Hello, Reader.

Father's Day is this Sunday, which means you only have a few more days to think through how you'd like to honor all the dads in your life. For me, the day turns my thoughts first to the wonderful man whom I called Daddy. It's hard for me to fathom that he's been gone nearly twenty years now!

But I also think of the great guy I married and about what a fantastic father he's been to our children. And now, it's come full circle again, as I get to watch so many of my sons -- and now a son-in-law, too -- love and nurture their own children in much the same way. It's a blessing to behold.

So it seemed fitting to share a few special freebies for Father's Day in this week's link list. I hope they'll help you celebrate any and all fatherly figures in your own life.

Free resources for you this week:

• ​A Prayer for Fathers - a free printable prayer guide to use all year long
• ​Fun Father's Day Worksheets - perfect for young children to fill out for Dad
• ​50+ Favorite Quotes on Fatherhood - because I love great quotes!
• ​Father's Day Coupon Book - a last-minute gift any dad will appreciate
• ​Free Father's Day Cards - four designs to choose from, plus an envelope template

What I'm reading this week:

​Little Britches by Ralph Moody I finished re-reading the first book in the LIttle Britches series yesterday, Father and I Were Ranchers. It is so inspiring! It's yet another shining example of what being a good father looks like. If you've never read any of these classics by Ralph Moody, I recommend starting with the first and reading straight through the series. You'll learn a lot about resourcefulness, contentment, love for family, willingness to work hard, and the importance of walking in integrity. I think this was my fourth or fifth time to read this book. It never grows old (and it still makes me cry in all the same places)!

What we're eating this week:

My kids attended a tomato festival last Saturday and brought home dozens of vine-ripened 'maters. So we all pitched in to use them up: I made tomato soup. Gabriel made Caprese salad, homemade margherita pizzas, and roasted tomatoes with garlic, and Bethany baked some absolutely amazing tomato basil sourdough bread. Everything was scrumptious!

The soup recipe is the one I always use, but the rest are the closest approximations I can find to what the kids cooked up on their own. If you bring home tomatoes from the farmer's market -- or grow a bumper crop of your own -- you may want to try enjoying them in these same ways.

On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 113 ​A LETTER TO MY FATHER (AND HOW TO MAKE PEACE WITH YOURS)​ Since we're on the topic of Father’s Day, this seems like a good time to some of the things my dad did exceptionally well -- the kinds of things my husband and I have both tried to model in bringing up our own children. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I didn't mark everything off my to-do list last week, but I'm satisfied with the progress I did make, including ✅ finishing my embroidery project, ✅ moving a concrete planter to a different flower bed, ✅ completing the alliteration challenge my daughter-in-law created (I'll share the results soon, as she's working on an adorable free printable that incorporates the winners), ✅ ✅ ❌ finishing two of three writing assignments (including a new Timberdoodle review), ✅ reducing the emails in my inbox to under 100 80, ✅ attending a monthly book discussion group with friends, and ✅ recording (and publishing!) a new podcast episode.

The only thing I didn't get to -- besides ❌ one of the writing projects (which isn't due until July 1) --was ❌ weaving a new laundry basket (mainly because I couldn't find the cotton cording I thought I already had on hand, but obviously didn't 🤷🏻‍♀️).

Personal goals for this week:

• make (or purchase?) a new decorative laundry basket
• repair cracked seat on daughter's wooden chair
• write letter of encouragement for friend's snail mail club
• report for jury duty
• catch up on grading math homework
• do some neglected mending
• make a birthday crown per friend's request
• empty two more boxes in my garage
• do some weight training with my son

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Thanks so much for all your help! I'll be back next week with more links, reviews, and resources. If you have any special requests, please let me know. 😊