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Blessings Overflowing

Faith~Family~Creativity

September 3, 2015 By Jackie 2 Comments

What I’m Into {August 2015}

Is it September already? We are already 3 days into the month? Oops! Looks like I am behind in getting my August update posted.

I really thought I was starting out strong and then a stomach bug hit and I basically lost over a week with trying to get everyone, myself included, back to normal. It was rough and I feel like I still haven’t been able to get my groove back.

Really, I can’t complain, though. The sickness was temporary and we have much to be thankful for, even the busy days of school, cross country meets, etc.

My Family

At the beginning of the month we were able to take a trip to the state fair.

Having Fun at the State Fair

It was a wonderful day and we had so much fun looking at Julia’s projects (She got blue ribbons on both her sewing and her child development.), riding rides, and just enjoying the atmosphere.

At the State Fair

State Fair Selfie

Tailgating at the State Fair

To save money I packed a lunch and we ate at our vehicle. It was a fun and frugal way to enjoy lunch.

A few days after our state fair fun my big kids and husband started school again.

First Day of School 2015

I’m not sure how I could be old enough to have a Junior in high school. I remember being a Junior and it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago. 🙂

The kids are in 11th, 7th, 5th, and 3rd grades this year. Janna still has another year at home with me, and I am thankful for that.

They have all been doing well this year so far. Well, except for missing a few days for a nasty stomach bug we passed around in spite of my efforts to prevent it from spreading.

Overall, August was a pretty good month in spite of the sickness and busyness of school.

What I’m Working On

Last month I only completed one sewing project, an apron made out of bib overalls.

Bib Overall Apron

A friend from church asked me to make an apron for her daughter’s birthday from a pair of her husband’s old bib overalls. I told her I would give it a whirl.

She loved the end result and sometime soon I hope to share a tutorial with you soon for how I made the apron.

I did quite a bit of canning in August. Usually when I use my juicer (affiliate link) I get tomato juice everywhere. In an effort to cut down on the mess I decided to try to use some aluminum foil as a shield.

Juicing Tomatoes

It worked pretty well, but the foil did fall a couple of times. In the picture above I was using the salsa attachment.

Since the tomatoes were really juicy I used a colander to strain out the excess juice so I wouldn’t have watery salsa. I saved the juice and cooked it down and made pizza sauce out of it.

I also canned some green beans and potatoes in addition to salsa and pizza sauce. I am hoping to finish canning all of the green beans I froze and more tomatoes this month.

If you have wondered why I haven’t shared any garden updates the past month or so it is because my garden is full of weeds from neglect on my part. Plus, raccoons ate my corn and my tomatoes died. Not a good year for some crops, but others did well like my cucumbers and zucchini.

What I’m Reading

Since I spent a week trying to get my family healthy again, and recover myself, I had sat more than usual. I decided to start reading some classic novels and I have to say that I have thoroughly been enjoying reading again.

I used to be such an avid reader, but haven’t read for the fun of it for many years. Mostly I have read for informational purposes which is good, but not the same.

In August I read Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre. (affiliate links) I simply adore both of these books even though they have quite different settings and moods. I am a sucker for a good romance novel, especially those from centuries gone by.

My Favorite Picture

Sitting on a Hill

Having older siblings involved in sports and other activities means that Joseph and Janna get to be involved, too.

Last week they made their own fun while waiting to watch Julia run by rolling down the hill they are sitting so sweetly at the top of in the picture above.

It really is fun having teenagers and little ones at the same time. There is never a dull moment.

On the Blog

Well, I had intended to write several more posts than I actually published last month. There are several in my draft folder, but real life (and that nasty stomach bug) trumped post writing. Here are the posts I did manage to write in August.

  • 3-Ingredient Garden Fresh Salsa
  • 3 Reasons Why I’m Still Blogging After 8 Years

Well, that about does it for August 2015. To keep up with me until next month’s update head over to Instagram where I have been sharing all sorts of random pictures. Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Facebook while you’re at it.

What were you into in August?

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer to show what I’m into lately!

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting this site. 

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Filed Under: Random Thoughts

