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Howdy-do Sugar Pie Darlin’s! This Mama Hen has gathered some Springtime ideas to share with you! Slowly but surely I’ve been Spring cleaning and sprucing up The Farmhouse…clearing the clutter…making things shine. Oh honey, does it ever feel great! It must be that ol’  nesting instinct that seems to bubble up in our homemaker hearts this time of year.  The grey winter chill has melted into warm, soothing breezes and sunshine. The trees and flowers are bursting with color, the birds are singin’ their happy tunes once again. My goal in decorating for this happy season was to keep things simple and cheerful and spring-y!

Well, come on in and take a peek of how Spring has sprung at The Farmhouse…

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Little white bunnies hippity-hopped upon my mantel leaving a trail of  glittered Easter eggs…

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I happened to be at Target last week and found this sweet little “Spring” banner for around $6…I was wanting  something fresh ‘n’ new and this fit the bill without costing a big bill! The white letters are painted on burlap with a happy-colored felt backing. This would be so easy to make! The sweet white shabby bunnies were also from Target, everything else I already had.

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Down in the meadow the flowers appear,

Blossoms all pink and white make every garden bright,

Sing, Sing, Springtime is here! ~German Folk Song

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My vintage yard chickens…a flea market find...made themselves right at home in front of my new/old ‘n’ chippy hayloft barn door…

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A white pitcher of fresh daisies greet the folks who stop by…

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A new lampshade made of ripped strips of muslin was another new find (found at Leola’s Antique store in  Ozark, MO.)…it reminds me of the rag curlers back in the day…you would roll your hair up tight in a strips of cloth, tie it in place, go to bed and in the morning remove the strips of cloth to a head full of curls!

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Under my simple Easter egg tree, photos of my son J.J. and daughter in law Tiffany’s wedding. They’ll be celebrating one year in June!


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“Our family members will carry the atmosphere we create in our homes for the rest of their lives.”~Mrs. Dunwoody

img_5587God decorated my front yard with a beautiful bouquet of Dogwood blossoms and a Cornflower blue sky!

I love the way He decorates!

img_5602Snowy white blossoms on my Apple tree  bring apple pie promises!

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A little yellow bee gathering some nectar to make some “American Honey”! (love that song!)

“She grew up on the side of the road

where the church bells ring and strong love grows,

She grew up good, she grew up slow’

like American honey…”

~ American Honey–Lady Antebellum

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Do you ever intentionally look up to the heavens through the branches of soaring tree tops? Up passed the cotton candy clouds and into the boundless blue sky? It’s moments like these that I take a deep breath of thankfulness to the Lord for His goodness and love! He could have created a black and white world but there would be no delight or comfort in that. He created a world full of beauty to bless us, comfort us, refresh us. He planned glorious gifts in each season to bring us joy, but we have to stop our busyness, striving and fretting, to be able to see and fully enjoy them.

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When the things in life bring us down we need to remember to look up!

Look up to our Heavenly Father!

Psalm 23 makes it so perfectly clear

that the Lord wants His peace and tender loving care to flourish in our heart.

What a comfort!

Psalm 23

1THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

2He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

3He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him–not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.

4Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

6Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

img_5611If you’ve been following me on Facebook then you know that my dear daughter-in-law Tiffany(read about her and my son’s wedding here) was recently diagnosed with a blood clot in her lung. The first two weeks were quite difficult and painful for her. Talk about “walking through the deep sunless valley…” of Psalm 23!  She felt the comfort of the Lord through the many prayers of those of you who prayed for her! Thank you darlin’s! She is doing wonderfully now…feeling great…and will be going back to her teaching job after spring break! Praise God!

Another “valley” our family is going through right now is my brother’s illness. The same week Tiff was dealing with her issues my brother was diagnosed with Chronic Leukemia. He has been in the hospital for two weeks. Although he is doing better he is very weak and still needs prayer.

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Can I tell you how comforting it is to know that the Lord holds us close to His heart?!

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.” John 10:11

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Psalm 28:7

The joy of the Lord is my strength! Even though my family and I have been going through some hard stuff I have the calm assurance and comfort that the Lord has us in the palm of His hand. I’m so thankful that He loves us sooooooo much! And that is exactly what Easter is all about… God’s lavish love for us!

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“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send His Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.” John 3:16,17 Amplified Version

(If you want to know more about God’s love for you…click here.)

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So Sugar Pies this Sunday let’s put on our darlin’ Easter bonnets,

head to church and rejoice in the amazing love God has for us!

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I’m wishin’ you a happy church-goin’-Lord praisin’-egg-huntin’-flower-filled Easter with lots of chocolate bunnies and little kids giggles!

God bless your darlin’ hearts!

You are loved!

Aunt Ruthie


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