Plants and Pillars...Raised With Care

Eleven is Heaven

2012-02-09T19:29:00.001-08:00

Our daughter turned eleven on February 9th. I think eleven is a very important age...it seems this is when a child goes from just that a child into a young man or woman....this is the age that will define their "youth". She is full full full of life. She has a huge amount of energy, and is passionate about baking, shooting, crafting, sewing - basically anything that is creative and challenging (well not school so much). She loves to try new and thrilling things...things I would never try...like the scariest roller coaster at the theme park last year.

Her father and I look forward to seeing how the Lord will work out His will in her life.
We are so thankful for the time we have with this little burst of energy...she makes our life full and very colorful!

She loves it that her birthday is in the same month with Valentine's Day because of all the heart themed items...like the pizza.

Her day ended with playing "Barbie" with her dad. Her dad has such a funny personality and we were all in stiches because of the silly comments he was making...so funny!

Winter Happenings....

2012-02-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

Risk is one of our favorite family games...Our little guy usually only hangs in for a few turns.

Our daughter is so silly...she dressed her cat, Blackie, up and had a tea party - not sure that
Blackie enjoyed it but she did.

Big brother built this snow cave for his siblings and they all, especially this guy, had fun in it. It is so like the Lord to bless me with a child who love the snow almost as much as me...and he loves building snowpeople...just like his mama!

I really love this picture of the mountains we live in - it was more beautiful as the time went on...and this picture does not do it justice. This picure gave me hope. I've been struggling with trying to be "happily" content while the Lord works out His plan for our family...some days I feel that we have been forgotten about - but as we all know this is not true in the least as God's word clearly says that He loves us and cares for us....and He has plans for us. Things have taken place that have stolen our joy and happiness BUT I think the Lord let us go through this to show us that those things are carnal and not as important as leaning on the promises of our great and mighty King of all Kings....Thank you to everyone for your prayers and friendship during our "adventure"....We are really asking the Lord to reveal the plans He has for us...asking Him to help us make some life changes...smile!

Food...I really enjoy decorating and making food look beautiful. So I decorated our lasagna with olives...so much fun to serve.

Snow is Here...and We Are LOVIN' It

2012-01-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

Book Review...A Must Read

2012-01-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

School is back in session and I thought it appropriate to share a treasure that we stumbled upon at our library.

The Declaration of Independence by Sam Fink is a must read for all of Americans. Mr. Fink did a wonderful job illustrating the declaration, which made it easy for our younger children to understand this important document. My personal favorite is at the end of the book there is a vocabulary list of words in the declaration.

It is my goal to study the declaration, in our home school, every year in hopes that we will memorize it and understand the importance of keeping it close to their hearts....have you read it lately? I challenge you to do so and ask the Lord for wisdom to understand the intent of it!

December Days....

2012-01-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas was an amazing time for our family as this was the first Christmas in three years that have been able to do "Griffin" traditions. Getting out our decorations and stockings was really emotional for me...but also filled me with much joy and excitement. We even picked out our tree, in the dark...with flashlights - that was a hoot! We were content with the simple Christmas we were having but......the Lord had other plans for our family....several friends and a group of ladies whom we have never met blessed us with gifts and goodies. Our Christmas day was filled with awe and joy. It still amazes me how the Lord used so many to bless our family...there were gifts given to us that no one knew we needed or wanted - well the Lord knew and He used His people to provide for our family.

Another major event that happened is that our oldest son turned 15 years old...15 wow!!!!! Wasn't it just yesterday he was begging for "Veggie-Tales" one more time????? He is growing into a wonderful man...full of fun and joy! We really are blessed to know him and have him in our lives.

Conviction in my heart happened this December....(sheepish grin)...during this season I realized how selfish I've been in the kitchen. I've not done my children any favors by keeping them out of planning, cooking and baking....ugh!!!! Since my "conviction" I've been cookin' up a batch of something with each of my children...and you know what - it is really rewarding and enjoyable to have them in my very "little" kitchen helping....and to see the joy in their eyes as they accomplish a meal or dessert for the family. If you have small children, please learn from my mistake and get cookin' with your little people before they get big and complain...like our older son who thinks Top Ramen and Mac-n-Cheese are fine dinning...he did make a delish potato and bacon soup and he did admit it was "fun" cooking with mom....

Hoping you will have a delightful new year and may you learn to walk in the spirit of the Lord...where there is life and joy and where you will be pleasing to the Lord! (Romans 8)

Ahhhh...My Favorite Time of the Year...Winter!

2011-11-23T12:40:00.001-08:00

I love, love, love the snow...love it! I love sledding and building snowpeople has to be my most favorite thing to do in the snow.....really! So the children and I walked up our very, very, very long driveway and got busy building snowpeople. Aren't they great! I think that my oldest and my daughter take the cake in creativity. Sad to say but all things must come to an end...and after our two hour snow building we headed back down the driveway...stopped for a few sled runs...and in for hot chocolate! I'm so glad I took pictures as the very next day we awoke to high winds and rain...our snowpeople didn't make it and have all melted....boo-hoo!

You Are So Silly

2011-11-18T14:44:00.001-08:00

Some fun and very silly pictures...my oldest son wins the prize on silliness! He had me in stitches as he "sauntered" into the kitchen with his younger brother's sunglasses on and his hair completely poofed out...he was trying to hint to me that he needed a haircut...he is so funny! I just love him and his great sense of humor!

I had to add the first day of school picture - as, to my horror, it has been since summer since I blogged...eeek! School is wonderful and we are all happily learning our ABC's!

It Has Been A Bit...Sorry

2011-11-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

Five...He's Five...Five...Amazing!
What a fun day we had. Our little guy thought that turning five was fabulous. Jireh and I tried to make "Ocean" cupcakes complete with "Sharks" (made from Twinkies), the picture we used looked much better...but they did turn out okay and tasted oh, so yummie. For his birthday dinner he wanted to roast hot dogs and marshmallows...so we did just that - it was very memorable.

We also got another trio of piglets. Our second oldest is not too happy as he discovered yesterday that the pigs had gotten a chicken...and ate it all gone except a few feathers and (gross I know) the head...sorry but no other way of saying it.

Our oldest son has been busy building a really cool "survival" fort for his younger brothers - who now think he is the best big brother in the whole world - with very cool building skills. (As I type this it is snowing and the fort is holding up quite well)

I trust that all of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving and find yourselves in the Lord's company. We are SOOOOOO looking forward to our Thanksgiving. As many of you know we have not really been in a place to make the Thanksgiving dinner...nor have wonderful windows to look out of...but this year the Lord sees fit to have us in a place with great windows and a quaint little kitchen - just perfect to prepare our Thanksgiving - and I have a list of yummie foods planned as well as our favorite appetizers - we are all so thankful! I think I'm mostly thankful for - WINDOWS!

A Summer Collection

2011-08-19T13:05:00.001-07:00

So here is a summer collection of fun pictures for you! We have been busy getting ready for the fair, playing at the lake and just enjoying the summer. My daughter got her first sqirrel - she shot it and skinned it on her own - nice job "Annie Oakley"!

I want to also take this moment to wish a very special friend "Happy Birthday" - she is dear to my heart and is a rare jem - someone I treasure!

Thanks for stopping by the blog - enjoy the rest of your summer!

In Honor of Father's Day

2011-07-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to some very wonderful Fathers...late I know but you all understand! We are so blessed to know some very wonderful Fathers here and across the country...(you know who you are)...to all the Fathers we know we appreciate your steadfastness in raising children for the Lord's - thank you so much.

So the Lord has blessed us with some new friends. We are so grateful for these new friends. A few months ago my daughter and I began to pray for a friend for her. The Lord not only gave us a wonderful friend for our daughter, a friend who wants the Lord in her life, who reads her Bible and is a lady....we adore this little friend....anyway not only did he bless our daughter with a new friend he brought a family that we just enjoy so much. The little boy and my third oldest get along wonderfully - same temperament. All of that was to explain who was in the photos.

We asked them if they would like to spend Father's Day with us...and they said sure. Both the mom and daughter are very creative and the brought a white frosted cake for the children to decorate for the father's. Our little home was filled with joy and happiness....and lots of sugar. We had a delightful time. We are so thankful for the Lord to be true to his word - that He will do above and beyond what we can imagine"....this whole friendship has been a true blessing and a fulfilment of the word...it made my faith stronger and I'm so thankful for that.

Great Experiences

2011-06-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

Lots happened this week...it was a great week. We started our summer school off by going fishing. It was a great fishing day...didn't catch any fish but that wasn't important.
Don't you just love our very own "Annie Oakley". Love her drive to be the best shooter in the world.
Flowers...I love flowers! My very compassionate and caring son has been working various jobs around our little community and at one job he took flowers for pay...doesn't that just melt your heart - it did mine!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and we hope to catch you up next Friday. Hugs to all!

A great spring day...Catching cows, chasing chickens, and a view from our table

2011-06-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here is our "big" guy helping me with breakfast. Isn't this view gorgeous...this is what I see everyday - I'm so blessed to be in the mountains - I love it!

Our daughter is a natural at ropin' cows...we'll she doesn't actually twirl the rope and throw it...our cows are to tame that she just gets some grass and they come a runnin' and then she ropes them up.

Some Fun...A King and Queen...Sight Seeing....

2011-06-03T15:56:00.001-07:00

So here are som pictures, not in any particular order...our new little calf, some fun pictures of the family.
The crowns were made for mother's day...my wonderful husband made me a Mother's Day "card/crown" for him to wear....he made a ruby on the front and underneath it wrote "my wife"...meaning I'm the ruby in his crown...I'm a very blessed woman indeed!

We also went on a walk for my husbands birthday...so he could sport his new binoculars. We were able to see a few screech owls in their nest not too far from our house...love living in the mountians!

Something fun we did was go canoeing. This small group of young adults, who offer canoe trips to various groups and such were having a "free canoe trip/lunch" fundraiser...what a grand day. We all decided that owning a canoe would be a great thing. It was very relaxing.

Spring Break - Finally

2011-04-09T13:37:00.001-07:00

We decided to give our children a one-day Spring break...no comments please! Anyway this day was perfect...we enjoyed pizza, playing and ending at a quaint little coffee shop, which I adore!

If you look closely at the picture above, with the blocks and all the girls, you'll notice our little guy. The girls were from a college in Utah and here for a softball tournament. He decided that they needed him in their picture, so without us noticing, he strolled off and started posing with them...I noticed some of the girls were pointing and laughing so naturally I had to turn around to see what was making them laugh so much, and say "ohhhh, and wait I want in the picture with him, etc.,...and there before my eyes was our guy enjoying every moment!

I also did some shopping...wonder who that bag is for?????????? Teeee-heeee.......

We ended our perfect day by stopping by and seeing some good friends of ours....loved every minute with them.

Happy Spring Ya'all!!!!

Long walk...nice reward!

