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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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May 9, 2015

When You Have a Mom Like This…

When you can call her anytime to talk about ANYTHING

When she lets you just cry if you need to cry

mom heather vanessa

When you go shopping together and she wants to buy you something ‘just because’

When she laughs hysterically with you over her grandchildren’s antics

mom and dad with grandkids

When she listens as you vent your little heart out and then talks you back from the ledge

When she is willing to talk about the things she regrets in her parenting and admits to not being perfect and it makes you feel so much better since you know for a fact you are not a perfect parent either

michael with mom and dad

When she can go from talking with you about politics to the stock market to decorating without skipping a beat

When she would have you come to visit them for a week and would make sure that she was the one who heard your kids wake up in the morning (every morning!) so that she could get up with them and let you sleep in

mom and heather

When she is willing to help you wrestle through faith issues and is open about her own struggles

When she supports and encourages your marriage

When she leaves sweet comments on your blog posts

When she tells you she loves you every.single.time you talk…and sometimes multiple times

mom and vanessa

When you have a mom like this…a mom who is all of these things and so much more…

You are truly blessed. And we should know.

Because we have a mom like this.

Happy Mother’s Day Mom! We love you!

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16 Comments Filed Under: Family

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Comments

  1. Jackie says

    May 9, 2015 at 3:37 AM

    This so beautiful, I wish I could be more like her as a mom. She is the one who is lucky to have girls like you.
    Have a happy Mothers Day.

    Reply
  2. Cindy Brown says

    May 9, 2015 at 5:32 AM

    I, too, am blessed with a mom like yours and she is 85 today! We have made so many happy memories over these years. I feel so blessed that we have had so many years together.

    Reply
  3. Peg says

    May 9, 2015 at 5:57 AM

    Your mom is absolutely beautiful!
    I’m sure you all make her very proud.
    Happy Mother’s Day! : )

    Reply
  4. june says

    May 9, 2015 at 6:20 AM

    BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE TO YOUR MOM!

    MISS MY MOM EVERY DAY…SHE HAS BEEN GONE NOW 8 YEARS. AS RICHLY BLESSED AS THE TWO OF YOU ARE.

    HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

    Reply
  5. Jerry Stocks says

    May 9, 2015 at 6:28 AM

    Not only are you two lucky to have such a lovely mom, she’s lucky to have such two caring daughters. I really enjoy your blog.

    Reply
  6. Aunt Joy says

    May 9, 2015 at 8:34 AM

    Not only is she a wonderful Mom, she is also a very dear friend. In fact she is my best friend. Even though we live far from one another and don’t get to see one another as often as we would like, we pick up the phone and the conversation begins where we left off. She has been my confident in so many ways. Sometimes it is her shoulder I cry on, and sometimes it is my shoulder she cries on. The day she married Michael was a blessed day for our family and especially for me. I love her dearly, she has been my sister-in-love

    Reply
  7. Diane Lawrence says

    May 9, 2015 at 11:56 AM

    I agree…Your mom is AMAZING! Love and miss her!

    Reply
  8. Pamela says

    May 9, 2015 at 4:21 PM

    That was so beautiful. Your are Blessed.
    Have a Happy Mother’s Day ,
    Be Blessed
    Pam

    Reply
  9. Carol Reddin says

    May 9, 2015 at 6:07 PM

    Thank you so much, Heather and Vanessa. I didn’t recognize myself 🙂 I am the one blessed by having two wonderful daughters to love and cherish. Happy Mother’s Day! I love you so very much!

    Reply
  10. Marla Lindblom says

    May 10, 2015 at 10:30 AM

    Thank you so much for sharing your feelings about your mom. It was a sweet and very touching tribute.

    Reply
  11. Helen says

    May 10, 2015 at 1:18 PM

    I love the pictures and the message. Today is a day I celebrate Mother’ s Day with mixed emotions. For 11 years I have been without my mom on this day but I am blessed to have a husband who loves me unconditionally and children and grandchildren who share a special bond with me. I am grateful for my dad and all he brings to my life but there is nothing more special then a mother. Memories are real and I cherish them. Happy Mother’s
    Day and may GOD bless you and your family. I love reading your blog. It’s the BEST!!!!!

    Reply
  12. martina says

    May 10, 2015 at 4:58 PM

    Happy Mother’s Day girls…what a wonderful tribute to your mom!!

