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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze May 27, 2021
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“A good father is one of the most unsung, unprai

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” — Billy Graham

These two could have no better earthly representation of the love of their Heavenly Father than through this man right here. Endlessly patient, steady and trustworthy, the one to show them how to fix something, providing for their physical needs while simultaneously being tender hearted and intentional about meeting their emotional needs. He loves them so deeply and everything he does for us is borne from that love. He also makes us laugh all day, every day!

Today I celebrate and honor this incredible dad. The security and comfort we find in his love is the greatest gift in the world and parenting alongside him is the greatest privilege!

You’d think that after the constant schedule/lif

You’d think that after the constant schedule/life adjustments we’ve made over the past year we would easily transition into summer mode. But, there’s always this weird time when my kids first get out of school that we’re all a little befuddled and trying to figure out our new routine.

I find this especially true now with teenagers who, for some strange reason, don’t want to blow bubbles or splash in the blow up pool in the backyard anymore. 🤷🏻‍♀️😉 Yesterday I was trying to remember how I spent my summer days when I was a teenager and all I could come up with was that I did a lot of babysitting and a lot of ‘shopping’ at the mall which was code for walking back and forth with my friends scoping out cute boys. 😂.

How did you spend your summer days when you were a teenager?

It’s our first day of summer break and, in true

It’s our first day of summer break and, in true Oregon fashion, it’s pouring rain! 🤪 I’ve always said that I think summer break should be weather-adjusted based on your state and I would love to see ours be July through September because those are the months where we get the most perfect weather. Sadly, I have no power to make that happen. But, at least I can let my teenagers sleep in and start planning some fun adventures for when the sunshine finally returns! Here’s to being done with the weirdest school year ever! 🙌🏻

✨Happy Friday! I can't think of a better way to

There are days when we feel down and discouraged f

There are days when we feel down and discouraged for no particular reason. When we aren't faced with a trial or haven't experienced a trauma and yet our spirits are troubled. We major in minors and can only seem to focus on the negative. Everything somehow seems all wrong and yet we can't pinpoint exactly why that is.

Friends, it's just as critical that we turn to the Lord in those days as it is in the ones of great trial and trauma. That we ask Him to cover the lies fed to us when our spirits are troubled with His truths. That we praise Him even when the feelings aren't there. That we ask Him to reveal to us any sin which might be unknown to us but is simmering in our spirits in such a way that it is manifesting in a negative mentality. Because the reality is, when we give into those feelings of being down and discouraged, what we are really doing is giving into being self-focused.

So, what if we tried this instead?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-10)

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom un

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation." ~General Douglas MacArthur

The debt can never be repaid, so on this day we remember and honor those who gave their lives so that we may be free. I pray we don’t take for granted the sacrifices made and that we do our part to defend this nation with courage and truth. 🇺🇸 #memorialday

There’s not much that I remember clearly during

There’s not much that I remember clearly during those first sleep deprived days, but one moment stands out from the fog. I was holding him in the middle of the night, rocking slowly in the chair in his nursery and memorizing the details of his tiny face. And I vividly remember thinking, “18 years is so far away.” Except it wasn’t. It went by in a flash of joy and laughter, exploration and adventure, moments that seem small but are really big, big moments that stand out as milestones.

Ian, being your parents for 18 years has been one of the greatest privileges and honors of our lives and you are the embodiment of so many answered prayers. Watching you grow into a young man who is curious about the world, compassionate, hilarious, kind, hard-working and filled with integrity makes us so proud and brings us so much joy.

We pray that God will continue to guide your steps and that you will look to Him for wisdom as you embark on adulthood. I won’t spend the day lamenting how quickly the past 18 years have flown by. Instead, we will celebrate because this stage of life is so much more wonderful than I could’ve imagined and we can’t wait to see what your future holds! ❤️

P.S. How am I the mom of an ‘adult’?! 😳 😂🤪

Two of my favorite flavors are honey and lemon but

Two of my favorite flavors are honey and lemon but I’ve never combined them in a recipe. Until now!

You guys this honey tea cake (loaf style) with a lemon glaze disappeared in record time at our house it was that yummy! You can find the recipe on my website now by just following the link in my bio. Let me know if you make it and how quickly it’s gobbled up at your house! 🍋

Happy Friday friends!! I had no intention of going

Happy Friday friends!! I had no intention of going so long without posting anything here on the gram but, honestly, my spirit has been troubled and my brain has felt muddled lately. Living in the state of Oregon while watching other states return to mostly normal has left me feeling kind of numb if I’m honest. Things got even wackier here this week! 🤪 And sometimes, when I can’t find the right words to express all that’s going on inside of me, I just get quiet. It’s not something that we’re really used to in our “share every thought and feeling” world. And I’m trying to give myself permission to do that more. To just be quiet when I need to be quiet.

But, right now, the sun is shining, my kitchen is clean, my flowers are blooming and I wanted to pop in and tell you how much I appreciate this community and how grateful I am that you keep meeting me here!!

Also, if you didn’t know, every week I share memes in my stories that I hope will bring a smile to your face or even make you laugh out loud. So be sure you don’t miss my ‘Friday Funnies’! ☺️

When I was a freshman in high school, our church d

When I was a freshman in high school, our church decided to add a solo to the Christmas program. In my heart of hearts, I coveted that solo. I, who hated being the center of attention, just wanted to get to be the star of the show ONE time in my life. I had an okay voice but it paled in comparison to the girl who always got the solos.

In a moment of weakness, I wondered what would happen if my uncle, who was pastor of the church at the time, and my mom, who was on staff of the church at the time, leveraged their positions to get me that solo. Suffice it to say, the results would have been disastrous on every level. Not only would I have inevitably choked and not been able to get out a single note, but everyone would have known that I didn't deserve to have that role. And it would have been toxic for the church. Thankfully, even if I had asked them to make the way clear for me to be the star, my family members would have never used their status to secure me that solo. My mom would’ve put a knot in my tail if I had dared to attempt this! But, I see this happening all the time now as I raise my own kids. It’s so tempting to try to move every obstacle out of their way.

But, we do our children a huge disservice when we don’t allow them to struggle and when we try to make the path before them as easy and painless as possible. If we as parents, or if any of the people who have influence in our kids’ lives, bend and shift everything so that they always get to be ‘special’ and never fail, they won’t ever learn to be resilient and to know that the world doesn’t revolve around them.

It’s in the risking that they learn to be courageous.

It’s in the struggle that they learn to be resilient.

It’s in the failing that they learn to be successful.

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