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jackiesblessings

I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that h I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that has happened in 2020. There have been so many negatives for so many people. I can’t say it has all been positive for me either. However, there are some things that have happened in 2020 for which I am so grateful. 
.
The main thing I am grateful for is the extra time I was able to spend with my kids. We had so much fun during quarantine and this summer. I know this wasn’t the case for everyone, but I do not regret the days when we had nothing planned and could just have fun together. Whether it was walking in the woods, playing games, watching a movie together, or even doing chores, I never once heard an “I’m bored.” 🙂 
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In addition to the gift of more time together, I am also grateful for all of the milestones we have celebrated this year. In June, my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary, and then we had four milestone birthdays. Julia turned 21, James turned 18, Joshua turned 16, and Joseph turned 13. (Janna felt left out, so we told her that her birthday was special because it was her last birthday in single digits.) Also, today marks 25 years that JT and I have been married. 
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While I won’t be sorry to see 2020 go, and I hope
and pray 2021 is better for so many people who are hurting right now, I don’t ever want to forget the good times we had this year. 
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P.S. I took all of these pictures over fall break.
The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual church service yesterday, and I couldn’t resist getting a picture with them in front of this beautiful Christmas tree. ❤️
James has been playing school basketball since he James has been playing school basketball since he was in the fourth grade. Tonight he and his fellow Seniors  were recognized at their game, and I just can’t believe James is this old. 
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Normally, Senior Night is the last game of the season. However,  because everything in the world seems so uncertain right now, we wanted to make sure the boys got a chance to be recognized. We wanted something “normal” for them. I am thankful James and his teammates not only got recognized but also won their game. 
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P.S. We had our masks on at all times other than when we took pictures.
We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is t We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is turning 13 today, and it just doesn’t seem possible. The beautiful baby boy who was placed in my arms on a cold and foggy day in December is still my “little” guy. However, after looking at this picture of the two of us, I don’t think he will be shorter than me for long. Joseph is still my shy guy, but he is also sweet, loving, kind, and just an all around good kid. We also lovingly refer to him as the cat whisperer because the kittens and cats follow him around like puppies. 🙂 It has been so much fun to have Joseph at school with me this year now that he is in junior high, and I am so thankful that I get to be his mama. Happy birthday, Joseph! ❤️
2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of 2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of those challenges was self-inflicted. 🙂 I just finished my fourth master’s level course of 2020 through Ball State, and I passed the high ability licensure exam last Thursday. This means that I will soon have high ability added to my teaching license. 
.
When I signed up to take my first class in January, I had no idea what 2020 was going to entail. Teaching in a pandemic isn’t for the faint of heart. Taking classes and caring for five kids while teaching in a pandemic has allowed me to see what I am really made of. I don’t mean to brag, but I am pretty happy that I received straight A’s. Beyond that, I learned so much, and I am grateful for this opportunity even though I felt stretched to my limits some days. 
.
Yes, 2020 has been challenging, but I have been blessed with more time with my family, knowledge gained, and challenges met and overcome.
I almost forgot to post this here. 🎂 Joshua is I almost forgot to post this here. 
🎂
Joshua is 16 years old today. It doesn’t seem possible that my little pip squeak of a baby boy is now about 6’4”. Joshua is now the tallest of the family, and I’m not sure he is done growing. There hasn’t been a dull moment since Joshua arrived, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. He is a fun-loving, hard-working, kind-hearted, and intelligent young man. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him. I am so thankful God thought I was up to the task of being Joshua’s mama. ❤️
My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t c My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t cry as soon as he was born but first looked around to see what was going on in the world, is now a 6’2” handsome man. I truly never thought the years would go by so quickly, but here we are. James is 18 today. 

There are so many words I could use to describe James: hardworking, dedicated, persevering, intelligent, funny, curious, kindhearted, dependable, respectful, and helpful. I could also expound upon his accomplishments, and I could tell you how great he is. However, I don’t love James for what he has accomplished but simply because he is my son.

I have been so blessed to be James’s mom, and I thank God every day for entrusting him into my care. I don’t know what the future will hold for him, but I know he will do great things. 

For anyone reading this who is struggling with a tantrum throwing toddler, a strong-willed child, and/or a child who questions everything, I would like to encourage you. Look for the positive qualities your child possesses such as perseverance, dedication, and curiosity and build upon that. I will never regret the hard days of parenting because my prayers and hard work have paid off. Helping James reach his full potential and keep those qualities without breaking his spirit has been worth the effort.

Happy Birthday, James!
I’m not going to sugar coat it. Today seemed sur I’m not going to sugar coat it. Today seemed surreal. It felt chaotic. Nothing was normal. We are all exhausted. However, it was wonderful to be with my students again after five months, and my own kids enjoyed seeing their friends. I don’t know how this school year will play out, but I am ready to go back tomorrow and try to make teaching virtually and in person work to the best of my ability. My students are worth the effort. 
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James is a senior, and this was his last first day of school. Joshua is a sophomore, and Joseph is in 7th grade which means I have all three of my boys in the same building with me. Janna is in fourth grade, and she was very excited to be back at school. Julia will be a senior in college when she starts back next week. 
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I am praying we all have a safe and healthy school year. I plan to try not to think about the unknowns and what-ifs and take it one day at a time.
This morning I told four of my kids we were going This morning I told four of my kids we were going to go on an adventure. (No, I didn’t leave one out of the fun. James played in a golf tournament with his dad. 🙂) Anyway, it was quite an adventure. It started with my vehicle telling me one of the tires needed air, but it must be a bad sensor because it was fine. Then I almost ran out of gas. I drove us on all sorts of country roads we had never been on, and I even thought I was going south when I was actually going north for like 10 miles. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It was very obvious I have not been many places since March. 
.
Anyway, Julia, Joshua, Joseph, Janna, and I went to @maxandhoneys where we took some pictures and picked a beautiful bouquet. It was really fun. After that, we went to Greencastle and then to Lieber State Recreation Area. We finished by stopping to do a few things in my classroom, and we made it home before it started raining.
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I am so thankful for a day of doing something fun and “normal” but out of the ordinary. I don’t know if that makes sense, but that’s the best way to describe it. Yes, we had to wear masks sometimes and practice social distancing, but it was still a good day. 
.
Here are some pictures from our day. The last picture is of James before he went to play golf. How is he old enough to be a senior? 😢 I am so thankful for my family. 💕 Also, kudos to Joshua and Joseph for being good sports about picking flowers. Their future wives will thank me. 😀

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