2011-03-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Okay so I normally would not share this picture of myself with anyone(it's awful and I just got back from a long walk/trott..and that shirt I'm wearing - ugh so ugly...maybe it is time to invest in another walking outfit - but on the other hand I can't be missed)...but I had too! Just look at that young man's grin - what a treasure he is!

On one of my long walks I was rewarded with this bull moose "paddle". Isn't this amazing? So I picked this up with one special 14 year old in mind...our oldest son. He has been doing some very responsible things lately and he has been working a few hours a week at a local farmers....and loving it! I'm so proud of him and was so happy to be able to bless him with this find as he blesses me in so many ways.

Thank you for stopping by - have a delightful weekend~!

Country Church and Country Girl Birthday

2011-02-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Below are three pictures of our little church. We meet on Friday nights and worship, have a meal and then read the word and worship and pray for one another. We really like this little church. The heart of the people who attend are so beautiful. They want the Lord's will and His hand to be in this little place, to take His gospel to the community.

This building is over 100 years old and has such character. There is no bathroom and so we use a motor home just around the corner...talk about "country".

I took these pictures for a curious friend who will get such joy out of seeing them...enjoy my dear friend!

Here is our princess and her special day...all pink! We ordered here a special cowgirl boot cake -which she loved. Her big brother purchased her the cute cowgirl baseball hat with his own hard earned money.

Special time with Blackie.

Spring???????

2011-01-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some fun pictures for you to enjoy! First we have found a tree covered in ladybugs. My older son took this wonderful picture of the ladybugs. However, we are all wondering if they made it or not as just a few days latter we experienced freezing rain.
Second, my littlest is tippin his hat and sayin "Howdy Ma'am" - I love it! I think little boys look so cute in cowboy hats, wranglers and denim shirts...so cute!
Lastly we have a new friend...I'll call her "Molly". Can you tell what it is that we did? Isn't it funny! We were laughing so much it hurt.

Not So Little Things....

2011-01-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

Over the past year there have been many things we have missed but not until the Lord opened this door did I realize just how much we missed them.

I almost cried when I saw my youngest just relaxing on the couch watching the snow fall...we had school to do, lunch to clean up, laundry, boxes to unpack....busy, busy, busy...but my little guy was captured by something others might consider little or insignificant....being still.

I learned a whole lot in this moment. I was reminded of the scripture where the Lord says, "Be Still and Know That I am God"....it has been a long time since I was "still" in spirit and in physical, but at that moment I realized the Lord has given me a tremendous gift - a place to "be still and know that the Lord is God"!

The second picture is of my boys playing video game.

A Picture Update....

2011-01-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our 14 year old birthday pie (wanted you to see the counters...blue!!!!!!! What is a girl to do with blue????? I'm going to do a french cafe look in the kitchen), also wanted to share our new place with you...don't worry more to come this is just a glimpse into our new adventure!

Banana Split Pie - what a treat! If you want the recipe let me know. It is easy and fun to serve!
Like I said in my last post, we are still living up in the mountains, surrounded by beauty that I can see out every window...what a joy!

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

Our Lord is the only one who can make all things new...that is the whole message of the gospel...to make all things new.

In light of "making things new" I thought I'd share what the Lord has been doing in our lives.

As most of you know we have been living in a "box", but what most of you don't know is what the "box" really was. It was not a little RV as most of you have thought, it was a remodeled storage container - the kind you see stacked at shipyards. There were no windows, only a front door. It had windows, but that was it. My husband did put in carpet and flooring, walls, a propane stove for cooking, counter with sink for a kitchen and a shower and toilet. There was a wood stove for warmth. He also built fold-up bunk beds for the children. It was not comfortable, but it was warm and dry and feed....needless to say it has been a very tough year! Someday I will write a book about our experience - bet it will be a best seller!

After many hopeless days there began to be a light at the end of the tunnel....the Lord provided a miracle for us and filled a need for another couple through us.

A few months ago we heard of a couple who needed renters and someone to work as an Ad Rep as well as cover phones and do office work for their paper, The Huckleberry Press. We meet with them several times and worked out some details and received some training all the while the light getting brighter as we proceeded.

Dave is working on commission only and I cover the phones on Monday's only. The process of us replacing unemployment for Dave will take a while but at least we have a chance to get back on our own feet again.

The best part of all is that we were able to move into the rental over Christmas weekend. We moved in the snow and ice - crazy but we did it. We don't have all of our things as the roads around here are terrible, you know "country roads". We will get the other things when things began to thaw.

We are now living on 10 acres, 3bd/2bath and large shop, corral fencing, garden spot, fruit trees, and surrounded by the mountains and forest....our view is spectacular.

So not only did the Lord give us a way to get off of unemployment, he provided a home as well. We are ever grateful and praising the Lord for his goodness to our family.

I think we have learned a tremendous amount over the past year, we have experienced the bottom of depression when we thought all hope was lost, it has been very difficult. We look at this experience as "refiners fire".

To all of you who walked with us, prayed for us, held us close to your hearts we hope you see your prayer for our family has been answered in an amazing way - thank you for your faithfulness when ours was wavering, thank you for loving us when we were unlovable, thank you for standing and holding us when we could no longer stand and really needed to be held! We cherish you and appreciate all you have done for us.

The journey is not over, and there are more hurdles to overcome but at least we will be more comfortable and live life again...instead of "camping".

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

For some reason I can't upload pictures of our "box", our Christmas, and our gift from the Lord...our new start and new place!

Pictures to come soon!

Stockings Hung With Care....

2010-12-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

Here is our newest member of the family...haven't thought of a name and he will probably melt by the time we think of one anyway....snow gets heavy and it took two of us to lift his middle!

Stockings Hung With Care is the title of this blog...but you are wondering why since there is not one picture of a stocking being hung. Well, since all of my Christmas stuff is still packed and I can't get to it, and last year was so sad without "stockings", I decided to do something different! I went to Walmart and purchased these cute bags with matching colors and have dubbed them our official stockings for this year. I brought them in and put them on the table and the children's faces were so full of delight - I was so glad I did this. The two little packages are Christmas Eve and Christmas Day family gifts...they are movies and will be a welcome treat for all of us.
I'm hoping you find ways to bring joy to your family this holiday season. I've learned that things aren't always going to be what you expect and I can choose to dwell on the things we have lost, like I did last year, or I can purpose in my heart to "count it all joy". I don't think this stocking idea would have come to me if I was dwelling on the loss, and I know our Christmas season would not be as bright - I'm so thankful for the Lord who tells us what to do in adversity..."count it all joy"!
Merry Christmas to all of you!

Snowing Fun

2010-12-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

I thought you might like some more glorious pictures of our marvelous snow fall. The road is an old logging road, just minutes from where we are. The dogs and I have claimed this road and walk it almost daily. I actually walked back to the "cabin" and got the camera just so I could capture the beauty - and so glad I did as right now as I type all this beautiful snow is melting away. We are not discouraged by any means as you can see this "melting" makes for great snowmen snow - I'm sure by tomorrow we will have our own little community of snow people. I think making snowmen has got to be my favorite thing about the snow - what fun!
Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the pictures.

Let It Snow....

2010-12-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

Well, we've had quite the introduction to winter...and we are loving it! I'm sure that we have well over a foot of snow...and as I type this it is snowing.
We have been sledding and will probably try to build a snowman family this weekend.
I may not have a home to decorate for Christmas but the Lord has truly blessed us. We are surrounded by mountains, beauty and feel His peace. It is quiet and still here. It is a place of peace and refuge for our weary minds. We are thankful for this beautiful blanket of snow.
The senery pictures are just right outside our little "box" - yep, we are living in a post-card!

By the way my older son is responsible for the gorgeous scenery pictures. He did a wonderful job and I think he has an eye for photography....it will be interresting to see where this interrests leads.

Thanks for stopping by...may your Christmas season be bright!

I'm Thankful For....

2010-11-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for the beautiful view just outside our little "box"....I'm thankful for snow angels, silly girls who loose their hats and have the most ridiculous hat "hair" I've ever seen, boots for mom's toes - just because my husband loves me and wants me to have nice things, for children who are not worried about having the latest "snow gear" and are happy to just be sledding, for a son who laughs at himself when he looks really funny in his too-huge snow suit, for the beautiful snow that the Lord gave us on the first day of our Thanksgiving school break...we are a blessed family and are so thankful for so much! We are most thankful for a Saviour who sees us, and friends that care - we love you all so much - Happy Thanksgiving!

Fabulous Four

2010-11-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

Today is a great day...a great day to turn Four! So our little guy woke up this morning and said...."TA-Da I'm four now"

Birthday's are magical for children. In our current situation I've tried to make them extra special as I don't want them to feel the stress of our living arrangements...and from the comment above I think I'm doing a good job...only by the grace of the Lord can this be possible..."count it all joy" is the scripture that comes to mind. I do feel the Lord cleaning my heart and giving me joy when life has dealt harshly with us.

Enough about me...let me share with you about my four year old. If I could choose one word to describe him I would choose "JOY". He is always happy, joyful and full of smiles to give for anyone who might be looking in his direction - and if you are close enough to him you might be granted with an extra special "Blanchard" style hug. (a Blanchard hug is the best hug in the world...makes you feel really special...the mother of the Blanchards has the best hugs. You know the make your day...carry you through kind!) Anyway, Our little guy is so full of life and he just loves people - We all love this about him. He is very smart and loves to learn. His favorite time of the day is "tot-school", where he learns about colors, shapes, letters, and numbers. At this moment in his life blue would be his choice of crayon, dogs are a favorite animal and to dress up like a cowboy and pack around his long rifle is his favorite thing to play.

So our hats off to you, our very favorite four year old - we love you so much - we love watching you grow - we are so thankful that the Lord blessed us with a little guy who brings everyone around him much joy!

P.S. - We are having a time finding a battery that would work for our camera - hopefully today we will find one as we venture into town for lunch, to pick-up the mail and the much anticipated birthday cake...pray we find a battery or this memory will be only logged into minds...I'd much rather capture the day on film so I can share with all of you a picture story...

Thanks for stopping by and may the Lord richly bless you and shower you with His surpassing JOY!

Getting Wood For The Winter

2010-10-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

In the years past getting wood was something we did because we liked to have an occasional fire in our antique, for decoration mostly, wood stove. This year is a different story...we actually need the wood because that is how we heat our home - wood only! I really enjoy the deep heat of a wood stove and the toasty feeling that comes from having a fire. We all enjoy falling asleep to the crackling sound and watching the flames dance as they lull us to sleep in the evening....almost as enjoyable as sitting around watching the Christmas lights on the tree!

So here we are way up in the mountains, behind where we live gathering wood - and can you believe this blessing...the log company stacked the logs on the side of the road, decked them out and only charged us $5.00 per truck load...what a deal!

While the "men" were getting the logs the little people and I went exploring. We found this nifty old log cabin. It must be at least 100 years old. There was even a little creek down below it. Come to find out this place we were at used to be a mining town so this was probably a prospectors house at one time and they used the stream to clean the pans...fascinating!

