Hello there. It’s been a minute. I think l asked last year if people still read blogs. I do occasionally. Maybe I need to blow the dust off of this one. Reconnect with you sweet people.
Yesterday was the first day of winter and it was gorgeous.
Those of you that follow in Instaland…probably already know about the heartache in our family. If not, my little brother has been missing since the 17th of December, 2020. So with all of that we have been trying to learn to live in the midst of it. That’s really what we have to do, isn’t it. As unbelievably hard as that is…it’s vital. I have actually done a little therapy and plan to do more. It was just time. I needed someone to help me physically process. You know what…that is absolutely okay. I don’t care about stigma anymore. Quite frankly, none of us should. Our healthy bodies and minds lead to healthy relationships. That is just wisdom.
Sweet baby brother of mine.
So…I know. That is heavy, but I have always tried to be real with my readers. Knowing that God is sovereign is the only thing that makes it doable. Which is basically all of life. We tend to forget that on occasion.
Rockbridge. Missouri is gorgeous at Christmas!
So the Mr. and I had our 26th wedding anniversary this month. It was so fun! He took me to Rockbridge and then we did some shopping. We laughed a lot and just enjoyed being together so much. I love his perspective. There is something about a man’s perspective that is so refreshing to me. I have been blessed with good men in my life and I don’t take that for granted. Anyway…it’s so fun to have a day to just listen and visit and share. He is one of this life’s biggest blessings to me and I am so grateful.
My sweet man watching the trout fisherman.
Okay so elephant in the room…are you ready for Christmas? I think we mostly are. Maybe a few little things. I’m excited for everyone to open their gifts! I will share a few little Christmas decor shots with you. I kept it simple this year. A country Christmas theme.
That little Tonka is fun!Our daughter made the sweetest gingerbread fellas!A sweet spot in the kitchen. And of course some crocks.
On a slightly different note…the ADR Farmhouse Dishrag business has done so well this year. We give God all of the glory. He’s the one that makes it all possible. I am so grateful to be able to work from home like that. In the new year things may look a tad different. We are tossing around new ideas and I’m so exited. Maybe a new design or two. Here’s a little sneak peek:
Mustard is always my favorite. This new border is so fun!!’
So…from our home to yours, I hope that you have the absolute merriest of Christmases! I hope that you feel the peace of God in all that you do. May the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, bring hope to your heart this season.
Hey Friends!!! I come to you with lots of well wishes for a wonderful holiday! Ours will be a bit different this year…like everything else…but we will still celebrate the Savior of the world.
So this is Christmas…
You know…this year we hung a few wreaths on the fence posts and gate…and decorated a little cedar at the bottom of the hill. It was as much for all the neighbors as for us. It was so fun!
If you look closely you can see the farmhouse through there.
This year has been full of simple things. Basic things. Things of necessity. I’m okay with that. I think that it makes us take a look at what is really important.
The Mister and I celebrated twenty five years this year! We had a Christmas wedding so we always get to take a minute apart this time of year. It was a beautiful night at a trout ranch. The food was so good and the company was even better. Silver Anniversary during a pandemic? Party of two, please.
I hope that all of your celebrations whether big or small turn out peaceful and happy this year. We have had joy and sadness…but we are going to try our best come Christmas morning to celebrate Jesus.
So this is Christmas.
Love from the Farmhouse,
Kelli
p.s Our daughter and I snuck away for a junking break yesterday. Here’s a sneak peek of what we found:
How are you guys!? We are trying to roll with things…you know. (Insert emoji with eyes bugged out.) It’s been a minute since I have been here so I thought that I would stop by. We aren’t talking Soaps today…lol…just showing you a little of what is going on at the Farmhouse…as the world turns.
So quite awhile back I got the urge to paint our hutch. We have had this piece since around 2001ish maybe. I have always loved the white…and still do, but I have been loving all of the black farmhouse things for awhile now. Plus we have lots of white in our home so I went for it. I love Tricorn by Sherwin Williams, so that is what I used . It’s a true black with a finish that seems very early American to me.
