IT'S ABOUT...FAMILY!

Birthdays, Basketball and the “Running Game”!!

2012-01-31T23:24:00.002-06:00

We have had several birthdays this month and that means kids are growing UP!
Garrett, you are such and inspiration to us and to so many others as well. You have a great sense of humor and make people feel good about themselves. You are friendly, outgoing, and thoughtful. Our lives are more blessed because you are a vital part of our family and we thank God for your strength, honor and godliness. Our prayer is that you continue to grow in Him as you walk in His light! You are a young(man) of God. We love you.

Micaylah has just had a birthday and it’s so hard to believe she is nearly a ‘teen’. She is a gentle and kind-hearted young lady that loves God with all her heart. We can remember the day she was born and have watched her grow into a young lady who’s heart truly desires to seek God first and become all He has for her. You will do mighty works for the kingdom, Micaylah! We love you!

We have a special game we really enjoy playing at the end of the day. When we all go outside and the weather is nice, we play the running game. I know, it sounds almost too simple, but the kids love it to pieces.
Here's what we do:
*everyone takes a place near the caller (the one who calls out the spots to run)
*the caller names several places around the yard where the kids can run to
*after the caller says, "On your mark, get set, GO!"
*all the kids go running to each spot, in the order it was called out
*the first one back home-wins

One of their favorite places to place is one the rocks, next to the creek. The water is flowing and they have some of the most imaginative stories to make up. They always come back in pretending they were on some island or sailing on a ship. We love it!

Here’s a little update on our kiddos…

2012-01-28T00:04:00.002-06:00

The days are just flying by as we are getting settled in our new routines with our ‘littles’, our ‘middles’ and the one oldest (who’s still loving living here at home, whilst she is in nursing school). WE love our new home nestled in the mountains and are enjoying the briskly flowing creek running right outside our front door.
The other night we were having some fun taking a few photos and here’s a sample of the evening.

Big Sissy got some new glasses and guess who ''HAD'' to try them on...yes, 3 new pair!!

Playing in the den with blocks, Legos, and duplos ( they had a few friends over for a short visit)

You can't have too many hugs!

All eight of 'em! They have bonded in such a special way that it truly amazes me to see the changes taking place right before my eyes. I don't think they will ever forget each other. Our prayer is that the good will out weigh any bad.

It’s amazing what changes can happen during the course of just a few months. Our schedule, time frame, home-life and priorities have all ‘shifted’.
God has and is providing for us in such a beautiful way that these few words can not possibly express it in any way sufficient enough to bring all the glory to his name that He completely deserves. We are more than humbled by what He is doing in our own lives that we just want to continue to say thank you Lord for what you are doing and how you are doing it “ALL”, on our behalf. WE love you Lord so very much and thank you!

10 Reasons to be happy this evening:

2012-01-12T22:10:00.003-06:00

I saw this on my friends’ blog recently and wanted to share my thoughts.

1) We all ate a hearty, homemade dinner—together!
2) My husband has a good job-we’ve been w/o one
3) We saw an old friend tonight-miss them greatly
4) my Bible is laying here beside me-and I read it today
5) my living room is finally painted-creamy yellow, one of my best color choices ever!
6) the ‘’littles’’ are peacefully sleeping, the olders are having quiet time and I’m watching them all
7) I have a new chicken coop for ‘my gals’
8) I can hear the rushing of the creek outside
9) my husband is spending the morning with us tomorrow
10) God is my very best friend!

Share your 10 reasons! Have a great night and blessings to you this evening!

Thankful hearts

2011-11-27T00:03:00.001-06:00

Autumn has come and been so pretty. We have been enjoying our beautiful weather and the changing of the season here in the foothills of Alabama. Since the addition of our 4 children, life has been busier than ever! Trying to get my lesson plans completed has really taken a back seat unfortunately…sad face. I’m hoping to get back on it shortly, but we’ve spent some good quality time instead…here’s how our Thanksgiving went.

Snack time out on the upper deck, just outside the kitchen.