It looks short from the pictures but the roof is caved in and the door is covered half way up with debris. There is still a window in tact and I can't tell if we are looking at the loft area and the rest of the cabin is covered in debris or if this was just a strange built cabin...I really wanted to explore more but the thought of falling down into a pit got the better of me...I'm not into creepy crawly things and old places usually are crawling with them...so our little adventure ended. My daughter, miss adventure herself, was gladly offering to do the inside exploring...but I still thought better of it!

Welcome To China

2010-10-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

This year I choose to combine my two middle children for their geography class. I decided to go with the curriculum, Galloping the Globe, and am so glad I did. The children have learned and retained so much with this curriculum's approach. I do have to plan ahead a bit and order books from the library, make copies, etc.., but it is all worth it just to see my children grasp and enjoy geography.

For the past few weeks we have been learning about China. The children keep a notebook for the activities, vocabulary words, drawings, creative stories or mini-books. I also like to read aloud stories to them and for China I choose to read about Hudson Taylor. He was a missionary to inland China, if you ever get the gumption(is this a word?), anyway if you ever get the itch to read about a missionary I highly recommend reading about Mr. Taylor. I promise you will need tissue and feel as though your struggles are so small in comparison to his...but you will learn a lot and probably pray for strength like his...amazing story!

We also did a mini-book on Panda Bears. Don't you just relish the fact that you can find anything you need on the web...great help for us home school moms. I found Mandarin Chinese characters. Because they use only characters and not letters we had to dig up the meaning of the children's names to write them in Chinese.

For the grand finale I saved up and we went out to a Chinese restaurant. It was great fun and we even tried to use chop sticks....notice I wrote tried!

It just so happened that we needed a few items at Lowe's and so I turned a usually boring trip into something fun...a scavenger hunt! I told the middle two that they had to find things made in China. YES, GASP...I really broke my steadfast rule of "hold your hands and don't touch anything" rule and let them pick things up and look for the "made in China" words...needless to say time flew and they enjoyed looking.

A great lesson occurred in Lowe's as we only found one thing...one thing...one thing that was made in the U.S.A. Not lights, fixtures, screws or nails, scissors, tool kits, measuring tapes, eye protection,....no none of those! We only found mailboxes that were made in our country. We were able to talk about how much we purchase from and are very reliant on foreign countries instead of standing on our own....it was a real eye opener to me just how much we have in our home from China...what would America look like of we only purchased things made in the U.S.A.? I doubt very much that China is filled with things "made in the U.S.A." - it is a shame but I won't keep rambling on and on about it!

On the way home, as we came across the pass, this is what greeted us! The picture doesn't do it justice but it looked like fire spread across the sky - glorious!

Thanks for stopping by...see you next time as we travel across the globe!

Dear Husband actually let his hair down and relaxed and was being so silly...I really love this picture of us and if you know the heart of what we are going through you will love it just as much as I do...we really had a joyful time!

Bright RED.....

2010-10-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm so embarrassed! I apologize for the weird choice of music on my blog...I honestly didn't choose it and am going to take the music thing off of my blog...I only wanted the classical music and some how there is this strange stuff...I'm Bright Red in my face from total embarrassment...eeeek!

Cowgirl, A Peek Into Tot-School, A Horse to Ride....

2010-09-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well this has been a very busy month with school starting and many other things so I haven't been diligent to capture moments...but this week I did and so here they are for you to enjoy! Living in the country is so rough on the jeans and all of our daughters jeans had holes in the knee...darn! We went to "wally-world" and found these darling jeans, and shirt - she is delighted as she loves everything to do with "cowgirl" style...

Here is a peek into our "tot-school". I ordered these three items from Lauri Products and I am so happy that I did. There is nothing better than hands-on learning. Our little "tot" loves his school, he learns and retains so much. Just look at that grin!

Some dear friends of ours that moved to the same area as we are have horses...and a delightfully patient young lady who willingly took the time to teach Jireh a few things about riding a horse. Thank you to "Oliver Stables" for the experience!

Waking Up The Sun....

2010-09-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

Meet Donut...who woke up the sun at around 2:00 this morning! We can not believe that the Lord has blessed us with a heifer...another one...now we have four girls in our herd of milk cows...what will the Lord have us do with all this milk?
Our second boy is responsible for the name Donut and has been praying that his calf would be a girl...oh, joy it is! It is wonderful to me that the Lord cares so much about a little seven year old boy...way up in the mountains...He cared enough to hear a plea and granted the request!
Even though this arrival was a bit of a surprise and really messed up our plans of a mini-visit with some dear friends whom we long to see, we have to believe it is all in the Lord's timing and it was his will for Donut to arrive last night...so what now Lord? Oh, I hope the next exciting thing is a ranch of our own...that would be so wonderful - but I am learning through reading His word, prayer and supportive friends that I need to be content in all things...all things that the Lord grants.
Thanks for stopping by...Enjoy the pictures.

Cows, A "Cow" Boy, and Dessert

2010-09-04T16:22:00.001-07:00

Here are some fun pictures for you! This is of our "Jersey-Girls". We really love our cows...so from the farthest forward...Dutches, Ruthie (our boss cow and our favorite), Rosie (Dutches's mom) and well the reason why I took the picture....our "cow" boy! I came walking around the corner to hang out with the girls and this is what I found - gave me a good chuckle!

In my "spare" time I have been reading another book written by Julia Childs. This dessert fascinated me and I've decided to try it...not sure when...but I'm determined to try this dessert that looks amazing!

School Begins...

2010-09-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

I was going to post about homeschooling and the joy of it all but as I read my husbands post today I thought he did a better job. Even though he doesn't actually talk about homeschooling he does touch on one of the reasons we are so passionate about homeschool. So here is his link and I hope you all enjoy what he has to say~! http://thegospelaccordingtothegospel.com/ You are looking for the blog Satan's Parallax View On Your Children. I found it heart breaking at the realization of it all.

Just in case you are wondering...school was wonderful and the children were delighted with the new curriculum choices I made. One choice that I'm delighted with is Apologia Science. I went with the Physical Science for our oldest and their Solar System Study for the two middle children. They are delighted and really enjoyed science the most today.

I will do a post this week about what we use and why I use it. I will also be taking our "school" pictures here soon...we ALL have nasty colds and look so terrible so I think it better to wait to take the photos...so keep checking and soon there will be a photo of my "students"....and a nice little review of what we use!

Happy Schooling...thank you for stopping by!

Small Town Fair Fun

2010-08-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today was such a fantastic day...filled with fun, sun, and lots of candy! Our little one day fair in our little part of the world was such a great experience.

Here the children are waiting for the parade to begin, which little brother is in, with some friends.

Here is my little guy and my husband in the parade...our "float" was a huge hit.

My very favorite part of the parade...the tractors - I love the sound, smell and look of tractors...but could someone please make one in pink!

She entered a "Tomato Soup Cake" which one first place...nice job sweetie!

P.S. - Yes, the recipe actually called for a can of Tomato Soup.

Our future Entomologist with his "first place" bug collection!

Our little guy won "best of show" and a "best parade entry" trophy...good job!

And last but not least...our oldest son won first place in the hobbies division for his Lego creation and he also won a berry pie...hope he shares!

Thanks for stopping by...it is fair season...support your local fair and go have fun!

Welcome To The Funny Farm....

2010-08-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Funnies...Didn't know that our webcam could be such a hoot! We must have played with the webcam for a couple of hours...I was laughing so hard I was crying...

Can you guess who we all are? Have fun laughing at us!

Peep...peep...peep...we have arrived...peep

2010-08-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

We have seven chicks as of this morning! This is the first time that we did not use an incubator to hatch the chicks...we thought since we are "farmers" - way out here in farm country we should get with the rest of the community and try it the good ole farm way...using a hen of course! What a joy it is to watch the mother hen "hide" her chicks from us. We are really looking forward to watching the mother hen take her little chicks on walks...peep!

Problem Solved

2010-08-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

So we have been with out an oven for several months now....I do have an oven but there is a part that we need to get it fixed. We've ordered several parts that we thought were the right one but they weren't so I still am without an oven to bake anything...ho-hum!

One of our favorite treats is cookies...and I love to make them! Our favorite cookie has craisins and white chocolate chips in the mix and boy have we been missing them.

I came up with a solution to our cookie woes...I've been making no-bake cookies and decided that adding a few ingredients would make them similar to the ones we love...they were not exactly the same but good enough to pass the "no cookie left" test!

Here's the recipe if you ever find yourself without an oven or in a hurry....

No Bake Cookies...with added ingredients

2 cups sugar(we use turbinado)

1/2 cup butter(use real butter)

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

*Cook above ingredients to boil for one minute.

*Add following:

5 TBLS cocoa powder

3 cups oats or wheat flakes

1 cup chopped nuts(we have used almonds or pecans and like pecans the best)

1 cup craisins or raisins

*Stir until consistency is drop-able from a teaspoon

*Add 1 cup white chocolate chips...these will melt so if they are from the freezer they will not melt as much

Drop by teaspoon fulls onto wax paper and cool. Store in airtight container! Enjoy with milk, tea or coffee...

Thanks for stopping by...ta-ta

Garden Update....

2010-08-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Thought that a garden update would be fun for all of you!~

Aren't these humming birds daring...I was so close to them...And my son was even closer! Don't you just love the sound they make?

I looked up from my spot in the garden, I was "thinning the carrots" out and I laughed so much as our little guy had finally discovered the power of a hose...he had so much fun soaking big brother!

No, the carrots are not covered in dirt...they are actually purple carrots! We really like this kind as they are very sweet!

Thanks for stopping by...if you garden then I wish you happy gardening - if you don't then I wish you a happy "farmers market" shopping day!

P.S....the cow picture was taken with Shaina in mind...smile!

Exfoliate...Exfoliate...Exfoliate...

2010-08-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Before I dive into my post for the day I want to send a special message to a really special family whose school year began today....It is our deepest prayer that your lives would be enriched during the school year, that our Lord would give you wisdom and help you to accomplish what is expected of you during this school year, that you would see the Lord's hand in everything you learn. May you just be so blessed this school year...our hats are off to you excellent students and excellent teacher! http://mylifeonataffypull.blogspot.com Click on the link to meet these outstanding students...you will be so inspired and maybe you who do not home school will be encouraged to look into home schooling!

Okay, so times are tough on all of us these days...some tougher financially than others. I was talking with our neighbor and she told me to use used coffee grounds as an exfoliate!!!! I thought she was a bit nutty...but as usual I love the weird and unusual things of life and tried it - it worked like a charm. I began to think huh if it works on my face that well what wonderful things could it do for the rest of me? As most of you know we garden long hours and I have grown to love gardening barefoot...however the dirt doesn't like to leave my feet, but rather gets embedded in my toes and skin...so I tried the coffee grounds and low and behold I had clean feet again...hurrah!