She’s not done. Needs another coat…but so far I am pleased. I left the inside white, since that helps with it not absorbing decor. I’m excited to finish it today.
I’ve also been doing a tiny bit of junking lately. I ran across that rustic shelf at the thrift and I knew that as much as I love the cozy things…it needed to come on home with me. (It probably sounds like I’m avoiding the elephant in the room…also known as Corona. I am. Not because we aren’t aware, our son is quarantined due to being exposed, now, but I figure you guys hear enough about that part of the world turning. We need a break from it now and then.) Junking is a beautiful distraction.
So another fun thing happened this week! A friend of mine found this beautiful Philodendron for me! I loooove it. This particular species is…get this…Hope. Everyone needs a little hope in their lives. She found this one at Home Depot. She’s a pretty good old gal…that Brenda G.
One more sweet thing from our little farm and I will sign off for today. You. Guys. Tomato jam! Whyyyyy didn’t someone tell me? I have been canning for years and never knew. It’s so, so, good. You lay down your cracker…add a smidge of cream cheese, and then a little dollop of tomato jam. Soooooo good! Let me know if you need the link…or I can do a blog post and tell you how I made ours.
(This is a side note. Those of you that order dishrags for the holidays…shop is open. Those popcorn rectangles from the ADR Farmhouse Dishrags collection are my favorite!)
Okay…so I hope that as your world turns on this Friday and holiday weekend…things are good. I’m going to leave you with a little something that I found today:
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;” Jeremiah 1:5
It’s not everywhere in this life that we find comfort and assurance like that. God is in control even if people don’t want to admit it. But to know that there was a time when it was only God and us…and no one else knew about us…that is heartwarming and fills me with awe. It’s a beautiful and loving thing to be alone with God.
I feel like that I might do a blog post with this title once a year. Maybe not. Maybe I just use that phrase often. But here we go. Back in the saddle again. Another school year. The cozy months are upon us.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t a tad bit excited. I have already dreamed a little about big, bubbling, pots of chili. I know…totally crazy in light of the temps. I won’t cook that yet. Mister Dirt Road wouldn’t love that. He thinks that chili is strictly for fall and winter unless you’re having a Sonic Coney Dog. lol!
I’m always excited to get outside a little more on the farm, once the August and September heat passes. Then when that first little nip is in the air? Do you love it too? For all of my self proclaimed summer lovin’ ways….fall pulls one over on me every year.
Are you guys meal planners for this time of year? I need to post my mom’s deer stir fry recipe. I promised that on IG, so I may just do a whole blog post the next time that I make it. Then…when the men or the ladies or the kiddos bring in that big deer…you will have a great recipe. It is sooooo good and I hadn’t made it for ages until the other night. It was great! Mom won’t care to share her secret. Maybe she needs to be featured on here. That would be fun.
We will chat soon. Praying that your babies and ours have an amazing year. May the Lord shine down on the path of all of us.
This poor ol’ blog takes a back seat a lot of the time.
Amongst a busy summer and other stuff up to my eyeballs…I don’t always keep up with it. Shamey, shamey, I know my namey.
I could give you a list of excuses a mile long…all true…but how about I just do better? You guys keep checking in…and that is the sweetest!!!
I hope that you all had an amazing summer…full of all of the good stuff. I hope that God spoke to your hearts in new ways to inspire your life. He sure is good about that.
Who would have thought? The girl that struggled through Home Economics can actually sew a bit and crochet! Lol! I know, I know…not a biggie for most people…but Mrs. McGoldrick was impressed when I told her. (Small town life. Our kids go to school with her grands.)
Do you guys have a hobby? Most of my sewing is things that are needed or rag quilts. I actually really enjoy it. Very relaxing to me. Crocheting on the other hand has become a small business and I am so thankful for that!