    Reply
  13. Jan Younker says

    May 10, 2015 at 5:54 PM

    What a lovely post! We knew your wonderful parents well back in Ohio. You are so blessed to have Carol for your Mom. She was a jewel back then and I’m sure she still is. We have lost contact with them and recently discovered your blog and saw the connection. Your website has been a joy. Well done girls.

    Reply
  14. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    May 11, 2015 at 7:40 PM

    You are so blessed to have each other….Now I know where you two get your beautiful souls from….
    Hope your Mothers’ Day were filled with joy that you can feel and often see in your mother’s eyes.

    Reply
  15. Julia says

    May 13, 2015 at 6:50 AM

    Your mother is as beautiful as her daughters! You both are blessed.

    Reply
  16. Suzanne Dodd says

    November 29, 2016 at 7:38 PM

    Your mother truly is a blessing! She took me under her wing when I was a young teenager and you were just a newborn. Your dad was my first Youth Pastor in Cleveland and I will never forget their influence! I would so much love to have the opportunity to sit and chat with her again!
    I have enjoyed becoming acquainted with you girls through your blog. You are truly gifted young women!

    Reply

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Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary to popular belief, the celebration of Advent is VERY different from just simply doing a ‘countdown to Christmas’. It’s not about having little drawers filled with candy or doors to open with prizes inside. Those things are so much fun and definitely help to build anticipation as you head closer and closer to the big day.

But Advent, from the latin word ‘adventus’ meaning ‘arrival’ or ‘appearance’ keeps the focus completely on celebrating the arrival of the King who came in the form of an infant.

This is one of our favorite family traditions and over the years I’ve figured out how to incorporate the Advent candles into my decor without using the traditional wreath. I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration as we head into this sacred season. 🌲

#advent #adventdecoration #wearethehomemakers
Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Bec Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Because it’s the Saturday after and my house is almost completely ready to start the season! So I’m sitting with my coffee and just soaking it all up knowing that now I can focus on shopping, hosting and preparing our hearts for the start of Advent. The only thing left to do is get our fresh tree for the front room and then the decorating is done. 

Starting early is a gift I give to myself and I’m always grateful for it! 🌲

#simplechristmas #traditionalchristmas
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest fo “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours dear friends! 🍂
Christmas has arrived in the family room where I k Christmas has arrived in the family room where I keep things simple but festive! We’ll get a fresh tree after Thanksgiving which will go in our front room bay window but this slim faux tree with its colorful ornaments tides us over for now. Which room in your home gets the Christmas treatment first? Or do you just start doing a little at a time in each room? 🎄

*pillow covers are from @jshhomeessentials
I share this recipe every year because it’s JUST I share this recipe every year because it’s JUST.THAT.GOOD! 

And I have a confession ...I’d rather have cranberry sauce smothering the turkey on my plate than gravy any day!! And this, this right here? Well it’s the best (and easiest!) cranberry sauce ever!! I eat on crackers and sandwiches and sometimes just by the spoonful. It’s so yummy! And I’m just so very thankful for all of you that I’m going to leave the recipe right here instead of making you go to the blog to get it. I promise you won’t regret having this on your Thanksgiving menu but be warned...you may find yourself up in the middle of the night sneaking some helpings of this deliciousness. Or maybe that’s just me!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh or frozen cranberries
2 oranges
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup white wine.

Instructions:
Wash and pick over berries, removing any that are soft. Peel and dice oranges removing any seeds. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking until cranberries pop open and mixture is thickening.
For best flavor, prepare and let stand for several days before using.

Gobble, gobble!! 🦃
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✨I want them to feel like they are welcome…because they are. 

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How do you want people to feel when they come into your home? 

#christmasentry #simplechristmas #simplicity #wearethehomemakers
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Several years ago I felt a conviction in my heart about how much time and money I was spending on trying to create a new look every Christmas. I was not being a good steward of my resources and I was far too easily swayed by the peer pressure in this area. And a funny thing happened when I smashed this idol that had taken up residence in my heart. I suddenly found renewed joy in decorating for the season. By keeping things simple and maybe only buying something like a new spool of velvet ribbon, I actually realized that I could be far more creative reusing and repurposing what I already had.

In the coming weeks your news feeds will be filled with temptations for MORE. Maybe, this year, you too can find the joy in LESS. 🌲

#simplechristmas #simplicity #wearethehomemakers
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Do you have a hot cocoa or coffee station at your house? Here’s a look back at years past if you’re needing a little bit of inspiration!
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