Mmm…Mmm…GOOD!!

 

Hi Sweeties!!  Hope you are having a great week!  Thank you for all of your sweet comments on my friendship post!  Ya’ll are something else!!

 

I just have to share this wonderful soup recipe with you!  It is an all time fave of my family (and ME!)

I mean after all, my saying is that I have never met a potato I didn’t like!!  I know…carb city…well, would it help if I told you I don’t EVER eat dessert??!!

Ok…well then just know that if you take a wooden spoon and wave it over the top of your pot of this amazing soup, the carbs just disappear!!  HA!!

OK, well then…Just skip dessert!!  It is soooo worth it!! 

Doesn’t it look simply delish???  I assure you it is and you won’t make it only once!  The great thing is it is pretty simple!!

This recipe is for Southern Living’s Baked Potato Soup!  If you try it you must let me know what you think!!  Make a little extra and give some to a friend!!  Spread the potato joy of it all around!!  It’s a great soup for those cooler autumn days!!  Serious comfort food!!

6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

3- 14 oz cans chicken broth

1/4 c butter

2 1/2 t salt

1 1/4 t freshly ground pepper

1 c whipping cream or half and half

1 c shredded SHARP Cheddar cheese

3 T chopped fresh chives

1 (8 0z.) sour cream

4 bacon slices cooked and crumbled

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1.  Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5 qt. slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on high 4 hours or on low 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
3.  Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened; stir in cream, cheese and chives.   Top with sour cream and sprinkle with bacon and Cheddar cheese before serving.

***NOTE***

Chives are nice, but I prefer the stronger flavor of scallions.  Also, I do not cook this in my crock pot, but do the same method stove top.  It cooks in much less time and I don’t think the flavors are sacrificed.

A sandwich or crusty bread with garlic butter goes great with this!!

Enjoy!!

Love ya!!!
Becky

JOY For Our Journey~~Friendship!

 

One of life’s biggest blessings is that of a friend.

My closest friend is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

But right now I’m talking about friends with skin on them, you know?

Those who love you when you’re maybe not being so lovable, put your needs ahead of their own, are always eager to listen, encourage or lend a hand in time of need…and who will even have the courage to say the hard things with a compassionate heart.

God has blessed me with some friends like this over my lifetime, and I treasure them so!  A couple of them will read this and you know who you are!  They are better than gold or silver and I am so thankful for the privilege of knowing them.

I thought I’d share some friendship quotes today and encourage you to call, write, text, email, or do something nice for those precious people that bring joy to your life through their loyal friendship!

A friend loveth at all times.  
    Proverbs 17:17

~~The ornament of a house are the friends who frequent it.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

    

~~We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.

~~If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day so I never have to live without you.  A.A. Milne

~~Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.

~~Yes’m, old friends is always best, ‘less you can catch a new one that’s fit to make an old one out of.

~~True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.  David Gentry

~~Friendship is a sheltering tree. Samuel Coleridge

Thanking each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for the blessing of YOUR friendship!  Such treasures you are!!!  I am a blessed woman!!

Love and Hugs,
Becky

Love Me Some Old Homes!!

 

Hope you all are having a lovely Saturday!!  We are!  We went to a new little farmer’s market around the corner and got some great deals on fresh baked goods and veggies!

 

A couple of weekends ago me and Maddy went for a drive, one of our favorite things to do, and I decided to snap a few pics to show you some of the neat older homes in our area.  These are just a few, and I will do another post showing some of the more “cottagey” older homes in a few weeks.

 

This one has always been one of my faves.  The Spanish tile is multi-colored and really adds a neat touch to the look. 

 

This one is located on a lake that is just beautiful, and is a place I always thought would be awesome to live.  Quite pricey, though!!  They gave this one a facelift several years ago, and added a bit more space.

I think we got the info sheet on this baby, and if I remember correctly it’s in the $600,000 price range!  It looks new, but was built in the 40’s, and is probably worth every penny of the asking price!

This is on the same lake as the previous one.  That upper deck is just dreamy and has a great view of the lake.

Hope you enjoyed these homes!

Have a delightful evening and Sunday!!
Love ya’ll!

Becky

Now That’s a Keeper!!

It’s that time again!  Time to begin our new year with our Keepers At Home girls club!

God put it in my heart to start this club last year, and we have our first meeting of the new year today!!

Our 11 girls, ages 8-12 will be learning scrapbooking for the next couple of weeks.  Last year they learned baking, counted cross stitch, etiquette, rubber stamping, table setting, and even were hostesses to their moms for a lovely tea party.  They did all of the food prep and serving.  It was a delight for sure!

We also have monthly Bible memory verses and a devotional time to help them become the godly young ladies God desires them to be!!  This year we will work on quilting, creating with miniatures, service to others, sewing, have a campout and all kinds of fun!!

Well I’m off to get busy preparing the supplies and tidying up my home! 

I have to say there is nothing I find more satisfying or fulfilling than being a keeper of my home!!  Truly a blessing from God!!

Hope your day is full of sunshine and joy!!

Love you!
Becky

 

 

JOY For Our Journey~~Be a JOY!

 

Happee Monday to all of you sweet gals out there!!

Hope your weekend was wonderful!  Ours was!  We went to north Florida to the hunting camp to help with needed repairs and get our site ready!  More about that in a day or so!  You can visit my daughter Madison’s blog for her thoughts on the weekend!

This is a lovely picture thought I had to share with you!  Can’t you just envision yourself there with a favorite book, picnic lunch, and a canoe?  I sure can!! 

 

Today’s Joy For Our Journey message is short and sweet, but very close to the heart of Christ!

It is simply this…BE A JOY!!