I began crocheting years ago. I worked for a lady that also had her family working with her. Between them and my friend Jenny, we learned to crochet. I picked it up again years later and really wasn’t all that great. It was all of that counting that I wasn’t interested in. #mathishard
Rewind to last year. I had been making wonky dishrags for my friends and family, bless their hearts, and then I decided to YouTube it up and make them the right way. You know…the exact science. 😉 So from there my little ADR Farmhouse Dishrag business took off. I am so thankful for the way that God just blew the doors off of my/our little business. (Shoutout to the Mr. who mails all of the packages at the P.O.)
It has grown a bit this spring from just dishrags to mug rugs/coasters too. They are a bit reminiscent of what your granny might make…with a bit of farmhouse feel from this era.
You know…when you ask God to cause things to bloom in your life…you never know what He is going to do. I will tell you this though…it will be perfect and timely. It will just fall into place. That is His way.
Well late summer is here, or so we think. When August rolls around it feels that way doesn’t it? Letting go of the carefree days of summer and looking toward the more scheduled way of life.
I enjoy both. I love having the kids home but they thrive on a schedule. It’s always bittersweet. We can relax more in the evenings during summer break but then the weekends become more special through the school year.
I enjoy late summer. It makes me feel nostalgic for some reason. I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s because it starts a new season. When I was little it was because of my birthday. Yes…I tend to get a little older during late summer.
On a different note…ol’ Fibro just wont quit lately. I have an appointment tomorrow to try to get some relief. Any of you Dirt Roaders deal with this? I am an avid reader so I try to find all of the tools that I can to cope. Can you believe that you can be tired of resting? Well…you can. Scouts honor!
Tonight is a very busy one. Calves going to the sale barn, an open house, and I have laundry galore. (Don’t get down in your get along…or your laundry breeds!) Plus our garden is still going strong…which is wonderful, but busy. Our area is also having camp meeting this week and some of us are going to that. Whew!!!
Whatever you all have going on during these late summer days…I hope that it’s enjoyable. I hope that the love of Jesus breaks through it all and fills your hearts with joy. His love is all sweet, nothing bitter.
You guys still soakin’ up the sun? I have been hearing folks mention fall lately. My mother in law and my husband love fall. My friend does too. I enjoy the cozy seasons so much…but for now I’m enjoying sweet ol’ summertime.
I enjoy the garden in the summer. It’s so fun to have fresh goodies to eat or to put up for winter. I love taking pictures of it too.
I made the kids my usual refrigerator pickles too. They are already enjoying those. Makes my heart happy.
My husband and son have already been to the annual livestock auction at the fair. It’s a favorite of theirs in the summer. This one was a beauty!
Whatever your favorite season…I hope that you guys are enjoying each day of sweet ol’ summertime.
Clean laundry!!! That’s what you get. I don’t really have 16 loads…but I have our washer swishin’ and our dryer fluffing. I am so thankful for the washer and dryer. I know this isn’t super exciting stuff…but it’s real life. Since I was sick over the weekend I didn’t get much laundry done. It breeds when you take your eyes off of it.
This vintage print hangs in our laundry room. I love it. Hanging pretty things in your laundry room or area is key. After all…it’s pretty much a hangout.
On another note…May 1st. Can you even believe it? This year is zoooooooming by. The sun has been shining here in Southern Missouri the last couple of days. It’s beginning to feel like spring. Just in time for summer. 😉
Do you guys make your own laundry soap? I have been thinking about it. I use the wool dryer balls in the dryer, but I still use liquid detergent. I don’t have front loaders but I do have he machines. I would love it if you would leave me your laundry thoughts. Recipes on homemade soap…bring ’em. Is it worth the hassle? Does it scratch your Gain itch. lol! I know…I know…we don’t need all of that artificial fragrance…but I am a scent lover. Blame this ol’ schnoz on the family tree.
Don’t worry, Dirt Roaders, I don’t owe my soul to the company store. Or our washer and dryer. lol! Jesus owns that. I do a lot of laundry though. I’m not complaining. It’s a comforting way to serve our family. I have said before…I will take this over walking down to the pond and scrubbing them on a rock. That is what you call doing laundry!
Along the Dirt Road 