I haven't visited my blog in quite some time. Our life at the Holt House is still peaceful and good but change always happens; sometimes more difficult to evolve with than others. We lost my dear father-in-law earlier this year to cancer. He will be missed. We await our first granddaughter due late July/early August. Today I have made my to-do list and will be accomplishing many tasks. Recently, after careful consideration I have changed the organization of my home creating a craft/sewing room, moving the household computer and bill paying station into a more central location. With doing so I will be able to keep the paper bombardment a bit more under control while also have current projects accessible. This re-organization project had the house completely under construction for a while but now is coming into shape.

Bringing Emma Home

This week our youngest daughter is continuing her high school education within the confines of our home once again. It's been six years since we homeschooled but what a blessing. I'm so happy she decided she wanted to do this again. It adds another dimension to my daily routine and I'm delighted. She is actually teaching me some things. How beautiful.

When Asked...

Some thoughts about a definition of what I do...homekeeper/homesteader.


I love being at home and serving my family. It is very important to me. What else defines my life?

I am a Bible-believing Christian. I have loved my God and King Jesus Christ since I was about seven years-old. I love my husband with every breath and am crazy about my girls and my family. I desire to have a simple life and serve God with all of my heart. To me, this all describes my homekeeper side.

My homesteader side is a bit different. Asked about this tonight by one of my daughter's friends I described it like this: "Some might would think doing everything about the house, day in and day out would be boring. I don't think so. I like to make things from scratch every chance I get because it's healthier and I know how the food is made. I like to make other things in the house like soap because I can. I'm an intelligent person and I enjoy stretching my brain and finding new things to learn."

At the Holt House here are some of the things we do ourselves:

We grow a good portion of our veggies in the back yard.
We purchase what we don't grow at both the farmer's market and local farms.
We preserve our harvest by canning, freezing, fermenting and drying.
We participate in animal husbandry (chickens) for manure and eggs.
We recycle paper, plastic, aluminium and glass.
We compost all food scraps.
We watch carefully our consumption of water and electricity
We make our own soaps.
We purchase most of our foods in bulk.
I sew what I can by hand.

This description, by today's standards, is much more than just saying I am a stay at home wife and mother. I'm just sayin'.

Most Every Morning

My dearest asks me most every morning what I have on my to-do list for the day. The normal answer is "normal routine" which means: cleaning, cooking, gardening, straightening, laundry, running errands and/or creating a new project.

What I forget to say is even though my days being a home keeper are routine I feel the utmost satisfaction in doing so. Keeping the home for four of the most terrific people in the world (I count four even though my eldest has a place of her own she still considers this home), is what I know the Lord God has put in my heart to do.

Slipping on my apron in the morning places me in my workplace. Achieving my daily goals and welcoming my family home from school and work gives me pleasure. Having my door open for hospitality is what the Lord asks of me. Taking care of the flock and the kitchen garden outside where I can have more than enough is not only by the sweat of my brow but frugal for our household.

Most every morning...some would see the life of this home keeper as dull and uninteresting. I call it happiness.

Doing the chickens, gardening, creating, preserving, housework, sewing, cooking, tidying, writing, taking care of my family makes a day long but very satisfying. Even though the list is endless, it's there to complete for God's glory.

Today I met with a bunch of beautiful ladies. Some from my church, some were sweet new faces. In conversation with today's prayer partners I learned to some my ideas of living from scratch is idyllic and to some it's too much time and too much work. I realise I am somewhat different from your typical stay-at-home mom or housewife and my perspective on the Holt House is all about having a safe haven for my family.

If my husband looks forward to crossing the threshold of his home at the end of the day to see my smiling face and if my children know coming home is much better than some other alternative I'd say my efforts speak for themselves.

Yes, housework is monotonous, gardening and canning is tedious and time consuming and creating your own curtains is a challenge. But working willingly with my hands is something God placed in my heart to do, therefore I will do it and I am satisfied.

We need to teach home economics again in the old fashioned way. Our daughters and sons need to know how to take care of themselves in the most basic fashion. For some reason basic homekeeping has a stigma related to this ages old talent. It's no longer being taught at home because homekeepers are quickly becoming a thing of the past. However, right now in this economic disaster the basics are needed.

Keep the faith!

A Mother's Influence

Mothers, be faithful.

Don't get discouraged.

Pray for your children, and do not forget to talk to them:
your words will settle down in their hearts.
They never can, they never will forget them.
They may appear not to heed what you say;
they may put on an appearance of thoughtlessness and levity,
which look as though your words were disregarded;


but persevere---


those words are there, and never will be forgotten:
but may be called up in years to come when you are dead and gone,

and like seed cast in the earth, germinate and produce fruit

that shall flourish in immortality.




-Jabez Burns, Mothers of the Wise and Good