Pictures from My Snow Day

I love snow, especially if I don't have to drive anywhere! The other day, I got to spend a rare day at home because of the snow. There were many things I really should have worked on, but I just could not resist bundling up and heading out with my camera.

 

I absolutely love how hushed things are on the farm when it is covered in a blanket of beautiful white snow....makes me think of how I have been washed "whiter than snow" by the blood and love of my savior....

 

Here are a few of my favorite shots from that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Winter! :)

~Allison

Chats on the FarmHouse Porch (#33)

Hey there everyone, I have been posting so many photos lately that I have neglected some of the other link-ups I love to do. This post I am linking up with Patrice over at Everyday Ruralty for her famous "Chats on the Farmhouse Porch"

Today was beautiful! It was almost warm enough to sit out in the full sun on the deck, but I would probably welcome you to sit in my living room with the fireplace going....and we could chat about this weeks questions:

QUESTIONS

1. Tell me a fond memory of an elderly person?
2. What's your favorite flavor of jam or jelly?
3. What goes through your mind when you drive by one of those whopping, huge houses that look like something in a magazine?
4. What's your favorite way to relax?
5. What's your favorite kind of pasta?

My answers:

1. I would answer this one by talking about my Gram and Grandpa. I love remembering how my Grandpa would take me out for breakfast and eat all the things that Grandma removed from his diet....He would say "Now Ali, we don't  need to mention to Gram what I am ordering this morning, this is OUR time" We would ride home stopping to talk to the Amish men that would be set up roadside selling produce or cheese. He loved chatting with them. We would make up  songs to sing in the car all the way home.  You can read more about him HERE. Also my Gram who we lost last year...she was "green" before it was the thing to be and she was a great cook ( all natural ingredients) i remember many days helping her in the garden, I can still feel the warm sun on my back and eating fresh raw peas...you can read about her HERE

2.My favorite...only one? I  used to love my gram's current jelly...I guess raspberry or strawberry? Anything but orange marmalade...yuck! 

3.Wow...do they clean that themselves? How many people live there...seems like houses get bigger, but families get smaller these days. I love my old farmhouse, it's not tiny, but it's not big enough to forget we live with our family members either...I love being able to her Cody playing guitar in his room, Collin playing drums in his room, and Colton playing in his room or running back and forth between his brother's rooms teasing and laughing with each other.

4. If weather is nice, either sitting on the deck with hot or iced coffee...or going on a photo walk, pausing long enough to focus on detail and clear my mind.

  If the weather is not nice, then curled up in front of the fireplace with hot coffee and a good book or magazine...or catching up on my favorite blogs and gathering amazing ideas on Pinterest :)

5. Pasta is such a comfort food...I  like it every which way...Olive Garden's never ending pasta ....oh yeah!

Well it was a pleasure having you over! Please continue the conversation in the comments below. I'd love to hear your thoughts to these questions too :)

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Hugs and Prayers!

Allison

Calm: Poetic Winter Photo Challenge Week 4

   Well, this is the final entry for the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge. It has been fun finding shots to go with the theme each week.

   I am late getting this one in...this week has been anything but calm. I just couldn't bring myself to find the time to put a post together or to focus on a word that I just could not fit my mind into...

   These photos are being pulled from shoots where I was feeling calm. As this week comes to a close, I am hoping this weekend will slow down a bit. 

   As you visit here today, I hope these images and the songs that are playing will help make you feel a sense of calm....

 And if you are in a stormy time in your life right now, I encourage you to tuck yourself in close to your Heavenly Father and wait out the storm...The wind will die down...the sun will shine warm on your face again...you are not alone...lay your burden down and rest...

Calm


I love to watch the sky, I think it is one of the most calming things to do...

We have not had much snow this winter, so I pulled this one out from pictures of the last big snow we had.

A thick blanket of snow quiets the earth in a very calming way...

Time spent around water is always calming... I love this picture of the pier at the lake and watching the water move...and watching how the wind fills the sails of the boats on the water is very calming

Time spent with scripture calms and quiets the soul...

May you have many "Green Pasture" and "Still Water" moments today....

Love,
Allison

Passion: Poetic Winter Photo Challenge Wk.3

  Wow! February is clipping right along, I have really enjoyed participating in this Photo Challenge this month. This week the theme is...