Going on a hike into the surrounding mountains on the property.

Every kid loves to walk along the creek when it’s low enough. Posing for this pic wasn’t the favorite idea though.

Getting ready to head in for some turkey dinner.

We had sooooooo much food! This year was a little different in that we didn’t go anywhere and didn’t have any visitors…very, very different. But we did have four new little family members!! In light of that we decided to stay home and focus on being together as a family. Since possibly that may have been something new for them. Our two oldest girls helped me in the kitchen and we baked and cooked all day. Our oldest boys and Dad went out doors and the ‘littles’ went along too.

At the end of the day, we sat down to a huge dinner…all 10 of us. Good, good feeling!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving day! Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Blessings! Kimi

Finger is healing

2011-11-09T23:30:00.001-06:00

It’s been a week now and Garrett’s finger is in a cast and has finally stopped throbbing so bad. We go next week for a check up and hopefully the cast can be removed. He’s ready for the normal things boys do at his age: play ball, wrestle with his brother, rake the yard…NOT…that’d be the things Mom wants the boys to do at his age.

Thank you for your prayers and concern. Much love to you! More update soon.

Broken [pinkie] finger

2011-10-31T21:52:00.002-05:00

Well, earlier this month Garrett, our 13 year old, pulled his left rib cage from the chest wall when we were moving and this past week end he broke his finger playing football with the guys. The ribs are healing very nicely and so he decides to go play football with his buddies and we all know how guys can be when they are having fun….ruff. Anyway, here we are in the ER again with Garrett and then today at the orthopedic surgeons’ office. And so Wednesday he’ll be having surgery on his left hands’ PINKIE finger. Thankfully the break wasn’t [ON] the growth plate, but it was on the phalange just above the knuckle. Look in the pic below...it was a clean break. The surgery will correct and repair the break with dual pins in a cris-cross manner. We're hoping the recovery won't be a full 6 weeks.

Garrett’s broken pinkie

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Thanks Bro John and Sis Michelle for helping after it happened…John (a local fireman friend) actually had to set Garrett’s finger as it was terribly dislocated and Michelle (who is an ER nurse) set our minds at ease when she assessed it. Camille (who is in nursing school and the BIG sis) wrapped it up safely until we got him to the ER that night. Thanks you guys!
Please keep him in your prayers as he will be having surgery this WED morning. I’ll send an update afterward.

The many joys of parenting many!

2011-10-26T23:49:00.002-05:00

The last week has been more busy than ever. We added one more little one (for just a little while) to our mix…that makes 4 new ‘LITTLES’ with 6 original. Over the weekend we went to the park for a few hours and played on every-single-set-of-monkey-bars, every slide, every swing…LOVE-IT!!! We arranged everybody’s room in an efficient manner, did lots and lots of laundry, went to birthday parties, mowed/weeded the yard, prepared the kids play area, tidied the house some more, fed chickens (which BTW haven’t started laying eggs since the move, poor gals), and have absolutely enjoyed SEEING fall arrive!
Here’s a quick mix of pics for you--

Little Faces

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We are learning new things every day and taking it very slowly with our new children. Parenting is totally a journey worth taking in stride.
Thanks for stopping by for a visit…and thank you for your prayers.
Kimi

The journey continues…

2011-10-13T21:48:00.003-05:00

The last few months have been busy for us. We have moved into our new home, complete with a secure, finished basement, our oldest daughter has moved into the little efficiency attached to our house and we have new little family members.
Click on our photo gallery below and you can see some of our recent pics…have a blessed day!
ps...our comments have been reactivated ;)'

more of our family journey

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So, changes are part of our journey

2011-09-07T22:46:00.001-05:00

With the recent storms that have changed the face of our community, we have to admit that we will be changing along with it. Braving more storms out here in tornado alley is not a comforting thought.

Our plans have taken a new turn and instead of building a house on our property here in the country we are selling out. For these last few months, we have been looking for just the right place. Living in such a beautiful state, there are many natural surroundings that add to the character and beauty that make a house a home. We found a wonderful house nestled in between these gorgeous mountains and it’s closer to our church and to my husband’s job.

