10 Cozy Farmhouse Necessities

I've had a sweet affection for farmhouses for as long as I can remember.  Yes, even before Fixer Upper.  I actually felt a bit justified when the show came out because it affirmed just how cool {to me anyways} the farmhouse actually is.  Thank you Chip and Joanna Gaines for giving the rest of America a love for all things farmhouse.

I think as much as I love the style, I love what they represent.  Farmhouses have always brought me a sense of peace.  Farming is serious business and lots of hard work, but overall, they represent for me a simpler time and a fruitful life.  I used to think I was meant to be born in 1988 because of my love for 80's music, but now I know I was just off by like 100 years and was really meant to be born in 1888.  Laura Ingall's and I would've been great friends--I just know it!

As we were driving to Michigan this summer, we drove through more farmland than I've ever seen in my entire life.  Hundreds and hundreds of miles.  The farmhouses were stunning.  A beautiful {typically white} farmhouse in the middle of vast farmland surrounded by a grove of beautiful trees. And leading up to that grove of beautiful trees was usually a tree lined dirt road.  It was breathtaking.  I wish I could've stopped at each one and gone inside for a cup of coffee and a chat.  Oh the stories those houses could've told me. 

So while I don't consider myself an expert in all things farmhouse, there are some things that characterize a cozy farmhouse.  All of these are my personal preferences, so they will vary from farmhouse lover to farmhouse lover.

Here are a few of my favorite things from around our suburban farmhouse...

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #1 -  Open shelving in the kitchen.  I tend to lean towards all white plates, bowls and serving pieces/decor--except coffee cups and glasses.

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #2 - White pieces of furniture.  This small table that I use as an entry table is an antique that was my Mom's. It was a walnut color--which I'm not fond of AT ALL, so I painted it white and sanded it.  Don't be afraid of white!

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #3 - Old window frames.  I found this piece at a local shop called the French Courtyard.  They decoupaged pages from an old book onto the glass then used plaster for the beautiful floral pattern.  This is one of my favorite things in our entire house.  

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #4 - Old wooden planks +  rusty metal letters.  I can't remember the booth I bought this at, but I got it at The Woodlands Junior League Holiday Market last year.  Wish I could remember the name.  Whoever they are, I'll be scoping them out this year too!

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #5 - A good cake stand.  This one is my current favorite and is from the Pioneer Woman collection.  

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #6 - A framed boxwood wreath. There are several wreaths that characterize the farmhouse look, but boxwood is my personal favorite.  

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #7 -  Mason jars.  I've been collecting mason jars for years.  The two bottom ones on this shelf are my favorite.  I got them at an antique shop in downtown Tomball.  

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #8 - A farmhouse sign.  This is kind of Cozy Farmhouse 101 in my book. Nothing fancy, just simply stated.

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #9 - Farmhouse lighting.  You can find farmhouse lighting just about anywhere these days. Our entryway fixture and our kitchen table fixture both came from Lowe's!  World Market has a great selection as well!

Cozy Farmhouse Necessity #10 - The Farmhouse Table. I purchased this table at World Market years ago and ended up painting the base and two chairs white, the bench and other two chairs a powdery blue/aqua color and sanded down and stained the table top light grey.  I typically keep it very simple on the table because, well, we have three boys.  Fresh flowers and, on occasion, a burlap runner.  

And there you have it, my {almost} complete list of some of my favorite things that make a farmhouse a farmhouse.  

I love you guys.  Thanks for reading my blog--all two of you.  You guys are the best!

Your Farmhouse Friend,

Becca

A Day in the Schoolroom - 4th & 6th Grade!

When we first started our homeschooling journey, this was my favorite post to write every year.  It helped me gather and organize my thoughts and it was also a way to help fellow newbies like myself see a typical schedule in our school day.  I loved reading blogs about specific books and curriculum other families used--it was so helpful to me--especially when they were grade specific.  So, here's our schedule for this upcoming school year along with some of my favorite curriculum/books we'll be using.  Hope it helps!