Passion

I have several passions, but...I love photography...especially shots of flowers and other detailed items found in nature.

I also of course think of my wonderful Hubby Dave when I think of the word Passion...

(To read our story, click here)

And my passion as a Mom...I love my boys....

Mostly when I here the word Passion, I think of the PASSION of Jesus Christ on the cross...

(To read an earlier post about this trip read here...)

And, I am so thankful that my family knows the Love of Christ and has made the decision to follow Him....

Have you decided to follow Jesus?

Glad you stopped by, leave a  comment and let me know you were here :)

Have a Blessed day!

-Allison

Kitchen Remix

   Well, we are redoing our kitchen! I'm so excited. We have a fairly big kitchen space and love to have lots of people over...but...while I can fit lots of people in there, I can't fit all my cups or plastic containers in my cabinets. We are busting at the seems!
   Some time back, friends of ours got a new kitchen and allowed us to take the wall cabinets they were taking out. I am a hopeless romantic when it comes to refinishing old things and loving them back to life. So of course when I saw these old cabinets needing a new home, I had to have them :)
   I can't believe it, but I didn't take any "before" pictures! My hubby had some time, and we just jumped in to ripping things out and starting this big project while we could. I have scoured through my pictures and found a couple of them that give an idea of what it looked like.
   We  don't have a lot of time (or money) so it will be a long drawn out project, but I'm so encouraged to be getting started! My plan is to post our progress as we move along. Feel free to leave some advice in the comments. We have done a lot of remodeling, but not on kitchens.
   In our "old" kitchen, we only have 3 1/2 wall cabinets, one big useless space under the sink, 3 small base cabinets and one base unit with drawers. I had a shallow floor to ceiling cupboard to hold food, and an awkward pantry type thing built in one wall. BUT, I had a long wall with nothing on it. It was begging for some cabinets! I had a kitchen table there that no one ate at and just usually held stuff that wouldn't fit in anywhere.
   The walls were white when we moved in 8 years ago, and white they stayed. I am painting them a creamy coffee/ chocolaty color called "Macchiato", and the cabinets will be painted cream and will have an antiqued finish. I love coffee and the contents of my morning cup inspired me. I am planning to have a little area devoted to all things coffee, kind of a mini coffee bar.
   Along that blank canvas of a wall we will be running counter top, but not base cabinets. I want to leave the bottom  open for bar stools of some sort. We are thinking about pouring our own concrete counter tops. Do any of you have experience with that?

Anyway here are a couple of pictures to serve as "Before" shots...

   
(Above)This is the wall that will get all the newly finished cabinets. We moved the 
fridge and found an awful peachy paint color!
Also this ugly wall paper was behind the cabinets!(Right)

Here we see usually our "company" is a house full of teens. We love it! Anyway I had this rolling cart by the door to hold small appliances, the microwave and coffee pot. To the right of that is the tall cupboard that I used as a pantry. Then I have 1 1/2 half cabinets over the stove. to the right of that is my corner sink.

After the corner sink, you see two upper cabinets and my corner of small base cabinets. Then the dishwasher and fridge. And there you see that long blank wall with a shelf on it...longing for cabinets and counter top! I know I will be giving up floor space, but I think it will be worth it. ( These lovely people are my husbands aunt and uncle and cousins. Love spending time with family!)

So Hopefully I will get a chance to get some pictures up soon of what we have done so far. Any suggestions for flooring? We are thinking of  doing a heated tile floor.

Some Peace on a Rainy Fall Day

   Well it's fall here in South of the Middle of Nowhere. We have had some really beautiful days with beautiful skies, but today...well, it's one of those gray, rainy, curl up in front of the fireplace kinda days. I kind of like it though. I didn't get called into work today, so I get to be home with my kids and have my pot of coffee on all day.
   I needed this! I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately, and have been just plain too busy. My body mind and soul have been letting me know enough is enough, but isn't it amazing how we just keep pushing through?
   Not today though, I will allow myself to enjoy and recoup...sit by the window and watch the rain drops gently hit the water streaked glass, help my kids with their schoolwork, read some uplifting scripture, and post a few pictures of my favorite fall scenes. I am thankful for today, and am so glad you stopped by and hope you can enjoy a peaceful moment with me for a bit...you are welcome to stay as long as you like...I'm not going anywhere :)

Wishing you many warm blessings,


Allison