Another use for coffee grounds is scrubbing the pans that you left on the stove all night because you thought you had cleaned everything...and were to tired to really investigate if you had or not...or truth be told discovered it after dishes were done and you had some tea and just wanted to read and thought "oh, bother I'll get it tomorrow". Yes, and by tomorrow morning the food you cooked had become one with the pan. But the coffee grounds did a great job (I really do not like sponges...I used to but became enlightened by a dear friend)...

Don't drink coffee...no problem places like Starbucks and Tully's Coffee who are really big on "green things" and "recycle" will give you their old coffee ground neatly packaged in a "garden compost" bag...

Happy Exfoliating...stay smooth!

Oh, What To Do...What To Do...

2010-07-25T19:08:00.001-07:00

Oh, What to do on a hundred degree day? Can't very well stay in our little, sweltering hot, non-air conditioned(miss that so much), box so here is what we did today....

We started the day with family worship and reading the Word....then my dear husband took us out for lunch so I wouldn't have to fix lunch in the hot box....I was so thankful at his thoughtfulness!

I took the picture of the hay bales to show you all what I see every time we go to town...isn't it delightful! I really do love living in the country...just wish our living conditions were "normal"...

We then headed off to a more secluded part of the lake we live near, knowing that our regular spot would be packed and might be hard to keep track of all the children. Just look at the fun we had...it was a great day ending in a fun camp-out for the children!

This made everyone laugh...here little man is working hard on his "shelter"...those of you that know us will understand the "laugh" as we are big on survival and shelter....apparently our littlest has been listening to our conversations in his three years of life...

These huge drift woods made marvelous boats - who needs Walmart for floaters when the Lord provides.

Little man is helping with our neighbors horses...what fun for a youngster his age!

Nightie-night all!!!!!

Great Accompishment..Great Garden..Great Fun

2010-07-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Here is our little man learning the fine art of making chocolate milk....just look at that "I did it" grin! He made chocolate milk for his sister and brother and was so happy to deliver it to them..what a Great Accomplishment!

Enjoying the goodness of fresh chocolate milk...by the way the milk used was less than two hours old...mmmmm nothing beats fresh from the cow milk!

One of the blessings of my husband gardening as much as he does...our daughter has made her very own garden. It's growing wonderfully and she tends it just like her father does...with much care and attention to detail! She is growing beans, melon, tomatoes, peppers, peas, flowers and strawberries...It's a Great Garden!

This is our swimming hole for the summer. It's wonderful and seems to be a "secret"...as it is usually not crowded.

It's really fun when the speed boats whizz by and give us fun waves to splash in...it is a great place to have some much needed great fun!

One thing we, the parents, really like is that we can sit in one spot and see the swimming area and the playground...just with a turn of the head...nice!

A Day In The Life Of Us...

2010-07-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

For almost eleven years now we have had some sort of garden. This year our garden is so big that its overwhelming to me. Its pert near an acre of garden...weeds...watering...sun...dirt....and I have been complaining a lot.....we garden most of our days here and the garden isn't just a quick hobby - we all spend several hours pulling weeds and watering - it usually takes us four hours to water only half of the garden....thus I've been really fussing over how much we must spend in this tremendous garden....I have seen my children start to complain and grumble at the garden and realized that I must stop...especially as God's word clearly compares complaining and grumbling to that of practicing witch craft...oh, joy!

So instead of complaining I will list some reasons I love to garden...we are together as a family, we are teaching our children how to grow a garden, we are teaching our children how to work hard, I have a tan, we ate our first pea harvest last night, we will have more than enough produce to share, sell and can...there is my list and here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Yep, I garden barefoot, shorts and a tank-top....and I get covered in the fine...dusty dirt!

Well, I'm off to go help in the garden...have a wonderful day filled with no complaints! Oh, and if you are wondering we have...carrots, beets, cucumbers, peas, four different kinds of potatoes, tomatoes, squash, melons, peppers, bush beans, string beans, corn, fennel, a few herbs, berries...and flowers!

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

In celebration of some special friends I copied this picture from her blog...so we'd match!

Happy 4th of July to all! We remember those who signed the Declaration of Independence and helped give us our God given freedom...have you read that incredible document? Do you realize that the signers of the Declaration became "criminals" and most of them were hunted down like dogs and killed on sight...just so you, their Posterity, could be free! I challenge you to read the Declaration and memorize it...understand it! The words are foreign to most but it is interesting to note that the Declaration was written in such a way that the simple farmer could read and comprehend it...how far we have come in our understanding...oh, how far! I haven't memorized it but do read it and read it to my children...little by little so we can understand it and not loose our God given right..."for my people perish for lack of knowledge"....

Our celebration started the evening before as we loaded up and drove down to the "Two Rivers Casino" - oh, horrors a Casino...we actually were warned by some locals to not go to the actual Casino but to park along the mountain side...glad we did as we could hear the drunks all the way up on the cliff that we were on...it was a spectacular event - there were boats in the water and loud and enormous fireworks.

On the 4th we went to go see a jousting contest...hmmm my thoughts are these people who put on the jousting could have included the curious audience better and some of them were ummmm quite rude to my 13 year old son...who really didn't need someone being rude to him on this particular day(I'll explain in a moment)...we went home to milk cows and grab some dinner...then it was off again to the little community park...and I mean little...the park is probably no bigger than a small backyard! There was music...could have done without that...and fun on the one slide and four swings...then finally the booming began...it was beautiful and loud! We did sit with people we have been getting to know over the past year here in our little part of the world...but it was bittersweet to us....

The bitter sweetness....we have some very special and dear friends that we have spent many 4th of July's with...and I really have to think of when we didn't spend a 4th with them...it just seems as though it's always been with them...and the last two years we have not been able to spend with them.

For some reason this year seems to be the hardest...I felt so sad and lonely for my dear friend who has a flair of making holidays so special...she always made fun foods, fun activities and it was such a delight to my eyes to watch our children play and enjoy being around one another! I think my oldest son took it the hardest this year as he really missed his best buddies but thankfully the Lord has kept that relationship open and growing.

They are life-time friends....kinds you don't meet everyday...the kinsd you hold on to and cherish as they are so dear and so rare a find....we miss them so greatly...more than I can express!

So our prayer is that the Lord bring us together for other 4th of July's - don't know how or when...but it will be a joyous re-union for sure and that will be something worth blogging about for sure!

P.S....you can visit our friends blog by clicking on the "My Life On A Taffy Pull" picture to the right - you will enjoy it I know!

Everything is big here...except my living space...

2010-06-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today's post is just fitting as everything around here just seems to be huge...except my living quarters...this nice bull we are borrowing for a "job" that the A-I guy was unable to complete...if you were curious he's done with his job...isn't he amazing...we named him Major while he is here and if you haven't guessed my husband is just in love with him and feeds him a special treat every morning and evening...

Now look at this HUGE grub! Yes, it's a real live grub! My husband found three of them while he was cutting firewood for winter and of course he had to bring them home to the boys...they were thrilled...and well I had to take some pictures of it to share with all of you! I suppose if you were in the woods and very hungry you could put it on a stick and there you have it...instant hot dog...hmmmm I think I'd be a vegetarian at that point!

This is our favorite cow "Ruthie" she's giving you a hello sniff...she's just a sweetie and we all adore here!

Obtaining Righteousness....

2010-06-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today was especially hard for me. I've been doing good...keeping my spirits alive and well...but today I had really want to be done here and done with this lifestyle...the dirt, two children sick with no place to really keep them secluded...the dirt, the small space, the dirt, the ity-bity tiny space that my husband calls the "kitchen" - which is a joke, the hours of working in the huge garden, not able to have company over, and the list goes on...! I'm frustrated and want to be in my own house on my own land...SO I let everyone know this and how tired of this place I am...I let them all hear me and I aimed my frustration out on my husband mostly and blamed him completely for this decision....eeek!

It felt wonderful to "blow"....at first...as he left to get firewood for the winter...he calmly told me to have a good day...humph!

I went for a walk and was SILENT...and QUIET...hmmmm I felt so much better when I got back and actually felt like I could make it through another day...

Later in the evening I sat down to read my word...I am in the book of James...and this scripture spoke volumes to me...corrected me more like it and I so wanted to share my experience with you...

James 1: 20....For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God

Do you see how profound this scripture was for me? I let my wrath of "man" forth and it certainly did not work the Lord's righteousness in my life or my families today...what a shame that I lost this morning to the wrath of "man".

Oh, friends in the Lord...let us each day try not to let our wrath out...being silent when things are tough and we are afraid, in doing so we will worketh the righteousness of God not the wrath of man...This will be a really hard lesson for me...

Well, that's my two cents for the day...I hope you enjoyed a peek at my heart and what the Lord is doing in my life....ta-ta thanks for stopping by!

Just The Two Of Us...We Can Make It If We Try....

2010-06-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

As most of you know our living conditions have changed drastically...we are in a very tight trailer and all in the same space...all the time, thus there has not been any time for my husband and I to be quiet and alone...thus a long awaited get-away!

My creative husband found us a three-star hotel and paid half price for it because he googled "Price-Chopper" - I was so touched by what he did because he did it for me. He wanted his wife of 17 years to feel like a queen and I did...the hotel was gorgeous and overlooked the Spokane Park. Probably one of my favorite things about our get-away is that we walked from our hotel to all of the places you see here...downtown and along the gorgeous park along the falls...it was dreamy!

We both felt like we were given a second honeymoon...something that we both needed! Enjoy the pictures! The first one is of me as we left...whooo-hoooo is what I was thinking...I felt refreshed and excited to have my husband all to my self! I Love Him So Much! The Lord really rekindled our relationship as we were able to stroll along holding hands most of the time...We got a lot of "oh, cute" looks from on-lookers. Bet they thought we were newly married...teee-heee fooled them!

Elvis has left the building...

A perfect beginning to a fabulous date...coffee! We love coffee!

Spokane Clock Tower along the falls trails...beautiful walk.

Yep, thats my husband hanging off of this huge slide...fantastic isn't it! We named this slide after some friends of ours...you know who you are!

Okay, so I fell in love all over again....yes, with my husband but also with this darling cafe! Madeleine's French Cafe - it was the best little
cafe I've ever been too...I loved the decorations as they were very quaint...blues, yellows and can you see it...roosters and baskets and antique furniture....so me! The food was wonderful...so much so that we stopped for dessert and were so impressed we went back for breakfast and were not disappointed! http://madelines-spokane.com/

We did go to a movie, the new Robin Hood, and afterwards we tried something new...a Greek restaurant. We enjoyed a delicious fare of lamb, Greek meets and a delicious spinach entree... It was all so good - especially our breath afterwards! I don't think they have a website but it was called Santorini Greek Restaurant.

If you are ever find yourself in downtown Spokane you must try these two places - you will be delighted...ummmm call me first as I will want to join you!