That’s it!  BE A JOY!! 

 

Today…yes, this very day, there is someone who needs to see your smile, hear your reassuring words, know that you care enough to listen or lend a hand, feel the warmth of your touch, hear you say “I love you”, or “You did a great job”.

You have the power to make a difference in someone’s life today!   Whose will it be?  Have you thought of someone already?  Maybe it’s someone right in your own home, or at the local store, and where you work, or a neighbor…ask God to show you who needs you today! 

And then…do it again tomorrow!

We can change the world!!  One smile, one kind deed, thoughtful word or gesture at a time!!

What God says about it:

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 
2Thessalonians 3:13

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 2:15

 

Have a fantastic week and look for ways to BE A JOY!!!

Hugs n love,
Becky

 

Sunday Morning Meditations

 

Forever, O Lord,

Your word is settled in heaven,

 

Your faithfulness endures to all generations;

You established the earth, and it abides.

They continue this day according to your ordinances,

For all are Your servants.  Psalm 119:89-91

I will never forget Your precepts, for by them

You have given me life.   Psalm 119:93

Have a lovely, joyful Sunday, my friends. 

To God be the glory!

Love you,
Becky

New Treasures!!

Yesterday, my very talented 28 year old daughter, Sam, brought me this wonderful scarf she knitted for me!!    Aren’t the colors so rich and wonderful?? 

She asked me about colors and I said navy blue or brown and this has so many lovely shades of both in it!  And is SO soft!!  I really just want to have it on right now!!!

 

On Labor day, Maddy requested that we visit one of our fave local shops…Somewhere in Time.  Well she didn’t have to ask twice!!  We both found some new treasures there!  I already had the rooster plate and found the lovely hen and just couldn’t resist it!  Don’t they look great together?  I think I need a little rooster lamp to go next to them!!   The hen is  a Susan Winget design, and I love her stuff!!

It’s even signed by her on the back…too cool!

I also found the small version of the Antinori fish bottle that I love so much, and had to get it too!!  I have no idea why I love these bottles so much, but I do!!  Do you think I should age the label?  The other one came like that.

Well that’s my show and tell for now!!

Hope you all have an awesome Friday!  I was sick for a few days, but am almost 100% again so I’m ready for a great weekend!!  Thanks so much to those of you who prayed for me!!

Love and hugs,

Becky

JOY For Our Journey~~Unpaid Debt?

 

JESUS PAID IT ALL

ALL TO HIM I OWE

SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN

HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW.

I just love the wisdom and truth of the old hymns.
These words are from one of them, and are a
simple yet strong reminder of all Christ did in our behalf when He died for the sins of the world.

Do you have sin debt you cannot pay?  Are you
haunted by the guilt of past sins, or are you struggling to break a cycle of sin in your life?

Do you want to experience the freedom and joy that come from cancelling out that sin debt and walking with God?

God sent Jesus to pay our sin debt!  

My friend, you can be free from it all! 

We just have to acknowledge that we are sinners, turn from our sin,  believe that Jesus died on the cross to cancel our sin debt, and ask Him to come into our hearts and be the Lord of our lives. He will then come into your heart, forgive your sins, and begin to make you more like Him.  Plus…we get to live in heaven with Him for all of eternity!!  How awesome is that??

I did just that 22 years ago, and Jesus met me right where I was at, but loved me enough to not let me stay there.  I have grown in my knowledge and love for Him beyond what I am able to express with mere words.  He truly is LIFE to me!   I have eternal life in heaven after I leave this earth,  and I cannot even begin to imagine life here without Him.

This is no doubt the single most important decision I have ever made and one that I have never regretted!  Thank You Jesus!

If you haven’t received Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, won’t you consider receiving His wonderful gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Him today? 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 
John 3:16

JOY UNSPEAKABLE!!

 

***I would love to hear from you if you have questions I might be able to answer.  Just email me at holidayinthesun_1@yahoo.com and I will do my best to help! 

Have a joyful week my friends!

Love and Hugs,
Becky

 

 

I’m Baaack and Finally Finished!!

I hope you are all having a very enjoyable Labor Day Weekend so far!!  We sure are!  Last night we had our oldest daughter and her
family over for dinner, and this morning I made an absolutely HUGE
breakfast for #2 daughter, her boyfriend, and my Brittany’s best
friend, Brittany.  It was all just delightful, especially the great company!

Then after all the visiting and eating, me and my hubby actually had
the afternoon to ourselves!  Alone in the house….that doesn’t happen very often!!  Needless to say, it was wonderful!
I know the days will come when we are almost always alone in our home, but for now we take great delight in seizing the moment and
really savoring it!

OK…you’ve been very patient with me, and I so appreciate it!  We have had some pressing things to deal with lately, and everything has just taken a back seat.

IF you remember, I had two of these on my front doors and they needed a FALL FACELIFT!!  

 

 

Well, here it is with it’s new fall look!  I did as several of you
suggested and left the yellow thingies a bit longer, didn’t add
any red, and did add a bow!  What do ya think?  I love them!
When I get the whole entryway all FALLED-UP
and trim the hedges and stuff, I’ll show you a fuller view, OK?

 

 

Here the twins are!! The way these things hang it is tough to get a full front picture this close, so they don’t look like they match as well
as they do.  BUT, you’ll see they do when I get the whole front all dressed up in it’s fall attire!  Thanks for your great advice!!

Praying that you all have a joyful Sunday and a wonderful Labor Day…it’s the beginning of our long wave goodbye to summer down here!!

Thanks for all of your friendships, love, prayers and encouragement!
I have the best bloggy buddies in blogland!!

Love and hugs,

Becky