Family News and Favorite Things

Hello, friends. Fall is here with its cool mornings and hauntingly beautiful golden sunlight. I’m often up in the cool of the morning searching for my sweater so I can tiptoe out and make a coffee and sit in the silence before the day begins.

I sit and sip and pray, bringing my family and grandchildren before God. This is His day. These are His children. He knows what will be good for our souls, so I trust Him to bring that to pass. I find myself so incredibly thankful for this season with so much goodness, so much that it’s hard to fathom it all. We’ve had hard things for sure. But with God’s help, we’ve walked through with clear vision that all good things are extras and undeserved and handed to us from a loving Father. Do you ever look around and think, “All this and heaven, too?” It’s too much.

Today I thought I’d catch up a little with you since I’ve been MIA a bit. Someone asked me recently if I had stopped writing on my blog, and my answer was yes and no. Yes, I rarely write anymore, but no, it’s not on purpose. I find that things just take me longer. It takes me longer to read and process, to organize my thoughts, and then to actually sit down and write. It takes me longer to decide if I want to discuss something on the blog, or if I have the bandwidth required to navigate the comments and commentary that comes with a countercultural post. I never want to throw something out there in discussion and then leave the reader high and dry when it’s time for feedback. Everything takes time.

So most of my writing has been micro-writing on IG or for Club31Women. (Thank you, Baker Books!)

If you are interested in reading my micro-writings, you can find me on IG at @joyfilleddays. At Club31Women, I recently wrote Holy Homemaking and how faithfulness in the home and private integrity is more important than keeping up with the Joneses. And I wrote another post about fall planning and being willing to surrender our lives to the Lord no matter how the plans pan out. (More on that later!) You can find that post here if you’d like to read it. Rebekah and I also had the privilege of speaking on Hospitality at Cindy Rollin’s Homeschool Conference: Against the Darkness. It was so much fun, and you can still get the keynote downloads!

If we were sitting at the kitchen table having coffee, I’d pull out my phone and show you pictures of my grandchildren. Ten of them so far, each one so adorable! I’d love to share here…but because of the world we live in, I’ve decided not to show their faces on the blog. But they are truly a delight. Peter and I go to bed laughing at their antics and sharing their latest pictures. So fun.

Today, I thought I’d do a newsy catch up. I’d love to hear from you in the comments as well! So grab a warm cup of coffee and tea and let’s catch up!

Some family news.

Our youngest daughter, Hope, got engaged to Ty, and they are in the early stages of planning a late spring/early summer 2027 wedding. We are so thankful that the Lord brought them together at Maranatha Baptist University.

We already have wedding fever, planning and Pinterest pinning ideas and forget-me-nots. I thrive when I am planning some sort of gathering. I find it completely invigorating so all my creative juices are flowing. The ideal for me is to have several events going at once! I love planning a menu, a centerpiece, a guest list, and all the fun things that go along with gatherings. So be prepared for wedding ideas galore on my IG account!

We also recently celebrated the finalization of our adoption of Brayden by renting a big house that fit all 22 of us in the Lake Winnipesaukee area. It was so fun to wake up to all ten grandchildren every morning. We called it our “Family CeleBRAYtion.” It was one of the highlights of our summer! My granddaughter, Annie, told me we should do this every year, and I told her that I agree and she should go tell Papa. 😉

The house we rented was ideal because it was big enough for all us, private and away from the street, had it’s own pool and hot tub, a large family room, a well-stocked kitchen, indoor game room, a pool table, three fridges, plenty of space for all the kids and babies. We were just so thankful for the time together!

We are back in the swing of school, and Ambleside Year 6 is going really well so far. The readings are interesting, and for the first time, we are using Van Loon’s History. We are loving it. Year 6 is one of those transition years where the student works much more independently. I felt that Year 4 was also one where the work seemed to jump in intensity, and Y6 is like that, too. Brayden is making so many neat connections, and it’s fun to watch him grow as a person. He just entered our teen youth group! Can’t believe how the time has flown!

The 2026 Cranberry Harvest has begun. It’s such a beautiful sight. I don’t believe I could ever tire of watching it!

In preparation for our annual harvest party at my parents’ house, I’m processing tote bags full of Macintosh apples for pies. …a little bit each day. Brayden likes to use the Yankee Apple Peeler/Corer. It is an absolute time saver if you are peeling a lot of apples. Because we make so many pies for that day, we work ahead. My sister Amy gave me the idea of freezing the ingredients in a gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then setting it into a pie plate so it has the exact right shape when it is time to make the crust and assemble the pies. Just pop out the frozen apple pie filling, and work the crust around it and you’re all set! Such a good idea.

What I’m Reading & Books You May Enjoy

I’ve been reading The Book That Made Your World by Vishal Mangalwadi. (Amazon links included!) It’s one of those worldview books that is invaluable. I just finished Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World by Jen Wilkin and Making Good Return: Biblical Wisdom on Honoring Aging Parents earlier this year and found both books helpful. I keep going back to Gentle and Lowly a book I think I may re-read every few years. And if you’ve never read Disciplines of A Godly Woman, put that on your to-read list. It’s such a needed book, especially in these days when self-control is so lacking. In a culture that tells us that we can do what we want and say whatever we want and that living without restraint is freedom, God has called us to sound thinking and self-controlled living so that we can live according to His norms and not be victims of our every whim, feeling, or fleshly impulse. Highly recommend Disciplines if you haven’t read it!

I’ve been reading a lot more fiction these days than normal. I finished The Hobbit with Brayden. Peter is currently reading In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex to us at night.

Interesting or Edifying Articles

Mother, Give Yourself Away: A must-read for moms.

An Age of Mechanical Providence. Interesting piece on the algorithm and how it shapes our view of reality.

The Constant Work To Keep a Family Connected Has a Name. NYT article that you may need to subscribe to read, but a friend sent this to me and I saw myself and so many women in this category of Kinkeeping.

Products I’m loving right now:

Every few years I have to adjust my skin and makeup choices. I’m 54 for the record, so I’m no spring chicken, and for whatever reason, I struggle to get eyeliner that will last all day. I know that brands like Urban Decay would work, but I don’t want to spend $30 for a liner. Anyway, because my skin is aging, I’m looking for makeup that melts into my skin and looks natural, not powdery or cakey. I thought I’d share the drugstore brands that have actually WORKED (aka stayed on all day). If you try them, let me know if you liked them on your skin.

Foundation: NYX Make Em Wonder Liquid Foundation. (I’m adding the Amazon link so you can see what I’m talking about I can’t even imagine trying to match foundation online. Walmart and CVS carry it. I wear the Shade 15.) It says it stays on for 24 hours, and it does stay put!

This eyeliner is the one that lasts on my skin! $6 L.A. Girl Ultimate Intense Stay Auto Liner. I have both brown colors and love love them!

For bronzer, I use Physicians Formula Butter Glow and Rosy Glow. I use both every day. It doesn’t have a glittery look at all, which I like. It just looks sun-kissed and moisturized.

Elf Sheer For It Lip Tint/Cheek Stain. I use the shade Bergun-Did That. Again, I love that it blends right in to the skin and just looks natural. It is sheer enough that you can build color if you want. Love this and keep one in my purse and one in my make-up bag!

Let me know if you have any tried-and-true drugstore makeup favorites!

Well that’s it for now! I hope you have a wonderful week, friends! God bless you all!

((This post contains Amazon Affiliate links which earn me a small commission but cost you nothing. When I do use aff links, I only recommend items I really love!)