Here are a few pictures that we wanted to share that show part of the natural surroundings of our new home. To the left of this pic is a mountain as well as to the far right.

There is a gorgeous creek that runs through our front yard. It had just rained, so the creek had turned into quite a ‘little’ river. It normally is not flowing this fast, nor is it deep.

The property comes with 26 additional acres and has a couple of ponds on them…stocked with catfish. We shall see what becomes of our new journey.

The house itself is big and spacious, plus it has a deck or two. The best thing it has to offer is that it comes with a huge, finished basement!!! YAYEE FOR US!! I’m lovin’ it!! More to come…

Thanks for coming by for a visit~Kimi

Squash, Stir-fry & Salads!

2011-08-31T22:15:00.001-05:00

This is one of my golden, yellow summer squash plants! When it was planted, it didn’t look like it was going to make it, but after a couple of weeks, it just began to grow into this lovely plant. I think squash and zucchini are one of the prettiest garden plants to grow.

Here you can see all those tender, little yellow squash coming up.

The last few weeks our garden has been yielding the most wonderful veggies ever! Golden, yellow summer squash, crispy, green zucchini, kohlrabi and sweet baby bell peppers. We added fresh baby carrots to the dish also.

Fresh salad with home grown veggies: my little bell peppers were so delicious along with my favorite poppy seed dressing!

Carrots, zucchini slices and squash disks made for a great dinner one night last week. They were sautéed in wasabi sauce that I made a few weeks ago.

The garden is about finished with its work for the summer and I think we’ve decided not to plant a fall garden this year. So, we’re looking forward to next spring and making plans for what we’ll get started with after winter.

More news coming up on our family ‘expansion’. And hopefully we will have some photos to share.

Blessings Abundantly to you! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.

Kimi

The Adventure Begins

2011-08-02T20:11:00.003-05:00

We are finished with our state licensing, have our CPR/First Aid/Pool Safety certification and home study completed. With the recent tornadoes, it pushed back the program somewhat and we all have been eagerly waiting for the arrival of our children.
We got to keep 3 precious kids last week, so they just did school along with us, along with everything else we do. Here’s a little photo gallery of our week.
Doing school

Playing in the rain

Going for a little trail ride

Picking fresh flowers

Picking cucumbers & green beans

We had such a great time with them. Keep us in your prayers. Our hands, our hearts and our home is open and waiting for our new little ones!
Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
Kimi

it’s a fondue night! {how to serve Bok Choy}

2011-07-23T00:06:00.011-05:00

The other night we decided to have a different kind of dinner…fondue. We had steak and chicken with brown rice along with Bok Choy and broccoli. The meal was complemented by the tasty sauces that were absolutely homemade by us and tasted delectable! Here's a couple recipes of the evening--
Bok Choy

1 lg head Bok Choy
3 C broccoli florets
2 T olive oil
2 T sesame seed oil
4 T soy sauce
S & P to taste

Clean, cut and set aside broc and bok; in large sauce pan, heat over med-low heat oils and soy sauce'; add broc and bok; simmer for 5-7 min; tossing lightly; add S & P to taste; serve with brown rice and your favorite meat. We loved it with our fondue dinner (above).
Note: clean bok choy by cutting off and discarding the end of the stalk; pull every stalk off as you would celery; clean thoroughly; slice all the way up to the green leaves; save the leaves-they’re gorgeous anyway! Add the stalk pieces to your dish.
Brown Rice

2 C brown rice, dry
4 1/2 C water or broth
2 T olive oil
1/2 leek, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic
S & P to taste

Rinse rice thoroughly; place in large pot or rice steamer; add remaining ingredients; cook till tender; Serve with Bok Choy…yummie!
Here’s a pictorial of the evening.

I wish I would have taken photos of the food, but will remember to do that next time.

