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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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October 3, 2014

A Celebration of Service with Home Depot

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure

Home Depot Service to Veterans 16 small

I left my home bright and early and made sure to take my #serviceselfie….

I knew I was in for a day that would be big.  A day that had me already in tears and filled with emotion on the drive up. A day I  knew would impact me for life. I couldn’t wait to see what beauty unfolded over the next few hours with Team Depot.

Team Depot and their volunteers, as part of The Home Depot Foundation Celebration of Service have committed for two months, from 9/11 to Veterans Day,  to put their talents to work to transform 1,000 homes for veterans. Home Depot is making an ongoing effort to address veteran housing challenges and serve those who have served us all.  Giving Back to VeteransWith the power of Team Depot volunteers, The Home Depot has transformed more than 13,000 homes for veterans.  Giving back to veterans is personal to The Home Depot – more than 35,000 of their associates are veterans.

Celebration of Service

Thousands of The Home Depot’s store associates spend their time off volunteering their talents as members of Team Depot in communities across the country.

Personally, as the granddaughter-in-law, daughter-in-law and wife of former veterans and as the mother of a son who is currently in Basic Training, it was such an privilege to be asked to spend the day honoring this soldier, and his wife.  Chris and Larissa.

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Chris is veteran of the Iraq War.  In 2009 Chris’s vehicle was struck by an IED causing him to suffer head and and leg injuries. Those injured himself, Chris pulled several of his fellow soldier’s to safety, called in medical support and maintained security unit help arrived.  It was this action that earned him his first Purple Heart.  When he returned to the states, Chris married his longtime sweetheart, Larissa and then after recovering, was deployed again to Iraq.

In 20ll while serving as a machine gunner, his vehicle was AGAIN struck, this time by an EFP.  Chris suffered a severely fractured skull, neck and spine injuries and the impact stopped his breathing for an hours, resulting in anoxia brain injury.  Chris earned his second Purple Heart.

What Chris also earned was the respect and admiration of every person that volunteered to be a part of this wonderful day of giving back to a hero!

Home Depot Service to Veterans 17 small

Chris and Larissa were able to purchase a repossessed property, but had even unable to properly remodel it.  The house had fallen into disrepair and had suffered wind and water damage, now was time to bring Chris and Larissa HOME!

Home Depot Service to Veterans 11 small

From outside…..

Home Depot Serving Veterans 3 small

Home Depot Servie to Veterans 15 small

 

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To inside….

Home Depot Service to Veterans 6 small

 

Home Depot Serving Veterans 2 small

From women with power tools….

Home Depot Serving Veterans 14 small

 

Home Depot Service to Veterans 10 small

 

To men with hammers….

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and paintbrushes….

Home Depot Service to Veterans 13 small

….they each worked tirelessly to make Chris and Larissa’s log cabin, in the woods, a sanctuary!

Even the local Fire Department got in on the act!

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Taking time out of their own service to give back to a local hero!

Home Depot Service to Veterans 8 small

 

Without a doubt, though, the best part of the day were the smiling faces full of joy at being able to collectively say “thank you” to someone who sacrificed so much for us.

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People who took time out of their day off from work to spend it working to provide a home for Chris and Larissa to safely live in and enjoy!

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Home Depot Serving Veterans 4 small

For a day, I felt like I was one of the team.  A team of hard working people that truly care about each other, their community and being a proud employee of Home Depot….

Home Depot Serving Veterans 1 small

and that my friends is what the “true” Power of Home Depot is…the power to make a difference! To make a difference in the lives of men and women who have sacrificed so much for this country and for our freedom…that’s the  power of Home Depot!

Home Depot Service to Veterans 14 small

I’d love you to take a moment to watch this quick video of the day!

Thank you Home Depot and thank you Chris and Larissa for letting me be a small part of this amazing experience.  May your home provide a place of peace and refuge for you for many years to come!

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Disclosure: The Home Depot Foundation partnered with bloggers such as me for their Celebration of Service program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. The Home Depot Foundation believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot Foundation’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

 

11 Comments Filed Under: Community, Good Thoughts

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Devra aka ThePomeroyLife says

    October 3, 2014 at 5:20 AM

    Wow! this is wonderful!
    My husband works for the Home Depot, and we both love all the charity work that they do!

    Reply
  2. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    October 3, 2014 at 6:20 AM

    Such a fabulous project and so happy you were able to be a part of it. Most people don’t know that I was a manager for Home Depot for years. Great company.

    Reply
  3. Jenna says

    October 3, 2014 at 6:54 AM

    This is so amazing. Veterans deserve so much from us and this is one awesome way of giving back! You are amazing for helping out, Heather!

    Reply
  4. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    October 3, 2014 at 7:04 AM

    That is so awesome – I am so thrilled to hear how much HD is doing for our veterans. Love this Heather and glad you were able to be a part of it!! xo

    Reply
  5. Julia G. says

    October 3, 2014 at 8:44 AM

    Thank you Chris and Larissa for your service to this great Country! And thank you Heather for letting us know about the Home Depot and their giving back to our Veterans!

    Reply
  6. Lisa says

    October 3, 2014 at 10:04 AM

    That’s a beautiful thing you participated in!

    BTW…You look awesome! I almost didn’t recognize you!

    Reply
  7. Mo says

    October 3, 2014 at 11:21 AM

    As a grandson of a currently serving Navy guy I can appreciate the passion of this project. Thank you for helping one well deserving human being!

    Reply
  8. Teri says

    October 3, 2014 at 2:04 PM

    Awesome! thanks from the wife of a 22 yr veteran!

    Reply
  9. Donnamae says

    October 3, 2014 at 6:47 PM

    What a wonderful experience! Thanks for letting us know about what Home Depot does for veterans! 😉

    Reply
  10. Lori says

    October 6, 2014 at 5:10 AM

    Great job and wonderful experience. (PS, I follow you on Bloglovin’. When it comes to your post I get “kicked” out of my blog roll when your blog appears. I have to go back to my main bloglovn’ page and start over to read the rest of my saved blogs? Kind of frustratings. I quit following another that did that. Is that something you have set to happen?)

    Reply
  11. Marianne says

    October 7, 2014 at 8:12 PM

    I love Home Depot. They are a great organization!

    Reply

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“Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season “Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a leaf caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir.” Peggy Toney Horton.

Happy October dear friends! 🍂
On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the po On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the pouring rain outside contributed to my feelings. But the primary cause was this overwhelming flood of thoughts about how much in our world and in our culture is going off the rails. I’d planned to make pumpkin bread that day but I was tempted to just curl up in a ball on my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend that this would actually solve something. I didn’t give into that temptation though. Instead, I got out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe and found that, as I worked and prayed and hummed worship songs, my spirit began to settle. When the world feels very loud, the demands of family and home can actually help to quiet our souls. As each family member walked through the door later in the day, they commented on how wonderful the house smelled. It’s better than any fall candle in my opinion! And I knew that the extra loaf that I get from the recipe would be a welcome treat for my widower neighbor. So, if your heart is feeling a bit unsettled this week too, maybe this recipe will come in handy!

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 🍂
Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
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