Bye for now...thanks for stopping by!~

Cave-In

2010-06-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

As we enter into summer we wanted to do something fun and memorable for the children. They have worked hard this school year under some not so "roomy" circumstances. They've been through a lot of emotions and heartache but have learned to praise our Lord through it all. They've watched their parents go through some emotional roller coasters as well - it's been an interesting year to say the least - we made it! Thank you to all of you for your prayers and support....the Lord is good and worthy to be praised in all circumstances. Habakkuk 3:17-18 is a verse we have been thinking on throughout the school year and it is clearly what we are learning! "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the stalls and no cattle in the stalls, YET, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior" - Now we still have food and a garden and milk girls providing us with plenty but most of you know what we have endured and what we have lost...and if we as a people of God can grasp this, rejoicing in all things, then we will not be shaken or moved. Oh, Lord that we truly would stand and rejoice in you!

So getting to the pictures...we decided to start our summer break on an adventure! That is my theme for summer "Adventure"...I've got so many ideas running around for summer and hope they all come to pass so I can blog about them...anyway our first summer adventure - cave hunting!

What a fantastic adventure this was. The caves were very interesting and the experience was unforgettable! So the caves were more of a "shelter dug out" from "millions of years" of erosion, water etc..., of course we know that it is a world wide flood that created these magnificent caves which native Indians would use for shelter as they gathered the sage and hunted for wild game in preparation for the winter months ahead....Enjoy the pictures!

Here we stopped at Dry Falls lookout as we were headed home...more proof of a world wide flood or ice age as they claim on the information boards....amazing that so many deny the truth...deny His creation that they so much enjoy!

A pic-nic and fun at Soap Lake. This lake is so neat as it really does look like soap on the edge from the mineral deposits.

Getting so big isn't he!

Good Ole' American Round-Up

2010-05-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

This has to be the highlight of us living here...our friends whose boys are part of the round-up crew invited us to come watch the spring round-up! What a fantastic insight into the American Cowboy way of ranching. We were fascinated at the skill this took.

My husband, myself and our oldest son were invited to join in the round-up - we all have a greater respect for those who have been doing this for years.

Yep that's our boy holding down a calf to be branded, castrated and given shots...had to hold on tight!
The boys, one in a white plaid and the other in a darker plaid, are friends of ours - they are gems in our eyes and we really enjoy being around these young men.

No you're not seeing double...that's our son at the rear and yes that's his mom at the front....it was exhilarating to be able to actually hold a calf down...makes me want to learn more about ranching....so much more!

Here our son is with the young man and young gal that have been doing this round-up for many years and they are the ones that encouraged both myself and our son to get in there and help...glad they did!

Watching on the sidelines...look at those great pink boots from the Lord...a good friend of ours found them at the Goodwill in perfect condition!

Thank you to our friend for the thoughtful gift for our daughter who had been saving to purchase pink cowgirl boots!

I really enjoyed watching the cowboys and cowgirls rope up the calves - it was beautiful to me...wish I could do it...maybe someday you'll see me out there roping!

Pretty in Pink.....

Thank you to the Tacoma family for thinking of us and including us in the Spring Round-Up. It was a fantastic day.

Hope you enjoyed a bit of good ole American history...an American art!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you! We had a wonderful day filled with surprise flowers from my husband to our brunch being paid for by gentleman at another table...He said to me "Your family was such a blessing to be around and your children are so well behaved that it really blessed me and I wanted to bless you so Happy Mother's Day". I cried at the kindness of this man. May the Lord's face shine brightly on him.

Now for a Mother's Day Tradition...we have ever since we became parents gone to get either flowers or some other plant that needed planting...this year we planted three flats of strawberries down in the berry patch that my husband is working on. You can see we had a delightful time.

As you can see our cows came down to the patch to see what we were up to...don't worry there is a six foot deer fence around the patch. The first picture is of our "boss" cow, Ruthie, looking for handouts...our very own Northwest Trek...

I trust the Lord showered each of you with a memorial day. Happy Mother's Day and thank you for stopping by!

Weekly Update

2010-05-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

Here is our princess...in her very first garden. She staked and laid the string - just like daddy taught her to do! She has squash, strawberries and flowers planted. This was probably the beginning of always having a garden...forever more!

Just look at that great grin.

44 years young...a fun and relaxed day was spent to celebrate this great man's birthday.

He's passionate about the truth of God's word, gardening, farming and his family...

Happy Birthday to you!

Not a very good picture...but we made Bulldog Cupcakes...as one day my husband thinks he is going to own a pair of English Bulldogs...Max and Daisy! Humph! I'm not so sure about the idea.

A Treasure for Our Knight

2010-04-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

So here is our "knight" with his treasure. He is always the first one done with school and outside to discover bugs and hopefully something really "cool". Well today was the day that he found a real treasure...this blue tailed lizard! That bright blue was striking - the pictures do not do it justice!
Our Creator is so full of imagination and awe - how can we not acknowledge Him in all we see and experience...

A Few Firsts

2010-04-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

A few of our spring firsts!

Here are the farm boys getting the tractor and harrower ready to plant our first planting of grass/oat hay. I even heard that our "knight" was able to drive the tractor while my husband stood on the harrower to help move the seed along...not too safe and I was glad I didn't see that stunt!

A first horse ride for our oldest young man. He is riding Hondo....a huge horse of almost 17 hands...massive but gentle guy!

First time for mom to adorn the "extra-large" bee suit and help with the bees. Here we are looking for eggs so we can force a split and gain a few more hives.

We did loose two hives over the winter but our other two hives are 50,000 strong. They were really buzzing around...amazing enough we didn't get stung.

Aren't chickens funny...they were so curious if we had "snacks" for them.

Sping is Here...Maybe

2010-04-10T14:48:00.001-07:00

We woke up to this "spring" morning to snow falling...Happy Spring! It snowed most of the morning and then the sun melted it all away.

Love the fashion? Our maiden has been saving her money that she gets every week for helping milk the cows...she wrote a list of her needs and wants and this pink cowgirl hat was the first on the list! She was so happy to find that the store that had it was having....A SALE! She wears this with everything!

Next on her list is pink cowgirl boots then the horse of course!

Bubbles - I love bubbles....there is something nostalgic about them.

Look at this lovely house...wish it were mine! It reminds us of a huge doll house. I want to say that this house is well over 100 years old. I love driving by this place and thinking of what life must have been like in this house...wouldn't it be fun to restore....maybe the Lord has it in His plans for us...just maybe...or maybe we could build one just like it! Places like this fascinate me.

Thank you for stopping by...Happy Spring ya all!

A week in the mountains...

2010-03-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

Farmer boy gets a chance to drive through the woods on this Artic Cat "toy". What fun that was for him!

Here is our calf...all grown up now! Duchess is getting ready to be de-horned by this local "cowboy". It took all of 30 seconds, a large heavy duty wrench and a horrific amount of blood that I decided not to share...If you really want to see the gory pictures I'll e-mail them separately to you...

SPRING IS IN THE AIR...And with spring comes an overwhelming feeling of needing to be outside...not inside doing bookwork! So today we did our weekly spelling tests looked up the different types of evergreens and headed out for an hour and half hike into the mountains...it was marvelous! A great find were the bones - which the children thought were fascinating! I think the favorite thing about this hike was the huge rock formation we came upon. It was a great hike, a perfect way to get the "spring fever" bug tamed!

Here Farmer Boy and Little Man are standing between two different evergreens that are prolific here...Hemlocks and Pines.

See the curved trunk at the bottom.

Happy Spring to you...thanks for stopping by!

My Life on a Taffy Pull: Job-As in the book of the Bible

2010-03-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful post and I just had to share - be encouraged...
My Life on a Taffy Pull: Job-As in the book of the Bible

Target Practice....What Fun!

2010-03-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have an older brother you might know what these little brothers are experiencing...great fun! Not to mention the brotherly bond that is happening here...just look at our youngest grin as big brother patiently helps him shoot the BB gun....I was so impressed when I walked over to the "gun range" as older brother was going over gun safety rules, what is expected of them at the "gun range" and so forth! Because he taught them to be respectful and serious while using a gun they were and had a wonderful time...and thank goodness no one lost an eye!

I have to brag a moment here...This young man is a marvelous big brother. He amazes me sometimes and is so caring towards his younger siblings...

Thanks for stopping by!

Future Farmer of America

2010-03-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

We were so blessed today! After a long day at the library we came home to this sitting outside our little place...a tractor for the boy who loves, loves, loves tractors...this was such a blessing to him and to me as I just felt so loved by the Lord! He knew that we would like, not need, but desired a fun bike for our little man to trek around the trails with us and He provided it...

Some other things I'm pondering is this...why do you suppose many who claim to be Christians shy away or try to avoid conversations about scripture? I have been amazed at this as I really felt the Lord put upon my heart to take my word with me to the library and share what I've been reading and what the Lord is doing in my heart. I felt I was to share with one lady in particular...she listened but was quick to tell me that she has read the Bible from cover to cover...when I asked her if she reads it daily she said "Why no...besides I prefer the Aramaic translation...you know the language that Jesus spoke..." I was flabbergasted...and asked her what she was talking about? She went off to explain and really lost me...she didn't want to discuss scripture, what the Lord is doing in her life....she wanted to discuss interpretations etc..., I tried to encourage her to read the Word and be filled...I shared with her that we really think the King James is the best and she would really glean from it...

I asked my husband later about this and he explained to me that first of all...Jesus didn't write anything down and second the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Koininea Greek...not in Aramaic language...it was written so that Jew and Gentile could learn, be convicted, and redeemed through the Word of God...

I wonder what your thoughts on this are? I am going to keep bringing my Bible to the library...following the Lord's leading as I know they don't reject me...they reject their Lord...I also stand on this promise that His word can not return void....

Shouldn't the Word of the Lord consume us? Shouldn't this be what we are passionate about? Shouldn't the truth be what comes out of our mouth most of all to whom all we meet? Shouldn't we be ready to give and answer in season and out? Shouldn't we be speaking His Words to everyone we meet?

Many happy blessings to you and your family...God Bless all of you!

Let Your Guard Down...

2010-03-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hmmm let me see...Let my guard down? Sure why not - after all it is a movie recommended by someone trustworthy right?

These words have been ringing in my head all week long as we foolishly followed them...and went against everything we have cultivated in our family...and everything that God puts in His word... We borrowed a movie on the good word of a very trustworthy young man.

So we put it in and I was busy cooking and heard a few remarks...than a few more...then my husband turned it off....we viewed it together and were shocked at what was in the movie! Many, many "not so funny" comments and other things that maybe a young man might over look and not "get" but Satan certainly "gets" it....after all his goal is roaming around seeking out whom he may destroy and devour! I was so glad that my husband turned it off...it may have encouraged our sons to head down a very dark and lonely path...and might have left our lovely daughter wondering if she was really "lovely".