The sauces we used were so wonderfully flavorful and totally completed the meal that I’m going to have to put them in a post all by themselves.
Thanks for stopping by…Kimi

Kohlrabi-how to harvest, cook & serve

2011-07-15T17:58:00.002-05:00

Kohlrabi: low, stout vegetable; slightly sweet taste; can be served alone or used in place of turnips, potatoes or rutabaga.
Days to Harvest: 55-60 days after planting seeds in soil.
Species: Brassica-which means its from the same family as turnips, broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, mustard plant etc.
Back in April we planted several kinds of seeds in our freshly tilled garden plot. Among them was Kohlrabi. We waited and waited to see how well they would do and finally we saw these tiny leaves sprouting up in the row. Such pretty little leaves all in a row. As time went on I noticed a bulb was forming on top of the ground. Digging under and around the bulb, I checked if there was a root. Sure was! Covering it back up, I waited some more. Finally, after about 55 days (after sowing the seeds) I pulled the bulb up out of the ground and shook the soil from its root.
All the light green, long stems were soft, but firm and I simply snapped them off, laying them in a pile.
Here’s a recipe I used to serve this delicious vegetable.
Pinto Beans and Kohlrabi

2 C dried pinto beans
3 kohlrabi
4 T real butter
6 C water
S & P to taste

Wash, rinse and clean beans; place in large cooking pot with butter, S & P, water; bring to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, clean kohlrabi and peel as you would a potato (as below). When your bean are about 20 minutes away from being done, add the kohlrabi to the beans; stir gently and cook until semi-soft; NOT mushy. Add additional water if necessary.
Serve with fresh green beans, steamed carrots, fresh potatoes and Johnny-cakes (corn bread sticks)

Cut in half

Cut ends off

Peel as you would a potato

You’ll notice that the outer skin is very woody, although it peels very easily. Be careful to observe that if the meat of the bulb is woody, it may be too hard to eat. So cut that part off before cooking.

The inside of the bulb is tender and almost has a sweetened flavor. Not enough to really be sweet though. You can cut into cubes or cut into julienne slices(as in baby carrot sized) and use with your favorite veggie dip, fresh and raw.

Home made corn bread sticks are the perfect addition to this garden-fresh meal. High in protein, fiber and potassium. Low in fat and salt.

Thanks for visiting!
Kimi

{Kitties, summer days and green beans}

2011-07-13T20:01:00.002-05:00

my growing garden

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Summer is always a productive time on our little farm. We have been growing vegetables in the garden, herbs in containers and harvesting lots of green beans. Cucumbers, radishes, garden peas, tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans, yellow squash, zucchini and kohlrabi seem to like the soil here and are coming up very nicely.

{GreeN BeaNs!!}

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The other day, I went out to check my garden and noticed there were so many beans just hanging and ready to pick. My husband and I started picking and realized we needed a larger basket. We ended up bringing in a 6 gallon bucket of them. We ate some, gave some away and canned the rest. Now we need to go pick again.

A couple of weeks ago a dear friend of mine gave me new rooster. He’s the white one in the background. He’s only about 6 months old and already as big as my hens. Which, by the way, have fallen in love with him. We haven’t named him yet…any suggestions?

Early in the spring I planted a vegetable that you don’t hear a lot about: KOHLRABI. As I waited for it to grow, I decided to plan some recipes to use it in. This week I used it in our favorite cornbread and bean recipe. It was delicious! Absolutely wonderful. I’m going to put the recipe on my homemaker’s site: www.thehomemakersminuteandmore.blogspot.com
Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment. Remember to send your suggestions for our new rooster’s name…He really needs one!
Kimi

July 4th (day 3)

2011-07-05T00:09:00.001-05:00

We had such a good day today!

Brunch at noon: French Toast w/hard boiled eggs, fresh OJ, and table talk. Then we began getting ready for the fun afternoon.