SCHEDULE

9:00 - 9:30              Bible {Mon. - Fri.}

                               

9:30 - 10:00            Math {Mon. - Fri.}

10:00 - 10:30         Read Aloud Time {Mon. - Fri.}


10:30 - 11:00         American History {Mon. & Tues.}
                                Geography {Wed.}
                                World History {Thurs. & Fri.}

11:00 - 11:30        Science {Tues. & Thurs.}
                                Nature Study/Journaling {Wed. & Fri.}

11:30 - 12:00        Language Arts {Mon. - Thurs.}


12:00 - 12:30        Enrichment Studies
                               Picture Study {Mon.}
                               Poetry Study  {Wed.}
                               Music Study   {Fri.}

Bible

This year we'll be using the Action Bible Reading Plan & Devotional.  We read it in it's entirety a few years ago and, of course, the boys loved it.  I'd been tossing around the idea of using it for our Bible curriculum for the last couple of years but was hesitant because it's not exactly in alignment with the Charlotte Mason Method. But as a mom, I know this will be such a good and fun fit for the boys.

  

Math

We've used the Math-U-See curriculum since we started homeschooling and we absolutely love it.

Read Aloud Time

This is the time of day when the boys relax in the living room while I read out loud to them. We typically finish four to six books a year.  The Simply Charlotte Mason website has book list suggestions--I like to pick and choose from the lists they provide.  Here's the link if you're interested in looking at them: https://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/curriculum-guide/literature/

This year on our reading list:

All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sydney
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald

American History

I use the Simply Charlotte Mason curriculum for American History.  I love this curriculum because of the rich selection of living books that accompany the lessons...especially the books used for their particular grade level {these are books they read on their own.}  I've not been a fan of some of their selections on the Family Reading list {books I read to them} for history, but I've learned to browse through them and only read the ones I think will be a good fit for us.

Geography

I use Simply Charlotte Mason for Geography as well {this year will be Visits to North America}.  I considered switching to something different this year, but decided to keep with what I know...you just can't beat the pre-bound curriculum binder and the living books list!  Hungry Planet and Material World by Peter Menzel have been family favorites over the years! We get to learn about different families living in the region we're studying and also get to try their family recipes.

World History

Once again, Simply Charlotte Mason has my affection on this due to their amazing selection of living books.  They also offer an amazing packet of pictures in a portfolio called The Stuff They Left Behind.  This is such a favorite for us.  As the lesson calls for it, we take a look at a particular picture and learn about it and it's significance in history.  

*Simply Charlotte Mason combines Bible, History and Geography into one curriculum.  Bible and Geography are usually on the same days.  Since I'm not using their Bible curriculum this year, I'll simply skip over it on the days it's scheduled but continue with Geography that day.

   

Science & Nature Study

This is our first year using Apologia {Charlotte Mason approved} for our science curriculum and I'm so excited!  We'll be diving into Anatomy and Physiology!  We'll also continue our Nature Study Journals {once or twice a week} with this journal from Simply Charlotte Mason.  Each day has something new to observe, draw, diagram and learn about.    

          

Language Arts

Using Language Well and Spelling Wisdom by Simply Charlotte Mason are amazing.  Both are such a gentle approach to language arts, and in the four previous years of homeschooling, we've never once shed a tear about spelling or grammar!  Elijah actually asks to do spelling everyday, no joke.  So if you haven't decided on anything yet for spelling and grammar or are looking to make a switch that works better for your kiddo, I highly recommend this curriculum.  We also do copywork once or twice a week to practice handwriting. This year Elijah {our 4th grader} will be copying from God's Wisdom for Little Boys {the selections and illustrations are wonderful}, and Isaiah {our 6th grader} will continue copying from Aesop's Fables.   

  

Enrichment Studies

This time in our day really is my favorite.  I love the arts and I'm so thankful that our boys are getting the opportunity to learn about artists, poets and composers.

Artist Study - Once again, Simply Charlotte Mason is my go to for resources.  They offer Picture Study Portfolios and currently have twenty-two artists to choose from.  This year we'll be looking at Vermeer, Gainsborough and Whistler. One artist per term--each term is 12 weeks.