God's word commands us to be on our guard against ungodly things, to think about things that are pure, to(as moms) be the keepers of our home...and the list goes on! My husband and I stand convicted and will keep our guard up...even when it comes from a delightful young man who may not have seen what we saw or heard what we heard in the movie....

I want to challenge each of you, the keepers of the home, to be on your guard...seeking the word and asking the Lord for guidance and direction! Keep your home in line with what God's word says - it is so important!

Simple Ponderings

2010-03-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

Purpose...Homeschooling with purpose...life with purpose(not to be confused in any way with the fad of the "Purpose Driven" stuff). A few weeks ago a friend and I were e-mailing and she mentioned that some families whom she knows don't really seem to have purpose for homeschooling the children...they just are "getting them through" the school years.

My friend has plans for their children way into the future...plans to help them in what they are interested in right now...even though it may change....several will be doing on-line college courses to get them ready for the life God leads them...I was amazed at the insight, intelligence and wisdom in this...gearing school right now towards future interests...amazing concept. They still do the required basics but they are always thinking..."what do I need to help them accomplish the long term goal" They have set many home schooling goals and the children love it and thrive under it....something else to ponder -setting reachable goals!

It got me thinking on a CD we required our oldest to listen to before he was given his Covenant Ring. It was "What to Expect From Your 12 Year Old". I remember being shocked at how many young men, ages varying from 9 on up, were purposeful in their life and accomplished many good things for the Lord.

I've been pondering that for a few weeks now and wondered if I was just "getting them through" school....sad to say but I think that maybe yes...no purpose other than finishing school which in that there really is no value, hope or promise of a bright future.

So this last week I've really asked the Lord to show me what I should be focusing on. You know what He has showed me...to know my children deeper and then to school them accordingly.

I want my children to be so thankful that they were home to learn instead of feeling like they missed out...I really believe the Lord has laid this on my heart - especially at the critical age of our oldest son...who is really thinking about what he wants out of life. I've encouraged him to begin saving for his "all-in-one" farm he wants to start.

Of course this is all in pale comparison to the great purpose we all have...to raise our children for His glory to build His kingdom! This is by far the most important thing we could ever do...I've even counseled a young mom who was overwhelmed at the prospect of home schooling to start with just reading and studying the Bible.

May the Lord keep us and guide us as we seek His best for ours and our children's lives. Thank you for stopping by.

Seven Heaven....

2010-02-25T10:32:00.001-08:00

Happy 7th Birthday to our wonderful Knight!
He had a glorious day...filled with lots of fun surprises...like picking out a knife at our favorite country hardware/diner. The owners seem to really like his personality and just wanted to bless him...then it was off to a new park we found that is just down the road...it was freezing and cold but we had so much fun....

Presents....and cake were next! Just look at the wonderful cake his sister created for him...an African theme! I had to help some but she did most of the work...the trees are pretzels with green licorice one top, a water fall, and an eagle's nest complete with M&M eggs...he was so excited about the cake creation...good job big sister! We were all anxious for him to open one gift in particular - Daniel Boone Season 4! This series is a family favorite!

A birthday pic-nic of hoggie sandwiches, soda, chips and cookies...a perfect lunch!

Gorgeous place isn't it...summer here might prove to be very fun indeed!

Love that grin...love that young man!

Breakfast with Dad...traditions are wonderful!

Black licorice...a knight snack...or a cowboy snack depending on the moment.

He requested marble cake and her is an aeriel view of the cake...

Papa Murphy's Move Over...and 100% Spelling Day

2010-02-22T16:52:00.000-08:00

With great success I made pizza. I used the whey off of the cheese...it's the greenish watery stuff that separates out from the curd. It was the best pizza I've ever made...I've had better homemade pizza(and the chef who makes it knows who she is....)...but it's the best I've ever made! I was so delighted with the crust. I used olive oil and garlic for our sauce and used our herb cheese(see last post), sauteed onions, and chopped up ham...it was wonderful and there were no left overs...so move over Papa Murphy's! Oh, and I even rolled up cheese on the sides...mmm!

100% Spelling! This is normal for this guy! I have to say it's because I'm just relaxed about spelling. I only require he master 10 words a week and so he writes them twice along with making up a fun sentance. I find this method works best. Its not a "proven" method as I kind of combined a few methods, taking what I liked about this one and not about that one...and well the proof is in the pudding!

He is such a lover of school...always over-achieving and begging me to do more school...he loves it. Math is his favorite by far and sometimes I find him doing four pages of math and wanting to do more...sad to say I've had to put a limit on his daily math papers or he would do only math...all day long!

We find him to be our most gentle child and don't know if he even can muster up a mean streak...he's just sweet and very loving!

Good Job Mr. Knight! We all love you so much!

Queso Fresco...Herbs de Provence

2010-02-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

This is by far our favorite cheese...It has seven different herbs in it...rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender, fennel...and some others. This cheese has a delightful mild, creamy texture with a wonderful "bouquet" of herbs to complete it. I would think it would be fabulous on thin butter crackers...shredded over a mixed garden salad or even used in flat bread.

If you want the full directions just let me know...

I start with boiling the herbs for 15 minutes. The next picture is showing you the curds and whey following with the cheese press and finally the beautiful cheese...Thank you for stopping by.

Happy Valentines Day...

2010-02-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hallmark reminds us that February 14th is "Valentine's Day", a day set aside to celebrate the joy of love. Our culture lures many hungry hearts to spend tremendous amounts of time and money seeking the elusive fulfillment of romantic love.

For many Valentine's Day is a painful reminder of the satisfaction that seems to be beyond their grasp. Perhaps these lonely hearts would be surprised and encouraged to know the true origin of Valentine's Day.

It began in the third century during the reign of an oppressive Roman Emperor, Claudius II. Clauduis ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods and made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians. This did not stop the brave Valentinus, a Christian of such courage and conviction that he would rather die than deny His Lord, Jesus Christ. Eventually, he was arrested and imprisoned for practicing his Christian faith.

During the last week of Valentinus' life, a remarkable thing happened. Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked to brink his daughter, Julia, to Valentinus for lessons. Juila had been blind a birth but had a quick mind. Valentinus taught her history, arithmetic, and most important about the Lord, Jesus. She saw the world through Valentinus' eyes. one day Julia asked her teacher, "Valentinus, does God really hear our prayers?"

"Yes, He hears every one." Valentinus replied.

"Do you know what I pray for every morning? I pray that I might see, I want to see so much and to see everything."

Valentinus answered, "God does what is best for us if we only believe in Him"

Julia replied, " I do believe, I do"

She knelt and grasped Valentinus' hand and as they sat together praying and worshiping there came a bright light. She exclaimed "I can see...it's beautiful...praise the Lord"

Valentinus kept on praying and thanking the Lord for His mercy.

On the eve of his last night he wrote Julia, urging her to continue to seek the Lord and to trust Him at all costs...he signed the letter..."From Your Valentine."

He was executed on the following day, February 14, 270 A.D.

See the Lord and trust Him at all costs...From Your Valentine! Happy Valentine's Day!

P.S. These cookies are my favorites. I love making them for my family...and I only make them once a year...on Valentine's Day! We gobbled them up with hot tea...mmmmm delicious! Let me know if you want the recipe...it's really easy!

Tea for two or three or four...you get the point!

2010-02-12T15:41:00.001-08:00

She loves her tea set! She bribed her brothers with treats...they had such a fun time!

What else are tea sets for? To have tea parties with the beloved childhood dolls. Here is our maiden with her two favorites...Julia and Nan!

Okay...so most of you are wondering "what on earth is the white thing on the wall?" You see we are living in a very tiny...very tiny trailer and we remodeled it to fit some of our belongings...it's our big mattress up against the wall. It comes down every day and goes up every night! It's a hassle and has been very difficult on all of us...but as you can see from my children's faces they are finding joy in all things...love that!

Our Maiden turns NINE...

2010-02-09T16:32:00.003-08:00

She loves to decorate cakes and thus wanted to decorate her own cake....she baked it, dad frosted it, and she put her creation to work...making a mountain with a running horse going up it...wonderful!

The day started off with the traditional "Breakfast with Dad." She choose pizza and hot chocolate...for breakfast? Okay, her day...her choice!

After they got home, we packed up a fun picnic lunch and headed out for a 3/4 mile hike at Fort Spokane...

This is the view from almost the top. What you are looking at is soldier quarters.

Look at this interesting tree...look closely and you can see it shooting up in the back.

After our wonderful hike we drove a bit to the park to have our picnic lunch and play.

This is what she saw when she walked in the door from our hike...she was elated!

"Oh, Dad and Mom...my first tea set...thank you so much!" She has wanted a tea set for a very long time. We found this little set at an antique store.

Happy Birthday to a most delightful daughter! We are enjoying the Lord working in her all that He wants her to be...she is becoming a "Pillar in her Father's house"...and we are blessed by it!

We Are Back

2010-02-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

Our ladies waiting for the lunch...from left to right...Duchess, Ruthie(our favorite) and Duchess's mom Rosie...we really love our ladies - they are so sweet and gentle - if you have land and ever thought about getting milk cows - Jersey's are the way to go!

A fun time with big tumbleweeds on our afternoon walk...see I started taking a very long break for lunch...like a two 1/2 hour break...so we can get out of the tiny "box" we are now living in and for fresh air...and to get a clean head for going back to school after our break. It is working out wonderfully for us!

My wonderful 13 young man...there are so many reasons I'm thankful for him...he is a blessing to his father and I!

My Family - I am so thankful for them...and the time we get to spend with the head of the house...

Just look at that grin..."I did it...I can do it" he said

Our littlest man loves to help...feel needed...here is his newest skill....sawing the twine for the alfalfa...look at that proud grin!

This is the view I have just outside our door...gorgeous isn't it! I may have a very tiny place to call home at the moment but the Lord sure did make up for it with the view and acreage we roam around on...

Cramped quarters...but still learning! Here is a game my daughter made up for him...he has to find the write numer to match the fish...he loves it! He can also find colors - she is such a talented young lady - I was so proud of her...I told her what I needed and she did it - joyfully!

The only amount of snow we've gotten....so much for the sleds we purchased...maybe next year!

Oh, how I love sharing our pictures with you...enjoy! I've pondering being thankful and praising at all times, in all situations...no matter what! So today I'm thankful for the mud, the children that the Lord has blessed me with that came back from our walk...COVERED...in the mud! Thankful that I don't have to do laundry by hand...really thankful for that

One thing I thought I might do is start a "Know Your Rights" section...what you think about this? I want to talk about our rights and learn more about them...because if you don't know your rights you don't have any! Most of you who know us are smiling...yes, we are very patriotic...and are discusted to see where our country is going...

First Right of an American...
1. To worship the Lord God in ones one way...without interference from the government.

Abortion

2010-01-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

I have added a new icon to the right...as if you couldn't see it! To some of you it will be offensive...a subject we shouldn't talk about...really?

