Joyfull Living

I saw this cute season quiz at Come to the Table . Since fall is my absolute favorite season of the year, I just KNEW I'd be a "Fall". But alas...I"m a SPRING! But that is ok, spring is my second favorite time of the year. It's just that it has been soooooo hot here in the south and cooler weather is all I can think about..other than pumpkin bread, cool nights, brisk walks, the scent of fall candles, etc., I'm so ready for fall! Go over to take the quiz to see what season you are! You Belong in Spring Optimistic, lively, and almost always happy with the world... You can truly appreciate the blooming nature of spring. Whether you're planting flowers or dyeing Easter eggs, spring is definitely your season! What Season Are You?

Last Friday was my first week in participating in Show and Tell Friday at Kelli's House . It was so much fun seeing everyone's items to show and many came here to my blog and left sweet comments. So this week, I'm going to share my love of plants with you. These are in a corner of my porch. These are in another corner! This is what the last corner looks like on the back porch. Here is a small area I've decorated with a few plants. Here is a flower that was blooming beautifully when I was taking pictures! Make sure and visit Kelli's House and check out the great Show and Tell Friday!

Katrina is hosting a Fall Into Reading Challenge which runs from September 23 to December 23. The purpose of this challenge is for us to establish some goals for our reading this Fall and then work toward them. Whether you have a pile of books that you've been intending to read but just haven't yet, or you need a gentle prod to finish some books that you started but then abandoned, or you would just like a little accountability as you work through your reading stack, this is designed to challenge and encourage readers. I have a pile of books, unread and will list some that I am anxious to read this fall. A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George A Heart Like His by Beth Moore Creating A Beautiful Home by Alexandra Stoddard Created To Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney The Blessing by Gary Smalley & John Trent The Power of a Positive Mom by Karol Ladd A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman That should get me started and I may add...

This is a fun way to increase femininity and beauty in our lives each week without even trying! All you have to do is choose five things that you would like to work on or do during the week that will increase the loveliness in your life! I found this neat idea from Charming the Birds From the Trees Here is a list I came up with for my week: 1. Make a great dessert for my family. 2. Put out the fall decorations. 3. Use perfume more to have a special fragarance always. 4. Smile more, especially to family. 5. Send a special card to someone who needs a lift. Stay tuned, as I get time to update the blog, I am adding a thankful list and a fall reading list. Would love your input and ideas!

I thought I would share a quick photo of a Sunday afternoon here at our home. Here is Dad with the youngest boy shooting targets with the BB gun.

Last week, I found a blog Kelli's House that features a Show and Tell Friday where you can share something special to you. After consideration throughout the week I decided to share my rag doll collection. These babies sit above my kitchen cabinets: Here are a few of my favorites close up. I did not intend to collect rag dolls, but I found one that I liked and then just added a few more. They seem to give my kitchen an old fashioned look which I like. May sure and stop by Kelli's House and check it out.

A verse in Proverbs says "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Simply meaning a right word spoken at the right time is a thing of beauty. Each one of us has our own "quirks", or certain things we do a certain way - and it probably makes no sense to anyone but us. One of my quirks is making sure the mornings in our home go smoothly. We have a 20 minute ride to school and in years past I have spent at least half of that time nagging and complaining about everything under the sun. I finally realized how valuable and precious that time is. Those few moments can set the tone for the day for each of us. They can ruin a day or bless the day. I decided I want to bless and be blessed! I came across some prayers from Moms In Touch and wrote them out in a small notebook. Each morning we read the characteristic, the definition of it and the Bible verse that goes along with it. Hearing good, wholesome words in the morning can only lead to a...