Jesus' and My Birthday

Christmas morning
Christmas afternoon

All my wonderful birthday presents. I can finally get the propane dryer out of the back yard.

27 years old

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... or not

I am not complaining that we had that wonderful warm spell. I just didn't expect to find my children, making mud pies, in the kiddie pool at the end of December.

Chirstmas Gifts

I have heard a lot over the last few weeks about what not to get your wife for Christmas. I have to totally disagree with every single one of them.
Two Christmases ago I asked for and received a Dyson vacuum. Something I would never get myself. Last year I was giving stuff to make my garden successful, hoses, lye and the like.
This is the kind of stuff I want for Christmas. I do not wear jewelry except my wedding band. I go nowhere that a journey pendant would be needed to go with my outfit.
I am not saying that jewelry is not a good gift to receive but I think that propagating that is the only thing wives want needs to be addressed. I live on a farm. Money is tight. What are new diamond earrings really going to do for me?
Leave your thoughts on this.

Blessings,
Mar

We did it

The chicken in this pot was raised here on the farm. A few weeks ago he got into a fight with a much bigger rooster. He broke his leg. He never heal properly.
This was very emotional for me but a necessity of life. Why is eating a chicken that spent his whole life in a overcrowded chick house is easier for me? I know this chicken lived a good life. But I guess that is the problem I knew this chicken.
We are now a step closer to being self sufficient. Now if only I could grow anything. or sew. or make good bread.or... or... or.. OK so it a long way off. At least we are getting there.

Home Church.

A dear friend asked me what home church is like. So I thought it would make a great post.

Church starts at 10:00 and is only 5 minutes from my home(and hers). The perfect church distance.
After greeting each other. We get coffee in spill proof cups because the children range in age from 1 to 9 so spilling is a high probability.
We all go into to the living room for worship. The leader's wife is very talented on the guitar and her voice is beautiful. We sing 3 or 4 children's songs then we sing a few adult songs.
Then we have communion. Which consists of prayer, pita and juicy juice. At this point the children have the option to stay and listen or go into the play room.
The leader then gives his talk which lasts until about 11:45, they are topical. Last weekend we learned about being thankful IN the situation. He usually gives a lot of personal examples. You learn a lot about people when they run bible study. At the end we usually spend a few minutes discussing what we just learned.
During the last few minutes you can smell the lunch warming in the oven. We then all go into the kitchen to eat and have fellowship. Luckily for me the other women are great cooks. I have never had a lunch that wasn't delicious. I was in charge of the lasagna last weekend. Everybody ate so it was at least edible.
I normally get home are 1:00 or so. I always come home feeling like I leaned something. I would recomend giving a home church a try. You never know you might really like it.

Catzilla

The town of Chaseville was going about their business. Some carolling. Some building snowmen. Some about to ride the ski lift. When out of nowhere came......... Catzilla.
Catzilla was just looking just looking for a nice snow filled placed to take a bath. But in her path of destruction people and tree where knocked over. The statue of the town founder riped off it foundation. (read: figurine from a different set knocked off the empty spool he stands on). The Swat team came quickly with a squirt bottle and scared Catzilla off the edge of the world. But will she or the 4 others of her kind come back............ find out on the next Catzilla.

This episode of Catzilla brought to you by the lovely people at Light'N' The Way academy for girls. A super exclusive school for girls.

Before and After

This is a picture of Moonbeam's garden. She hauled the bricks,measured, stacked them,put down the paper, put down the hay, spread the dirt, picked which plants she wanted, planted, she covered them every time it was going to freeze. She even remembered to water every other day. I was so proud.

This is the same garden after the goats found it. One day and they completely destroyed all her hard work. Next time we will build a stronger fence.

Homemade Laundry Soap

One box Borax

One box Super Washing Soda

Half bar grated Fels Naphtha ( I use our cheese grater)



Combine ingredients in a Tupperware.
Tightly put on lid.
Shake (kids love this part).

Use about two tablespoons per load. I have a plastic salt shaker bottom that I use as my scoop.