God's word says that we "Shall Not Murder"...these individuals are striped of their rights...they don't get a fair trial nor do they get an attorney to plead their case...their voice is never heard...

I want to strongly encourage you to rent the video "Silent Cry". It is done by a very prominent abortion doctor. He wanted the world to see that there is no harm done to the "fetus" (which in Latin means unborn child)...his eyes were opened...his heart was broken!

This new health care that is being pushed for will help fund abortions...and the money they collect from "We The People"...by choice or force will be paying for it..."We The People" should be weeping in the streets and crying out...it will be on our hands...on our hands...oh, what have we done...Nancy Pelosi was quoted saying..."We will get health care passed. If there is a wall...we will scale it, if there is a fence...we will go over it" - they are determined to get the health care passed. One has to ask why? Why are they not listening to "We The People"...do you realize that over 75% of the American population do not want government health care? What are you to do...pray and seek the Lord...repent for the sins of our country...ask Him to show you what to do...He will be faithful to you!

Hugs to all and thank you for reading...

40ish...40 something...

2010-01-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well I have moved out of the thirty something group and on to the 40 something group...

It was a strange day as I was very emotional...my poor husband didn't seem to know what to do with me...eventually I got my emotions under control and we headed out.

We had a nice brunch at my new favorite restaurant in Hunters, the only restaurant in Hunters...but still my favorite! Then a nice quiet walk in the woods. We ended the day with a quaint birthday dinner and special cake that my daughter helped decorate...very relaxing day.

My dear husband had been saving up to purchase me a nicer range...but after seeing my frustration with my computer he decided to take the savings and buy me a new computer. I'm so excited about it and will have it next week....so this means back to blogging with pictures - I can't wait!

Hugs to all of you...hoping your day is filled with delight and peace and praise for our Lord.

A Must...

2010-01-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

I want to encourage all of you to go to the Above Rubies web site and request their free magazine...it's so helpful! I signed a couple of you up for it already...eeek! I know it will bless you...

I also want to encourage all of you to sign up for NOgreaterJoy free magazine...they are amazing! If you go to the bottom of my blog you can just click onto the advertisement for No Greater Joy...and then just sign up.

I have had these magazines sent to me for several years and have gained much wisdom from them.

Hugs to all...

Refuge...Rest...Reassurance....

2010-01-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of mine reminded me of something so valuable...something I have let slip by and have replaced with complaining and ungratefulness...

She reminded me that a home is God's blessing to us...especially women (Titus 2:8-12 - being a keeper of the home is something He requires of us ladies). It is our place of refuge, rest and reassurance. It is our duty to provide that refuge, rest and reassurance to all that enter into our home...

As I was pondering this and asking for forgiveness of my complaining and grumbling...I was reminded that a home is what you make it...it could be a tent, an RV, trailer, mud-hut, or big and elaborate...but in order for it to be a home the "keeper" of the home must give all her heart, her thanks and praise to the Lord...if not all those who enter will feel unwelcome and leave as fast as they can...

I have been filling my "home" with uncontentment and with that comes strife and frustration...anger...deep depression...fighting...bickering...I have seen these character traits in all of my family members lately...and no wonder when I get real personal with myself I realize it's my fault as the "keeper of the home". I have allowed myself to be pulled away from praising into complaining...from thankfulness into unthankfulness for all that the Lord has provided for us...yes, even this place we need to call home...so home it is!

I guess I haven't wanted to call it home because it seems so permanent...so long lasting...but as in Luke 12...the Lord's prayer instructs us to say "let the Lord's will be done"...so be it long or short...it's our home and the one the Lord has blessed us with at the moment...

Have you allowed things into your "home" that the Lord would wish you to get rid of so He can be praised and glorified by all who enter your home? Be real with yourself and let the goodness of the Lord Almighty cleanse you and perfect you as you make your home a refuge, rest and reassurance for those who enter...

Blessings to all of you Keepers of the Home!

Here we go again...

2010-01-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

My computer came back to life for a moment in time...and now it's complaining again! So here I am posting from a computer that does not have my pictures on it...so again you'll have to wait for a photo update...hopefully not to long of a wait though.

But while you wait I want to share with you what the Lord did over this Christmas season...He gave us gifts...three of them...

The first gift he gave came in the form of space to move around...our dear friends we are staying with asked us to take care of their wonderful horses, cats, and German shepherd...we gladly accepted and they also asked us to please use their home for our Christmas celebrations...complete with a huge tree and all the trimmings...we were overwhelmed by the offer and felt so thankful....thankful for the use of a nice, open kitchen, a large table, a open living room and large TV...it was wonderful to be able to roam without knocking something down or bumping into each other...

The next two gifts were found at our post office. A couple we know prayed and felt most assuredly that the Lord impressed upon them to send us a monetary gift. It was such a huge blessing to our family. We were so surprised by their generosity towards us. BUT the Lord was not done...as I was waiting in line out came the post office lady with an enormous box and handed it to me...it had our address on it but was from a name we did not recognize at all. I thought for sure the post office had made a huge mistake. When we opened the box we realized that it was for us as there were presents, wrapped and marked with individual names....we were so moved. We all thought who, who, who could this be? It finally dawned on us who this family was...a family that knows a mutual friend of ours...they e-mailed back and forth and got ideas from the friends of ours and sent our box. It was filled with gifts just perfect for our needs and wants...just perfect!

Those gifts were just a reminder to our family that the Lord has not forgotten us, our situation, our struggles....He knows and sees and understands...As I type this I know He is leading our family to stand steady...wait for the Lord's timing...He is the orchestrator of all things...

So we wait for His hand to move upon our situation...wait for His hand to reveal His mighty plan in our lives...wait for Him...wait....wait...wait!

I hope you enjoyed this post - even though there were no pictures available to look at...but can you imagine the smiles and joy we felt realizing we were not forgotten...not in the least!

P.S. - We've been having the head of our household read and explain the Declaration of Independence...it's powerful and moving and I want to challenge each and every one of you to read it, memorize it, to ask your self what You, the people, are to do in the midst of tyranny...it will encourage you....next we will be studying the Bill of Rights then on to the Constitution...Can't wait.

Hugs to all...

Picture Journal...

2009-12-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

Well, my husband fiddled with my computer and fixed it! I'm so delighted with him and so thankful that he took the time to work on my computer - it really blessed me!

This brings us to a much promised photo journal...it's a long one and I hope you enjoy the update!

This is what most of our potatoes look like...huge!

Just Dad and the birthday boy out for the birthday breakfast...look at that huge grin!

Birthday Hike.

Ahhhhh....love my hat!

Our silly cat Margaret Thatcher went on this loooonnnngggg hike with us...silly cat!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our huge 50lbs turkey...see the pans holding up the racks and catching all the drippings...what a mess...what a delicious turkey!

Giving a horse report...all on her own she researched and wrote down facts and wanted to present it...funny girl!

Just look at this beautiful stove! We would love to build a farmhouse with this stove as the center...I just love it!

Our Christmas Tree...a much loved tree!

Last week I wrote about my traditions and disappointments....this week I feel that the Lord reminded me that He only inhabits the praises of His people...and that complaining is as witchcraft...convicted and my shame brought to light I asked for forgiveness and thanked him for the hot water I was enjoying...and our little place...and our little tree!

I hope you all enjoyed the update...may you find praise for our Lord everyday...all day!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

This holiday season brings us to a new level of trust...and frustration...and fighting "tradition" depression...I'll explain.

For as long as I can remember, the day after Thanksgiving we have always gone out for our tree. This is something my mom and I did and I carried this into my married life...it has been something we look forward to all year as I make a huge deal about it. My husband has always picked the most unusual tree and the children would each get a turn sawing it down.

We'd bring it home, hose it down and set it up to dry while we ran through the house putting up all the other decorations and getting hot cocoa and treats ready for the decorating event....

I was certain that we'd be in our own farm by now and truly expected getting our tree and doing the tree tradition...I was wrong and have been fighting depression and hopelessness...

Through this I feel as the Lord is saying to me "trust me"...and this is hard! I feel as though He is showing me that I have put a tremendous amount of faith, trust, and hope in my "traditions" to make our family have a wonderful Christmas instead of the real reason for Christmas!

To our delight, the friends we are staying with had a surprise for us! The day after Thanksgiving they had us come over to pick up our tree! They had pulled out of storage a mini table top tree! I was overwhelmed and was filled with joy as I saw my children light up with enthusiasm and planing which one of their ornaments they would pick to go on the tree.

We cared our humble little tree back to our "home" and set it up...it took all of five minutes! I thought now what? We found our Christmas movies and popped one in and started off our holiday - maybe not what I expected or wanted but I'm willing to see what the Lord wants for us during this time. He is gracious and will comfort us through this time and show us what He wants to cleanse us from and show us what the truth about this holiday is.

I fully expect to be filled with His joy and strength. I truly am looking forward to our family being a blessing to those who need hope and joy and strength!

We decided to choose three families whom we've gotten to know a bit and, with our friends we are staying with, will be blessing them with caroling and gifts of food. We are all looking forward to this - probably me the most as a new tradition might just be being started. (I have to give credit for this inspiration to some dear friends of ours. They never failed to show up at our house to bless us with caroling and gifts of food - it really blessed our hearts and made us feel so loved and cared for...so we are caring on, here in Eastern Washington, with their gift of giving of yourself)

May you find ways to bless others this Christmas season...maybe a smile and a heartfelt "Merry Christmas" to the store clerk who is really tired of saying "happy holidays"....maybe a hug to someone...maybe a gift of food...the Lord will show you ways to bless others in His name!

May all the joy and peace of this season fill your hearts...

P.S. - unfortunately my computer is now needing to go to the computer hospital and I can not upload any pictures....so as I promised before, weeks and weeks ago, when I get this new problem fixed you'll have a lot of fun pictures to look at...the latest our mini-tree!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to all. We will be feasting on our own turkey that we raised. We should have "processed" it months ago as the "beast" is huge...so huge that it is not going to fit in the oven...even on the bottom shelf! We are guessing that it weights at least 40lbs...if not 50lbs!

I did find the camera...but left it a home this time - so "next time" I promise to have pictures for you to see. I'll include one of our turkey.

If you have time tomorrow you might want to go to the www.wallbuilders.com web site and read what President Lincoln said about Thanksgiving - it will inspire you!

Until next week - all our love and prayers are with each of you!

We Are Here...

2009-11-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! We are anxious to fill you in on our last few weeks...so hold on to your hats - here we go! Our last few weeks have been interesting to say the least. Unfortunately, I can't find the camera so I'm unable to "show" you our adventures, so you'll just have to imagine....

We started off with our very first bareback horse riding lessons. What a thrill that was. Where we purchase our hay from we were able to each ride a horse and go off on our first trail ride. We are all anxiously awaiting the time when we will own some of our very own...we have all the names picked out and now are just waiting...

