Prairie Oak Homestead

The trees have been beautiful this year! I know I've talked about it like crazy, but it just seems so wonderful to me. The simple things in life are what stirs my soul. Here are a few pics from our back porch (the horse is our neighbors)... I went to Arthur today with some friends to get some meat, but stopped at a store called Beachy's, an Amish bulk food store, for a few other things. :) Here's some of them... I got some orange slices, popcorn, and almonds. :) And oh this cheese! THIS cheese... Oh my this CHEESE... Can ya tell I like it? I like it a lot... It's wonderful on chili, tortilla chips, crackers, crackers and deer sausage, by itself....*sigh* I should have bought more... I'm eating a chunk of it as we speak...oh the simple pleasures! :) God is GOOD!

I made this dessert for our small group the other night. Ryan really liked it. I thought it was pretty good, too. I ran out of the spices so it wasn't as bold as usual. I made it gluten free also. Crust One box of Pamela's GF shortbread cookies with pecans, crushed (if you are doing it regular you can use 1 1/2 c of shortbread crumbs.) 3 T melted butter 3 T GF flour mix Filling 11 oz cream cheese 1 c sugar 3 T GF four mix 1 t cinnamon 1/4 t nutmeg 1/4 t ginger 1/4 t cloves 3 eggs 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin 1 T milk Mix crust ingredients together and press into a pie pan. Bake at 375 for about 10 or until golden brown. Beat flour, cream cheese, and sugar together until fluffy. Take out 1/2 c and put to the side. Add the rest of the ingredients except milk to the bowl and mix. Pour onto pie crust. Mix milk with the 1/2 c cream cheese mixture and plop on top of pie in little mounds around the pie. Take a knife and swirl the cream cheese mix into the pie...

Good morning all! It's a bit dreary here in central Illinois, but oh how the leaves look so pretty against that blue/grey sky! I have a goal today to get things organized as much as possible. There just seems to be a little bit of stuff everywhere that's not in it's proper place. I should have the whole day to do it. I'm gonna try real hard! :) Our son has somehow gotten into the habit of leaving his socks and stuff EVERYWHERE in the house. Granted our house is fairly modest in size so it seems like it's overtaking every room. :) I hope to give him a lesson on keeping his socks picked up today. ;) This picture is kinda how my son is while I'm cleaning. Oblivious...LOL Hopefully I can make him more aware that his help is very much appreciated. So, not really a whole lot going on today. Just tidying up the house as it's getting ready to be shut up for a long, hard winter. I like it to be really clean before that happens. :) Hope you all have a bless...

I love this time of year. It is so pretty. The colors on the trees are phenomenal this year. The cold nights and mild days have made for beautiful foliage. Every time I see a tree like this, I feel like I'm in the very presence of the Lord and a calming peace washes over me. Now, I realize the Lord is always with us, but there is just something about the beauty of nature that really tunes me into Him. I like to slow down and enjoy it all. The smells of the house, the feel of the warm, soapy dishwater on my hands, the sounds of the birds and the crackle of the wood stove, and the taste of good down home cookin'. I don't think God wants us in a rush. To just be oblivious to His creation. We are worshiping Him when we acknowledge His handiwork. I also like this season of my life. I have been feeling better (I still have my weak days), my husband and I celebrated 13 yrs of marriage yesterday, I have a wonderful son who I am learning more and more about, I have been b...

Well, I'm back to wearing them. This time I am really happy about it. :) It was weighing on my heart for a while that I just didn't feel modest enough in my jeans. I talked with my husband about this because he is the one who really wanted me to wear jeans. He enjoyed "looking at my shape." I enjoyed him looking at my shape, too. I just didn't enjoy others looking at my shape. We talked it over and he realized that I was being a stumbling block to other men. He really didn't want that. Finding pants/jeans that are modest is very difficult to do. They are cut for a females shape. If you find looser ones, they usually look pretty silly. So we decided skirts will be just fine. They are feminine and pretty. It was difficult when I wore skirts before because I was very plain jane. My husband didn't like that at all. I have found a few skirts that are modest, feminine, and cute and he likes them a lot. I believe modesty is a heart issue first and...

I am continuing to feel good. What a blessing that is! Being off the chemo medicine has really been good. I have had more energy, more of an appetite, more of a spring in my step, and more determination. :) Digging deeper in the Word and learning more about the Lord. What a blessing to have that Book at our fingertips! Having a husband that truly loves you is a wonderful blessing. Being warm and cozy from the warmth of the fire in the wood stove. I look forward to it every year. Having the honor to call someone "dad" who isn't my biological dad. God has placed this person in my life to fill a great void. My "real" dad doesn't want anything to do with me and my step-dad was killed almost 3 years ago (3 days after my birthday) I am so blessed that God has decided to use this man to show me love as a dad would. Having a son with a tender heart and a love for animals. (He left me a note the other night on my pillow that read "I love you") Livi...