Happy February

Has it truly been almost a year since I visited this tiny blog? Last February I was talking about tricking my bike and my husband surprised me with this beautiful bike. Last summer turned out to be so hot that we only road occasionally. It was 100+ degrees almost every day. No Thank You!

My son... I feel like Pee Wee Herman when I ride my bike.😂

2019 was a very busy year for us. It seemed as if every day was filled with something to do. And truthfully nothing has really changed that,  except I’m trying to be way more conscious of my time. 

Time is something we can’t capture and we can’t get more of... as I’ve gotten more seasons under my belt I realize just how precious it is.

I’ve tried to spend more time just being. I’m trying to block out the world as much as possible. Be in the world and not of the world. I can tell you it has made a huge difference in my stress levels. 

I signed up for audible and I’m loving being able to listen to books while doing my daily work. It makes such a difference in how productive I can be. To keep learning is a very high priority for me. I want to always be learning and not sitting stagnant. If you don’t like to read or you are in a season where it’s hard to get the time to read, you might want to subscribe to Audible from Amazon. 

My homemaker life suffered in 2019 but I have made quite the effort to take it back in 2020 and I am loving being back in that element.

Home is where my heart is.... 

I’m looking forward to having an organized home with a lot less clutter... it’s a serious work in progress.

I will try to get this little neglected blog up to date and start sharing more. God has been so good to our little family throughout 2019 and all the years before. I’m so thankful and I’m praying that we all have a blessed and wonderful 2020.

XO,

Amy Joleen 

Happy July

Happy July! Another month has come and gone.

We are still getting daily rain. It looks like a hurricane hit through here. Hopefully we don’t actually get a hurricane this year. I’m not sure what will happen. Probably the worst flooding this area would have seen.

During the month of June we went to visit my father in law. We hadn’t seen him in over 5 years. This is my brother in law (left to right) father in law, husband, and son. It was good to check on him and see how things are doing for him.

We went and saw the Incredibles. 

We went to the beach...

And scalloping...

We have to take two boats since the family has grown so much. 

As you can see they were successful...

I stayed back and got to play with Carson, my great nephew. He’s the little star of the show. My daughter and son in law have yet to have children.... they brought his eight year old nephew. 

They are not used to parenting!😂

While they were out cold, Mason was still going! They  thought an eight year old took energy... I cannot wait to see how a baby goes. Hee hee 

XOXO 

Amy Jo

Happy Summer!

Hello Dolly! It’s the first day of summer! Can you believe it? Doesn’t it seem that it was just New Years the other day? 

With summer comes a lot of rain and a lot of heat. I’m so thankful for air conditioning. And ice cream 🍦 

Everything is green and beautiful. And the bugs are in full supply. But each season is so wonderful. And each has its special joys. I hope you have a wonderful summer! And that it doesn’t fly by to fast. 

XOXO

Amy Jo

Bee Kind

Happy Thursday! It’s another great day in Florida. And I’m counting my blessings. I found the adorable Bee Kind dish towel at Hobby Lobby in the beginning of Spring.

And these adorable shakers for super cheap.... $4.00 to be exact. I fell in love with there cuteness. 

This year more than ever I have tried to focus on being kind and happy. I feel like we should try our best to do this. God calls us to it. Not in a ridiculous superficial sense, but in a genuine way. I have found the more that I count my blessings the easier this is. I know that every day can not be perfect and that we are human with various feelings. Sometimes you can’t help but feel down. But God tells us to count it all joy. James 1:2. 

Do you find it easy to be joyful? Or is it a struggle? Share your thoughts on this with me! Try to keep on the sunny side. 

A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others. 

The Wizard of Oz

XOXO

Amy Jo

Christmas

 

Christmas came and went so quickly. 

It was a very quiet Christmas this year... we didn't host our annual Christmas party. 

 

We may do it next year... 

But we will wait and see... 

 

I still did a few decorations and two small trees. 

 

Now it's time to pack it all away until next time.

 

My favorite tree 

 

My husband got me a Jeep for Christmas! It will be perfect for the dirt roads.

 

Levi got a shotgun for Christmas and he got his 

drivers license . Let's just say I'm on pins and needles. 

 

Now it's time to get busy and put everything away. 

Blessings 

Amy Jo

Cheers to the Weekend

 

Good morning! I wanted to share this beautiful card my mom sent in the mail. It came after my last post. 

 

My flowers are holding up pretty well. Though the hydrangeas didn't hardly last two days.

 

Isn't this a sweet necklace? It's from oh honey hush on Etsy. She sells a lot of different things. Like head scarfs and jewelry all with a vintage vibe. You can also find her on Instagram.

 I'm so glad the weekend is here. My husband has been working 14 and 15 hours a day and the weekends are sacred right now. 

 

Maybe we can sleep until 7 instead of 4:30. It sounds wonderful anyway. And I know he's exhausted and needs the rest.  So how is everyone else doing? Are you excited for the weekend? Do you have wonderful plans?

XOXO 

AMY JO

My Birthday

 

My birthday was filled with so much love and good times. On Friday my husband had this beautiful bouquet delivered to the office😍. 

 

 

 

And when I got home I had this beautiful pen and card from my Aunt in the mailbox! It was so sweet. 

On Saturday I went shopping with Amber (my sister) and I found these beautiful books, 

 

I love the sweet simplicity of the old illustrations. 

I found this cute butter knife and

These pillows . They freshen up my tired old chair. We then had a wonderful lunch. I went home for a few hours and cleaned while hubby mowed. After that it was to dinner with my In laws. 

 

My mother in law bought me this!!! A blower! I never would have thought of it, but I absolutely love it! I was able to get my porch clean in a fraction of the time. 

 

So a beautiful birthday it was! The only thing missing was my daughter who is still far away in New York. She normally spends the day with me and this was the first time in her 24 years that we weren't together for one of our birthdays.  But I'm hoping to see her soon.

Love

Amy Jo