You can also add 1/4 of a cup of vinegar to the fabric softener spot or downy ball. If you worry about the smell of vinegar don't. Once you line dry it there is no more vinegar smell.

I find all the ingredients at Publixs.

One of those mornings

My husband left today to get his car worked on. So, my thought was I will clean while he is gone so he can come home to a nice clean house. I put on some music and got started. First thing I notice was the lawn tractor battery on the floor and some things that needed to be put in the shed. My idea was simple put battery in mower then cart the other things instead of carrying.

Go over to mower have a hard time finding the proper tool. Which by the way is sitting right on top of the engine. After 15 minutes of fiddling the mower fires up. As I go to back out it is stuck. I have to rock it with all my might to get it to move. Notice one of the tires is flat. No problem, I will sneak my husbands Christmas present out for 2 minutes inflate tire and put it right back like I never touched it. Can't get thing to work. After two different outlets I realize you have to plug in the fuse. After fuse is plugged in I turn it on...nothing. Read where it says fully charge before first use. Bring mower over to my car to use the tire pump that plugs into the car(this was a pipe dream being as the plug hasn't worked in weeks). Of course, nothing. Then as I try to covertly put the present back I break the box.

So after at least an hour worth of work. The lawn tractor still doesn't work and nothing at all has changed in the house except the battery is outside. This is one of those mornings when I have to remember God causes all things to work for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

It can only get better......right?

Not the brightest bulb

I could of posted this last Monday but I couldn't find the wire that connects the camera and the computer. Well today I learned that I could put the memory card in the SD slot. Live and learn.

Number 8 and his brother Number 6

Last weekend I met my newest nephew "Number 8". He is the cutest baby on the planet. I like having nephews I get to play with the boys while they are cute but hand them right back when things get smelly.

All my nieces and nephews are absolutely adorable and well behaved. I can't believe how much they have grown and changed. I sometimes wished we lived closer or that they would visit us here on the farm (hint,hint).

I have all kinds of posts in my mind so I hope I find the time to get them on to the computer.

Take the day off

Sometimes in life it is good to take the day off and have some fun. So for this Wiping Wednesday I say leave the dishes dirty, the laundry on the floor and have fun with those you love

All of us squished on the Ferris wheel

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Extra Curricular

This was the best rendition of "Sanctuary" I have ever heard.

The one room school house was a fun experience for them. They loved the train ride so much we rode it twice. Seeing old friend and making new ones was truly the best part of the field trip to Agrirama.

Only young once

Children are never to young or to old for your prayers

Prayer

I really need to learn how to do hyperlinks but until then, here is the link to join the 77 days of prayer for our President Elect Obama.



http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=77days_signup&JServSessionIdr001=doti8uiy12.app25a



I truly believe that the hope for our nation is to humble ourselves and pray.

Way Behind Wednesday

I thought giving myself a plan would keep me blogging but I guess not.

Yesterday we went to on a field trip to Agrirama. The girls went to the school house. I will post pictures once they are emailed to me.

Halloween went off with out a hitch. No pictures. The lion and lamb couldn't have been cuter. If only people would have stopped calling my lamb a puppy. We did trick or treating in downtown. Then Hallelujah harvest at church. The candy bowl overflowed. Now it is just dum dums.

Wiping Wednesday

For my first ever Wiping Wednesday I am offering a few links that have worked for me. I hope these are useful to anyone looking to get their cleaning act together. I do not necessarily agree with everything on these web sites but their cleaning advice is top notch.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%2031;&version=50; The bible should always be the first place you go for all the learning you need to do.

http://myblessedhome.blogspot.com/ This is where I first learned about the Home management binder.
She has a few course to learn how it works

http://www.flylady.net/ - You can get on a free emailing list ( I do the digest ) to remind you what you are supposed to be cleaning that week.

http://www.shesintouch.com/ - I have read the book never spent much time on the website

I never advocate spending money on cleaning tips because there is so much free information on the web that I just don’t see the need to pay for it. If you have any web pages that have inspired you to get your cleaning act together please mention them in the comments. Don't spend to much time on the web today. Happy Cleaning!