July 4th 2011

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The kids like to play volleyball every afternoon, so while we were bar-b-que’n, they played a game of volleyball. Then we had grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, mac’n cheese, au gratin potatoes, baked beans, chips ‘n dip, fresh carrots, ‘Angel’ eggs, chocolate chip cookies, and a new dessert that I just put together this afternoon…vanilla wafer pudding pie-topped with homemade chocolate sauce. It was so-so sweet! Oh and we also made some decadent chocolate-dipped strawberries. I just used my strawberries and dipped them in the chocolate sauce (above).

Chocolate Sauce Recipe:

2 squares Bakers unsweet chocolate

1-1/2 C confectioners sugar

2 T real butter

4 T milk (I used almond milk)

*Melt chocolate & butter in small saucepan. Add sugar. Stir. Add milk and stir until mixture is smooth and shiny (about 3-4 min). Set aside and use for dipping or drizzling. Reheat if needed.

After that we all sat down in the family room and watched a neat historical program called “Liberty’s Kids!” It was about the Declaration of Independence and very interesting.

It was a very nice day especially since some of us are recovering from being sick these last few days. We hope you had a great day doing just what you wanted to do! Happy Independence Day!

Using new blog writer!

2011-07-04T23:21:00.001-05:00

Today was a very pleasant 4th of July. After finally starting to feel better I was able to eat some decent food. Our youngest daughter has been sick with this yucky virus too and couldn’t eat as much as she wanted. Hopefully, we will all be feeling better very soon.

Happy July 4th!! {day 1}

2011-07-03T00:05:00.001-05:00

Husband's off all weekend, weather is cooperating and we are all together! This definitely makes for a wonderful 4th of July weekend.
Here's a pictorial of our first day...Field trip to a civil war museum, bar-b-q with friends and just being together!

This morning we woke up and decided to take a field trip to a museum. Not far from where we live are many historical places to visit. This one is called "Crooked Creek Civil War Museum". Choc-full of all kinds of civil war guns, uniforms, saddles, cannon balls, photos, and too many other items to name, we took a short trip to a little area in our county called West Point. It is such a quaint little part of our county. I wouldn't mind living there. The curator is full of stories and trivia that tell about what happened here during the civil war.

The guns they are holding are authentic and all were used during the civil war.

This a one of 2 huge dioramas that are in the museum. Look at the little tiny men, complete with guns.

Here the curator is giving us a personal tour and describing many things in great detail.

You can take a walk along the paths that cover the 40 acre historical site or you can drive down to the winding creek below. Various trails lead to different parts of the river, and to many holes where the soldiers actually fought and hide from their foes. One boulder even has 2 bullet holes in it. They found several bullets near the boulder and they are on display at the museum.

My husband and I are standing next to a cabin that was moved to this property for the benefit of becoming a bed and breakfast. Inside is simply lovely. All very primitive, but thankfully, complete with air conditioner. (our warm Alabama days are hitting up into the high 90's)

This is a pavilion complete with a few pic-nic tables and 2 carriages. The old wheels date back to the late 1800's on one and 1904 on the other.

Each buggy is a 2-seater.

This bullet collection shows and assortment used during and after the civil war.

One of the things I love about visiting a place like this is watching the kids explore on their own. Austin is looking at a couple of pages from an old book. The magnifying light/glass really shows the detail of the photo. He thought it was fun to turn the light on and off too.

These guns are so heavy...built well and lasted nearly 150 years.

The back side of the little cabin. This cabin was actually taken apart and moved. All the boards were numbered, disassembled and then put completely reconstructed as the original building. It's really something amazing to see.

After leaving the museum, we headed on over to visit with our good friends, Jeff and Bridget and their family. We had such a good time together!~

All the kids were there...having fun outside. We were inside getting all the food ready. Hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, along with macaroni 'n cheese, and au gratin potatoes and chips, topped off with sweet tea. It was yummie and everyone ate way too much!

Afterwards we went outdoors and watched fireworks go off one after another. It was loud and bright! We loved it! Then we ate snow cones and let the kids light sparklers. Such a great way to start our celebration of our 4th of July!

We hope you have a wonderful time celebrating Independence Day and that you are able to spend time with those you love and care about too.