A few days latter our littlest guy was put into the NICU at Sacred Heart for what they thought was swine flu. We were there for three days and at the end of the three days we were told that they didn't know what was wrong with our boy. The tests all came back negative for swine flu - which we were so very thankful for that!

The next day my husband did not put our truck into gear and off it went, down the hill, into a tree...thus why we have not been able to call, e-mail, or blog...oh, it's been a very looooooonnnnngggggg last few weeks without being able to contact anyone. We are safe and doing well.

The best part of our last few weeks...and with much joy we celebrated our little guys third birthday. His ever growing, ever loving sister baked and decorated his cake. I wish I could show you a picture as she did a marvelous job complete with a tractor, road and a field! It was so much fun for her and she was beaming with joy!

For his birthday we packed our lunch and hiked up the mountains behind our "home". What a glorious day. We found this huge rock and had our lunch. The best part about the hike was that our silly cat "Margaret" followed us all the way...we had our to share our lunch with her for being such a good hiker!

As you can see all is well and I hope to find our camera soon so I can share all the excitement with you! So look for the pictures to follow!

Much love and hugs to all of you!

Gross...Grosser...and Grossest

2009-10-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Gross...
This is a fly strip that was hanging by our front door...gross right? I had to cover everything. I'm so thankful for this cooler weather as the little pests have left!

Grosser...
Look at these two "piles" of scat...we found these two piles just a walk away from our place! Can anyone say grizzly! We haven't heard the grizzly or found any more piles....but are being very cautious and making sure we take the dogs along.

Grossest!!!!!!!

This Jerusalem Cricket was "crawling" along the garden path and so my older son had to have it for his bug collection! Here is why I deem it the grossest: He put it in a jar and put a wooden cover over the jar...we went to bed and I had bad dreams about that nasty thing...I dreamed it was crawling on us...eeeewwwww! It gets better keep reading....anyway since I had such horrid dreams I decided to check the thing and discovered it was GONE...no where to be seen! I searched everywhere...under the chairs, on the table, under the dresser...etc..., I couldn't find it and gave up hoping that it crawled out the cracked door (we keep our door adjar at night as the wood stove just gets sooooo warm)! So I started getting my bed ready(we put our bed up and down each day)...anyway I started getting my bed ready to be put up and moved my pillows and guess what I found...yep this nasty little thing crawling around where my pillows were...I screamed....and screamed some more - I was horrified! My older son just loved this morning story...he was out milking cows as all this drama was going on...he could barley breath he was laughing so hard!

Flexibility...

2009-10-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Flexibility...now who knew that the Lord would have me work on this. If you were to ask me if I was flexible I'd say "somewhat"...ha ha I can hear some of you chuckling as you know very well I'm not flexible at all... I didn't think it was such a huge deal to be flexible...but the Lord has shown me otherwise...

I am finding what a blessing it is to others when I'm joyful and content with change. Change is the story of my life these days...things are always changing or plans being changed. If you know me, you know how much I dislike change and usually have an attitude that isn't so sweet if change happens...but the Lord is showing me that I can be "flexible" and "joyful" at the same time...who knew...

My new motto: (do I dare print it?)..."Change is good"...I think the Lord needs my vessel clean and refined so He can give me more of His Joy...so I can give that joy to others as they come into my life...

Thank you for stopping by...

National Lampoon's Farming Vacation

2009-09-25T14:35:00.001-07:00

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Howdy Pardner...

2009-09-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

She is in heaven...just look at that smile!

Meet Houndo...named after a John Wayne movie.

The people we are staying with have two of the most beautiful horses I've ever seen. They often ride by our "camp" and pick up a child or two for a quick trip around the driveway. My children are so thankful for this and look forward to the ride...

The boys enjoying morning reading in our Knights bunk bed...which my husband creatively made. The beds fold up during the day to allow for more room for daily things...I am so thankful for that space!

Lessons along the way...

2009-09-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

Things we are learning in this journey:
I can cook in a really really really small space
I don't actually need have a shower every single day...but oh, that is a luxury I will hopefully have one day again
I can home school in a really really really small space
I can eat store bought food for connivance and not "die" from it...tee-hee
I can go a week without chatting on the phone to anyone or emailing or blogging...although it is an adjustment
I can choose to wake up happy or grumpy...and most days I'm choosing to wake up happy which makes life for everyone so much better
I can do all of my laundry in two loads and well it's actually just fine...really!
We really aren't farmers...but are working on it!

I hope this post finds you all doing well and learning in your journey as well...
You are cherished and loved and missed...
Hugs from us -

New Address and some fun pictures

2009-09-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Finally a mailing address...1250 N. Hwy - PMB #201 Colville, Washington

This was an incredible storm that we were able to watch i roll across the valley.

Since the winters are so harsh we have to really stock up on feed for the girls...and so we thought the best place to find a good hay farmer was at the fair. We went to the little Colville fair and found a very helpful family that had what we needed. So we set up a time to pick up our first load of hay and here are some fun pictures of the "city slickers" as she teased us and the lady and her little guy...let me tell you she just picks those bales of hay up and throws them into the trailer like they were a piece of tissue...she helps her husband plant and harvest the hay and is the one who manages the customer side...she was so full of energy and told me "sweetie, I'll make a farm girl out of you yet..." - I loved it and my farm girl heart was delighted! She is willing to have our older son over whenever so he can learn the farm trade - meanwhile I'll be flinging hay and other things I'm sure...tee-hee - and we thought we were "real" farmers back in Yelm - what a hoot!

Thank you for stopping by...I'll chat next week!

A Breathtaking View

2009-08-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

Just look at this snake that one of the children found...eeeek!

Able to ride and play and be children.

Just look at this view. This is just a stones throw away from our place - wonderful isn't it!

On a hike in the woods we found this rock...makes us think about the flood and proof for creation.

This is what we see everyday...isn't the Lord good to give us a beautiful view! Dave is still looking for work and becoming a bit frustrated.

Thank you for stopping by...I'm enjoying your comments and miss you all so very much. Please keep us in your prayers as it is a struggle to keep praising the Lord through all this...even with the glorious view!

Praise Him through it all...

2009-08-26T15:41:00.001-07:00

Clay costumes...

Daring one another to jump into the deep...

What fun we have been having at Fort Spokane. It looks cold but it was actually 85 degrees and the water was so refreshing!

Best meal I've ever had...well except at Mrs. Taffy's of course! The meals were large and wonderful...and where else could you eat right next to the nail bin and hardware store....Good coffee also!

As you can see we are enjoying life and places around here. I will send more next week of the breathtaking views from our front window...

Hugs to all...we miss you tremendously and hope all is well with all of you!

We Have Arrived

2009-08-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post here to let everyone know we are well and safe. We found a great lake to play at and will be spending lots of time there and posting lots of pictures.

My husband is still looking for work and we would appreciate all of your prayers.

Thank you for stopping by - I'll post next week...maybe even put in some pictures.

Hugs to all...

Gotta Love Berry Season...

2009-08-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yummie! These are from our berry patch. We have salmon berries, raspberries and logan berries. This is my favorite way to eat waffles...piled with fresh berries, caramel sauce and topped with powder sugar...oh, yum!

Baker and Beetles...

2009-07-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is a moment to put in our history books...well at least our family history books! Here our maiden has gone from needing my help to not needing me at all...it was a bit strange and I didn't really know what to do...I found myself wandering around the kitchen...but she was reading the directions, and following them...She even let her little brother "help" frost the cake....

See little man's finger...yep he's a helping...

She picked these raspberries to decorate her cake with - it was so wonderful to see her blossom in this area...amazing!

Buddies and Beetles...
Here is a great picture of our "cow"boy and little man...."cow" boy had found a large beetle and gave it to little man - squeals of delight and laughter could be heard...our oldest son is a wonderful young man and takes the time to enjoy his little brother - I'm so thankful for that!

Sheared like a sheep...

2009-07-16T14:27:00.001-07:00

So the story goes like so...my older son told me that he could do a really good job cutting his hair! He kept pestering me about it...for several days! I thought hmmmmm I could use this "over confident" moment to teach him something, so I let him cut his own hair...the result was very funny! He came out sheepishly to show me his "very good" job...he had forgotten the fact that he would not be able to cut the back of his head...and well it produced a uneven mess...I should have taken a picture but instead got out the clippers and this is what I was able to do...almost a baldy for the rest of summer.

This whole "close" shave thing must have inspired my husband as he felt the need to shave his "goe-t" ( I have no idea how to spell that). We are all hoping that it grows back fast as it has been close to five years since he's had a clean shaven face and I rather like the goe-t look...and the children are having a really hard time taking him serious as he has such thin lips and doesn't look very intense without the goe-t...we've had a few moments of break-out laughter!

Good thing I didn't get inspired eh!

Do you recognize them?

2009-07-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

Why it is Daniel Boone and his trusted friend Mingo.

We have been watching the Daniel Boone DVD series for about a month now. Our friends lent us the videos and we are loving them.

We highly recommend them - they are great for young men and do not have any "stuff" in them.

Enjoy!

Always Learning...Today it was a Bald Hornet lesson

2009-07-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Science doesn't stop just because we've closed the books for a few months. These nasty things have been taking up residence in our berry patch. We thought we got rid of the the two huge nests but alas today we discovered they were rebuilding....

Just look at the queen. She is twice as big as big as the sentry, who was guarding the build site. My husband had his bee attire on and sniped the newly constructed nest to put into the bag. We will be adding the nest, the sentry and the queen to our insect collection - what a great find for this science collection!

Happy Fourth of July 2009

2009-07-05T13:43:00.001-07:00

Cowboy here thought it was magnificent that he was able to pilot the boat by himself. He was even allowed to take his siblings, one at a time, out for a private boat ride - great fun.

Fourth of July has become our favorite holiday, but this year was a bitter-sweet celebration. Bitter for the fact that our dear, dear friends, whom we have spent the past seven(I think) fourth of July's with, were moved out of state and there was no way to get together for this year's celebration. They are family and very dear to our hearts and we missed them so very much...missed the laughter...squeals of delight from all the children...missed the good food...missed the good company...missed the Godly fellowship that went on every Fourth of July! I gave this one up to the Lord and am asking Him to make it happen for next year.

Now to the sweetness of the celebration...my husband went out the day before to get us hot dogs(can I just say yuk and barf...rats on a stick is what I call them) but that wasn't the sweet part. He also came home with life jackets and a four man, blow up boat with paddles. We had so much fun at the lake on that boat.

Afterwards a dear friend, whose family was across the mountains working on a project, came bearing foods and gifts to celebrate the 4th with us. We enjoyed her company so much...she's a gem of a lady and so enjoyable to be around.

How was your Fourth of July? If you are wondering why we had the lake to ourselves...it's because we get there early - we left our house at 8:00 to arrive at the lake by 9:00. We had the lake to ourselves for most of the morning. It didn't start getting really busy until about 2:00 or so...very nice

.Ka-Boom...look at those grins...this is definitely the favored holiday in our house!