Poetry Study - This year {all year} we'll be reading and memorizing poems by Robert Frost.  I have a book I purchased a couple of years ago that I'm so excited to use.  If you haven't done poetry with your children yet, I really do recommend it.  You'll be pleasantly surprised how much they like it {yes, even boys} and how well they can memorize poems.

Music Study - For music study I choose one composer per term and each week we listen to different pieces.  I typically find a living book on the composer and we read it throughout the twelve weeks. Opal Wheeler is a favorite for composer biographies!

This pretty much wraps up our year!  If you have any questions or need more suggestions, feel free to message me via the blog or on my FB page:  Schoolroom Journal.

Hope you all have a great rest of the summer and a fruitful school year!  

Your Fellow Homeschool Mom, 

Becca 

To the Young Pastor's Wife...

I've been just like you for a decade.  My husband and I had been married for five years when the church started in our living room.  Two-thirds of our marriage has been ministry.  I feel inadequate in many ways to speak about the life of a pastors wife since I'm relatively young both in life and ministry, but Jesus has taught me some things about the church, his people and myself over the years. So at the very least, I can share my heart with you.

So here are six things that may help you...

1.  Your own brokenness will minister to more women than the yoke of perceived perfection.   

We are much more effective to the women around us when we see value in authenticity.  The idea that we {or any other Christian woman} needs to be or appear perfect is a virus that plagues the church. Be real.  We need women to rip off the masks of perceived perfection and point us to Jesus.  A "perfect" woman cannot do this--but a woman that is Jesus focused in the midst of their own brokenness? Unstoppable.   

2.  Hand over to God any pre-conceived notions you have about ministry.  

As much as I'd like to tell you that ministry is amazing 100% of the time, I can't.  Ministry is all about relationships...and relationships get messy.  It will serve you well to understand that we are all broken and in desperate need of Jesus.  Expect messiness. Expect brokenness.  But also expect to see people {including yourself} radically changed by the grace and love of Jesus. Take time to frequently thank God for all of the good things He's doing in your church.  This will help guard your heart and mind from feeling discouraged.  The church you are serving does not belong to you and your husband, it belongs to Jesus.  Place it in His hands. 

3.  You get lonely.

This is something that most people find hard to believe about the pastors wife.  Many think we're always connected and have lots of friends within the church and never get hurt.  I've talked to pastors wives in churches with fifteen people and 5,000 people and every single one says the same thing--the loneliness is real. Why?  Well, let me share a few reasons with you that I recently read on a ministry blog:

- Broken confidences

- Critical church members

- Complaints about your children
- Superficial friendships
- A conduit for complaints about your husband

This small list is not exhaustive, but these are typically the things that contribute most to the loneliness.

It can be hard to trust others.  We know that we can't trust everyone with the deepest places of our hearts--not everyone can handle what's in there with grace and maturity.  But that doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to close friendships in the church. Should we exercise wisdom in choosing those close friends?  Absolutely.  But don't isolate yourself.  God will send you the friends your heart desires.  Be open to who He sends. 

4.  Guard the hearts of your children.  

This is one of the most sensitive areas of ministry for me.  My prayer for our boys has always been that they will see the joy in serving the church and have a deep love for God and His people. You never want them to buy into the lie that being in ministry is a curse. Our children did not ask to be in ministry--they are thrust into it and it comes with certain challenges. There will be both adults and other kids that will not like them simply because they are the pastors kid.  You will overhear other kids tell them that they don't care who their dad is and it doesn't make them special and you'll also hear remarks from adults that leave you absolutely heartbroken for your child.  Let me save you years of hurt and pain. Give. This. To. Jesus. Pray for the church with your children.  Never paint ministry as perfect, but let the gospel shape your prayers and discussions with them about the church.  Assure them that there is no expectation on them.  Talk to them about pressures they might feel--even if you think they don't feel any.  I was shocked when our oldest son brought me a book I'd been reading and pointed to a paragraph about the pressures pastors kids can experience and said, "This is how I feel, Momma."  I had no idea. Ask them questions, pray with them and encourage open dialogue with them about the church.    