The TORNADOES: Our Town, Our Community, Our Home

2011-05-19T14:15:00.003-05:00

The tornadoes that ravaged through North Alabama on April 27th have definitely left their mark on the residents here.

"It was a quiet evening when my husband turned off the last lamp in our family room. We had just tucked our children into their beds after saying prayers. It had been a long day and we were all tired. Having heard the forecast for the following several days the feeling of apprehension gave way to peaceful sleep as we surrendered our thoughts to the Only One who could give us a peaceful nights' rest and before long it was early morning. Suddenly I awoke with a thought that I needed to check the weather. It was about 5:45am. No sooner did I wake my husband than I received a call from a concerned friend telling us we had but a few moments to get out of our house. She said, "Maybe 15-20 minutes at most." With no basement, no solid structure and just paper thin walls we knew we had to leave! In a few minutes we heard a loud noise and we were all dashing for our truck, praying. As we stepped out the back door, water was flying horizontally and we were suddenly soaking wet. As we drove down our long drive, a 45' maple tree fell on our vehicle...and then rolled off. Little did we know, we were driving straight into the tornado(s). Praying, we just drove as fast as we could and then another tree fell in front of us, then other trees were falling all around us. Things were flying sideways in the air and we were being pushed off the road by the winds. We couldn't see anything until it was hitting the truck. Nothing was clear and we kept hearing the loud sound and things hitting the truck. Just a lot of things flying around and water and limbs and pieces of debris that came from somewhere. Nothing looked familiar. This was all in about 2-3 minutes. We finally made it to our neighbor. (about equivalent to a couple blocks away). Stepping out of the truck, some of the kids slipped and fell down. Wind and water beating on us. Quickly picking them up, we dashed into our neighbors' under ground shelter and pushed the door shut. The noise outside the door was so loud and we just prayed and prayed. Everyone was scared and cold and shaking. Then, no one said anything as we just listened for what seemed like forever until the loud sound died down, but in the distance we could hear the thunder and lightning as is came nearer. It sounded like there was another storm coming so we waited and it sounded close. A loud sound came again and we stayed put inside the shelter, praying and waiting. After a while, it seemed to calm down. We looked out the door and saw the dark sky that held the powerful force we just witnessed, as it headed to the next town. We knew that God had cupped His hand of protection directly over us. We just praised God!!

After waiting for about 30-40 minutes, we ventured out. It seemed calm, but the wind was still blowing. We tried to drive back to our house, but there were so many trees, large branches and debris on the road, it took us a while to get back to it. One of the walls was damaged, but it was fine other than that. The power was out everywhere. The cell phones weren't operating and we couldn't reach anyone. We had no idea that this tornado had already struck elsewhere or that it was as severe as it was. For some time, we had friends trying to reach us by phone with no success. Finally, someone got through and said, "Are you all alright? We are on our way out to you, right now!" As we made it back to our house, we were amazed at all the destruction we saw. Our neighbors' had damage, barns were torn to pieces, homes destroyed, trees were down all over and all the chicken house destruction. You couldn't even see the road we were driving on.

Friends were trying desperately to get to us, but were not able because every road leading to our place was devastated and blocked.(we live very far out in the country). Cell phones were in and out, and we couldn't complete a sentence as we tried to talk. Finally, one of them got through on my husbands' cell and said they found a road that was passable. As we waited, we looked around and began picking up things that had been thrown around from the tornadoes. We don't have any trees next to our house, so that made it safer for our home, but everything else was here and there and our neighbors' things were out in our pasture. Trees were down. Broken right in two. The forest in front of our house looked like someone had taken a pair of hedge clippers and cut the trees off half-way up. They're just snapped off and we don't know where the tops went. They're gone. Now, they're bare tree trunks about 20' tall. We have a top of a tree just laying out in the pasture...where did that come from? It's not even the same kind of tree as the forest. We found a picture of a children's birthday party that was evidently taken in a restaurant down in Tuscaloosa. It was out in our pasture, half torn up. It was a solemn feeling as we walked around, looking at our area and taking in what had just happened.

