of himself walking in as a player to his very first football game. “Look at my face, Mom. That is pure joy right there.” Yes, it was pure joy, and starting into his fifth year of football, it is still pure joy.

Another son once told me one evening, “Tomorrow morning we are going to be down in the field filming a scene for my shortfilm.” You are?! Well, ok! This happened in a chain of events that did indeed lead up to him producing his first shortfilm.

Listen to what others say.

Other people can be extremely perceptive about your child. Where is your child naturally gifted, where does he shine? Sometimes others will easily pick up on it and they will likely comment on it. I heard someone say about a young man during a drama presentation, “He’s such a gifted communicator,” and I agreed—he delivered his lines with unusual charisma and finesse.

Allow/enable them to try new things.

One of our daughters wanted to make cakes. She wanted to spend her own money to get this cake-making kit {affiliate link}. After she brought it up several times, we ordered the kit. So far she has produced three cakes, each with two layers, with a homemade buttercream frosting. I worked with her step by step on the first cake. Since then, she has needed very little help from me.

Annalise’s Memorial Day cake that she designed and made.

The night before making one of her cakes, she said, “I’m going to get up early tomorrow because I’m going to be so excited about making my cake!”

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April 2025 – Quiche; Child-raising; My new favorite soap… and more

Published on April 14, 2025 by JenniferLeave a comment

Cooking: Quiche

With all our farm eggs, I decided to make quiche recently. This easy recipe turned out to be delicious (I didn’t put any veggies in it, this time). I used frozen pie crusts and it came together in literally minutes.

Happenings: Grandparents’ Day

Grandparents’ Day at the children’s school was a special, heart-warming occasion. As I observed all the grandparents with the grandchildren, and heard the memories and “favorite things” shared by the children, it made me think about this role in new ways. (Food was mentioned most frequently of all.)

Toby, Olivia, Annalise, Micah, with my Mom (Grandma). It was so special having her there.

Here’s my grandbaby… look how big she is already! ~Little Miss Autumn~

Thinking & Growing: The Journey of Child-Raising

Each child truly is an individual for whom God has a plan, a unique path.

As parents we have the trick of at first choosing for them, then guiding them, then eventually seeing them take flight to chart their own course, all while praying and providing advice and feedback along the way. It’s a process of relinquishing control.

There is no box; no magic formula. Although we can’t be certain of the outcome, we can be certain that God will push us out of our comfort zone(s) in parenting, in ways we never expected.

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March 2025 ~ Daily List, Easy Menu, Gift Idea, Thinking & Growing…

Published on March 17, 2025March 17, 2025 by JenniferLeave a comment

At our house we have had kids playing outside, and laundry hanging on the line! It’s been a whole new world after a long a bitterly cold winter. These warm early spring days can be some of the most enjoyable days of the year, when your skin remembers what it feels like to have sunshine soaking into it.

Thanks to Annalise for the amazing action shot!

Daily Planning & List-Making

I love my daily list. In my early years of homemaking, I used those narrow little $1 notepads. Oh for the days when all my tasks could fit so neatly into such a slim space!

Then I upgraded to a journal size, then a school notebook size, and then I recently found my ultimate dream in list-making… what is called an “Organizing Notebook” and is actually 9.5 x 11.5! It allows me to have a little more “margin in my days” literally, haha. I found it at Staples and hope to have such good fortune the next time I need a new notebook.

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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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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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Inspiration for the Everyday {February 2021}

Published on February 13, 2021 by Jennifer3 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day! Below are some thoughts and quotations that I gathered from my Commonplace Books, on the theme of love.

My prayer for you today is that you will learn to love others more deeply as you more fully comprehend the love God has for you. If you are a natural-born pleaser/achiever like me, it can often be difficult to realize and remember that God’s love for you is not based on any merit of your own. He loves you in spite of all your failures and sins. He loves you, and not because of anything you have done or anything you are currently doing. You cannot and you will not measure up. His love is undeserved, yes, a thousand times yes, and that is what makes God’s love toward us so exceedingly precious.

This truth has come home to me over the past few years, and it repeatedly brings me to tears, because it speaks to my soul.

“How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that He would give His only Son,
to make a wretch His treasure.”
-Stuart Townend

God’s love was expressed in a supreme Sacrifice. Wherever there is true love, there must be giving, and giving to the point of sacrifice. Love is not satisfied with giving trinkets; it must give at the cost of sacrifices; it must give blood, life, all.
-F.B. Meyer

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Quarantine Edition – in which we hear from some of you!

Published on April 21, 2020April 21, 2020 by Jennifer3 Comments

I wanted to create a “collage” post of ideas and thoughts about this quarantine period. So, a few weeks ago I asked– What has God been teaching you? What activities have you been doing with your family that are a little bit different from your normal routine? What recipes have you tried? Has something funny happened that you’d like to share? Has your family found a unique way to encourage others? Please send me anything you’d like to share, and I will put it all together into one post.

I have been so blessed and encouraged by the various contributions that were sent in. Keep it up ladies, building your homes during this time! It’s what we do best! God has uniquely gifted you to provide a haven and a place of comfort for your dear ones.

Thanks to everyone who took time to contribute to this post.

♥From Connie (my sister in law, mother of four boys, ages 11 and under):

Take a hike! No, seriously, with all this “stay at home” going on, those of us with children need to get them outside and run that energy off. If we don’t, it turns into sibling rivalry, unpleasant attitudes, discontentment, and general mayhem at home. Continue reading “Quarantine Edition – in which we hear from some of you!” →

I don’t mean to disagree with my husband

Published on February 13, 2020February 13, 2020 by Jennifer4 Comments

Steve said these are arrows, not dominoes.

At Joshua’s high school graduation, as I envisioned each child reaching this same milestone in quick succession, I remarked that the “dominoes were beginning to fall.” Steve replied, “Not dominoes. Arrows. Today the arrows are beginning to fly!”

I know he’s right, of course. They ARE arrows and it’s super exciting to watch them fly.

But I have to be honest, it sure does seem like dominoes at times. All of a sudden, I find myself looking around and thinking, “Where is everyone? Is this everyone I’m supposed to have?” Continue reading “I don’t mean to disagree with my husband” →

Saying Goodbye to Windy Hill

Published on November 22, 2019November 22, 2019 by Jennifer3 Comments

Moving is beyond exhausting, and when in that weakened frame of mind, you arrive at the moment of saying goodbye to your home of thirteen years, it can be pretty tough. And so, the heart-wrenching moment had come.

As we explored the familiar spaces for the last time, our voices echoed through the now empty rooms.

Our minds went back to when we, so young and naive, first bought the old place, and the farmhouse adventure began. Continue reading “Saying Goodbye to Windy Hill” →