5.  Your husband needs you.

There are some nights that you will sit on the couch with your husband and not a single encouraging thing will be said.  It will be all about the failures of the week and what's going wrong and what God seemingly isn't doing.  Those raw and authentic moments are needed and necessary.  But never stay there.  When it's all said and done, encourage him.  Pray for him. Speak life to him. You are the only one that sees his stress, anxiety, prayers and tears for the church most of the time.  Does a sermon speak to you?  Tell him.  Did a friend mention how much his sermon ministered to them?  Tell him. He's a shepherd, so the biggest encouragements to him are hearing how Jesus is working and moving in the lives of his sheep.  Sometimes it's simply telling him that he's more than capable to fulfill his calling in the hands of a gracious and powerful God. Pray for him to be the leader God has called him to be.  

6.  Find someone to disciple you.

This is a big one.  I did not have a mentor until we were seven years into ministry.  It's not that I didn't want a mentor, I did, my heart longed for that type of relationship with an older and wiser woman of God.  I guess I thought it would just be placed in my lap--and sometimes that's how it works, but not for me.  I had been praying about being discipled and I ended up e-mailing a woman I knew was discipling another pastors wife and asked her to disciple me.  She said yes and here we are over three years later.  This is important because we are constantly pouring ourselves into other people but rarely receive any replenishment.  It is difficult to serve others out of an empty cup.  Let someone pour into you.  Seek out a Titus 2 woman and place yourself under her wisdom and care. Let her pray with you and for you.  Bare your soul to her as she loves you and guides you in your walk with Jesus.  Don't feel awkward about asking someone to mentor you.  I promise you there are Godly women out there praying for a young woman to pour into.  If you have someone in mind right now, reach out to them today.

You are not alone my sweet soul.  We are a kindred bunch deeply connected to the church and all of it's quirks. We are in this together.  Me, you and Jesus.

Your Fellow PW,

Becca

14 Days of Christmas Books for Children

I have a serious love for children's books.  I love all children's book, but especially Christmas books. And especially Christmas books that are well written and have the ability to fill our minds and hearts with beautiful ideas and pictures.  We've read some Christmas books over the years that have left a mark on us, but here's a list of our favorites!



{The Christmas Miracle of Johathan Toomey by Susan Wojclechowski}

We read this for the first time last year and it quickly became a favorite.  Especially since it came with a CD and is narrated by James Earl Jones.

{Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage & Tabitha's Travels by Arnold Ytreeide}

If you haven't heard of this series and don't have it in your home library, STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING and go to amazon.com right this second and get them!  Seriously--right now.  Go ahead.  I'll wait right here...

If you love to celebrate Advent, these are a MUST HAVE.  One reading a day starting on the first day of Advent until Christmas day.  Such a precious way to prepare the hearts of your children {and yours too} leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus.  

{A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens}

Classic.  This little gem needs to be in every home library.    

{Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble}

This book had actually been out of print since 1998 but was recently published again.  It's a sweet story about the love between a father and his daughter.  The illustrations are done in watercolor and are so beautiful.  

  

{The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado}

I forget how much I love this story until I read it again every year.  I love how Max Lucado is able to weave in God's plans and purposes for us in the midst of difficult circumstances.  

{The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg}

This book will guarantee that you eat candy after reading it.  

{Peace of Earth: A Christmas Collection by Mary Engelbreit}

This book is a collection of some of Mary Engelbreit's favorite carols, Christmas poems and the story of the birth of Jesus.  Each page is filled with beautiful pictures and quality literature.  

                                           

{The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore} 

Mary Engelbreit is one of my favorite illustrators--ever. Combine that with this classic story and BOOM, you have perfection.  This is one of the boys favorites that we've read for years.  

{An Otis Christmas by Loren Long}

I bought our first Otis book at Barnes and Noble about four years ago and all of the Otis books have quickly become favorites.

{The Nativity: From the Gospels of Matthew and Luke by Ruth Sanderson}

You read the entire story of Jesus' birth from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke in this book.  The illustrations are absolutely beautiful.

{The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jane Ray}
The traditional Twelve Days of Christmas with GREAT illustrations.  I'll be honest, that's the only reason I bought it!