Memory Monday

I am going to try a new plan for my blog. I am hoping it will work out.
The new system is this:

Memory Monday: I will write about the awesome (or boring) things we did that week.

Wiping Wednesday: Homemaking tips and tricks that are tried and true or I have always wanted to try

Farming Friday: Farming stories, plans, and how-to on a very limited budget.

Sabbath Saturday: a nice devotional, a song, or the words of the Lord.

I am going to need your prayers and any good tips you have emailed to me.

As for our first Memory Monday,
Peace was the chime that rung Jesus in "Yes, Jesus loves Me" yesterday at the Methodist church. I will say the best chime player ever.

We had a great time at the fall festival at the Church of the Nazarene. The girls went on the hay ride and got tons of candy. Now if we could only keep their father out of it. The pumpkins the school decorated were adorable. We are thankful we got invited to go.

Blessed

I borrow this photo from a email credit goes to its photographer

Just want to take a minute to thank God that my husband did not come home on this flight.
It is good to remember that even though times are hard they could be a lot worse.
Take a minute and thank God for all the blessings in your life then say a pray for those who are less fortunate then you.

Winner

I am finally a winner. I won a book(If only it was one million dollars.).The question is which book should I pick, as soon as decide I will let you know.
I am very grateful to be the winner.

Thanks Meg!!!!!!

Farm life

(Imagine a picture of a chick and its momma)
One of our hens hatched a little tiny black chick. This is our second chick born on the farm. The first one was also black. They have different fathers so who knows why they are both black and not yellow. We have a hodgepodge of different kinds of chickens so there is no telling the breed. We are super blessed here to see our farm prosper. The chick will either save me $3.00 every dozen eggs or 1.29Lb depending on it's sex. Our chickens are free range so the cost of keeping them is pretty low. If you don't count me never being able to sleep in.
Yesterday we got our raised bed built for our fall garden. We have three different kinds of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
We are on our way to met up with some of our homeschool friends for a fall festival. So while most kids will spend the day inside their class, we will spend the day enjoying fellowship in the beauty of God's creation.

Wonderful night

We spent last night around the camp fire listening to The Boss and Moonbeam play their guitars. The full moon was incredibly beautiful. So bright in fact it was hard to look directly at it.

The only down side to full moons is the roosters don't understand the difference between moonlight and sunlight when it is that bright out. Which wakes up the geese and since the geese are up our dogs start barking. And everybody is ready to start the day a 4am. But of course I make them all wait until 7:30 when I am good and ready to get out of bed.

Incitement

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incitement

Incite: to move to action : stir up : spur on : urge on

I learned in the book that I am reading about blogging, that if I incite you into doing something harmful to yourself or others I could be sued for incitment. I figure if I incite you into praising the the Lord you'll thank me. Feel free to sing along as loud as you like.

Valuable life lesson

This is one of the last picture my camera every took 3/23/08

This is one of the first 3/29/06

The valuable life lesson is don't smash your camera into the kitchen counter.

It has been on the outs for some time. I used to be able to get it to work if I hit it with my hand. Well yesterday couldn't get it to work so I hit it into the counter. Bad idea, I smashed the screen.

What I realized is my camera has been through so much. It was almost a member of the family. It has been to the birth of 2 of my nephews, the wedding of my SIL, Christmases, birthdays, vacations, countless family gatherings, and it even served a tour a duty in Iraq with my husband.

I am a little saddened by the death. Luckily God causes all things to work together for the good (maybe I'll get a better one for Christmas).

Sony CyberShot

Beloved camera

2/06-10/08

Meet the Family

This is Peace, our resident Kindergartener. Learning how to read, write and have fun.

This is Moonbeam 9 and in the 4Th grade. Loves Jesus, horses and videos games.

The Boss name says it all.

(Names have been change to protect the innocent.)

There are 5 of us that live here. But I can't post photos without permission of the 5Th one.

We have more pets then you can shake a stick at. Meet them in later posts.

Blessings

Reasons

This blog is to preserve childhood memories of the best daughters in the world. I have very few memories of my own childhood and I want them to have something to look back on.

There are also very special people who live in GA that might be interested in our comings and goings.