{The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry}

This is a new one for us this year and I'm so glad we found it.  Such a precious story about a husband and wife who make sacrifices to make Christmas special for one another.  A beautiful story of love and the true meaning of Christmas.

{A Merry Little Christmas: Celebrate from A to Z by Mary Engelbreit}

Ok, clearly I like--scratch that--LOVE Mary Engelbreit!  Such a cute story of a little mouse family preparing for Christmas.  But the illustrations are my favorite.  You'll get lost looking at all of the attention to detail...it's wonderful!

{The Parable Series: The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs}

This is another new one for us this year.  This story is about a farmer and his family that grow Christmas trees and upon wanting to keep the best for themselves, are taught the real meaning of Christmas.

I hope each of you have a blessed and joyful Christmas and get to spend lots of time with your children and grandchildren on your laps ready lots of great books.  May you be filled to overflowing with the love and presence of Christ.

Merry Christmas, friends!

Favorite Thanksgiving Books for Children...Plus Two Recipes!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year.  Not only do I love the weather and all of the smells associated with fall, but some of my best memories in elementary school were making Indian vests out of paper grocery bags, Indian headbands and Pilgrim hats.  Oh the memories.  The story of Thanksgiving and the earliest moments in American history just never get old. And the food?  Goodness gracious.  Is is just me or does anyone else daydream about the spread that was laid out on the tables in the cool, crisp New England air that day?

We've read lots of great books about Thanksgiving the last few years, but there are a few in particular that have become fam faves.

Here's our Top Six:

{Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin}

I LOVE this book!  It's a new one for us this year and I fell in love.  Grandmother and Maggie each invite someone to the cranberry farm every year to have Thanksgiving dinner with them.  Grandmother's Cranberry Bread is served {recipe below} and it is long sought after.  To their surprise one of the guests wants the recipe--and it's not who you think...

Grandmother's Famous Cranberry Bread

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup butter

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp grated orange peel

3/4 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice all at once; stir just until mixture is evenly moist. Fold in raisins and cranberries. 

Spoon into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.

If you choose, you may substitute cranberries for the raisins to have an all cranberry bread.

{An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott}

She's best known for writing the popular novel Little Women, but this is another great story by Louisa May Alcott.  Such a cute and classic story.

{Squanto's Journey by Joseph Bruchac}

The illustrations in this book are absolutely beautiful.  You've probably read the story of Squanto many times, but this is written in a fresh and interesting way.

{Thanksgiving Story by by Alice Dagliesh}

This is a story of three siblings making their way to the New World on the Mayflower.  Along the way their brother, Oceanus, is born and as they arrive to their new home they are witness to many challenges that were facing those that came before them.  Love the illustrations in this book!

{The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George}

Jean Craighead George is a Newberry Medalist and Thomas Locker is an exceptional illustrator.  Lots of interesting facts in this book surrounded by great storytelling.  

{Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas}

We read this every year!  Eric Metaxas is great.  If you haven't read this one yet, get it for your library.  It's a classic that deserves a place on your bookshelf!

This was the recipe to the first pecan pie I ever made.  It was so good that I just didn't feel like I ever needed to search for another recipe ever again!  I initially read the ingredients wrong and used two sticks of butter instead of two tablespoons.  Woopsie!  But it tasted so good that I was a little unwilling to let go of all the butter--but I did.  Instead of two sticks I just use one :)  

Practically Perfect Pecan Pie

3 eggs beaten well

1 cup white Karo

1 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 stick of butter

1 cup pecans

1 tsp vanilla

Start with eggs and add as listed.  If you use chopped pecans go ahead and add those to the mix with everything else.  If you'd like to use whole pecans place in rings on top of the pie before baking.  Pour mixture into an unbaked pie crust {I like to use Pet Ritz}  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes then 350 for 40 minutes.  Check every five minutes or so--don't bake longer than 55 minutes.  If your pie crust starts getting too brown just tear strips of aluminum foil and place on the pie crust.

May our hearts and minds gravitate towards Christ this month and may an attitude to thankfulness, contentment and joy be present in our lives.  We have so much to be thankful for, friends. 

  

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!