When our friends were finally able to make it to our house, we all just thanked the Lord again for his provision. They were safe. We were safe. We all were safe. Later that day, we went to our friends home in town. They have a sturdy brick home with a basement, but on the way this is what we had to drive through to get onto the main road. And the main road was 20 times worse, but I couldn't take pictures. I was driving. We were in terrifying awe over what we saw then. It was so much worse. These pictures are only of our immediate area and roads. Just to get out, we had to drive over 30-35 power lines, in and out of large trees and into ditches. These photos don't really show as much as it was. I could only take a few pictures. Please continue to pray for our community. Hopefully I will be able to post more soon. May God bless you as you remember us in prayer!

On a new road...

2011-04-26T12:22:00.000-05:00

We have been finishing up our paperwork for something very special....we have taken a new road in the last several months. We are endeavoring to become a foster/adoptive family.
We've had a desire to adopt for many, many years now. My husband and I wanted to adopt children even when we both were children ourselves. Even though each of us grew up in loving families, we wanted to be able to give to children in a special way...maybe one day being able to adopt.
As we embark on this precious journey, we ask that you keep us in your prayers. We want more than anything to follow God's perfect will. He truly has a plan for each of us as we live this life he has given to us. We want to be sensitive to him.
More to come soon.

Simple Joys

2011-04-03T15:53:00.000-05:00

Sometimes just the simple things can make such a difference. Like getting a surprise call from a good friend, stepping outside and feeling the breeze on your face or helping an elderly person with their groceries.

Yesterday, I was given such a wonderful gift.

It's immeasurable value brightened my day!

I hope your day is full of simple joys that bring a smile to your face.

Today at breakfast...

2011-03-29T16:47:00.002-05:00

we spent time talking, planning and then reading. Some of our favorite things to plan and talk about during this time of year are what to plant in our garden and what kind of activities would be fun for the summer.

One thing we enjoy doing regularly is reading various stories, out loud. Even though we have already read Laura Ingalls Wilders', The Little House Series, before (this will be our third time), we are reading it again. It is such a classic and we always find similarities between the books and the seasons we are in.
Hope your day is blessed and productive!
You are also welcome to join me at
The Homemakers' Minute & More
for additional ideas, recipes and tips
on organization.

{SpRiNgTiMe!!} How to trim chicken's wings

2011-03-18T15:02:00.000-05:00

Every year chickens will molt. Their new feathers are soft, shiny and smooth. In order to keep them protected from predators, it's important to allow the chickens to roam freely in a confined (fenced) area. Hawks, coyotes, and packs of dogs will feast on my sweet, little flock if I don't keep them safe. To keep them inside their fencing, I trim their wings every spring. Below is the process. All you need is a sharp pair of scissors and a helper.

1. Spread out one wing

2. Cut the longest section of feathers. (these are the ones that help them fly)There are several rows of short feathers then the section of long ones. Cut just below the short feathers and you won't hurt the chicken. Begin snipping slowly.

3. Continue clipping the long row, until you have curved all the way along the wing.

4. No need to clip the other side. Chickens can not fly when one wing has been trimmed, and when you let her down, you can barely tell it's been clipped. Simply lovely!!

5. Below are some additional photos of a couple of my chickens having their wings trimmed. It's a very simply and quick process. My flock is down to 10 now, and it only took my daughters, about 25 minutes. (I was taking the pics). The longest part of the process is catching them!

{SnOw DaY #6 & #7 2011!!} We're seeing grass

2011-01-16T15:51:00.003-06:00

I will admit, I have thoroughly enjoyed the snow. Being from a warm-weather state I thought that having snow and ice would be such a drudge and hassle to deal with. And, if you HAVE to leave and get out in it, it is not for the faint of heart--that'd be me! But seeing the beauty in it and watching the kids play has been really good for us, and it hasn't been the hassle that we first thought. Now it's melting. We are at 53 degrees and expecting rain most of this week. Here we go!

The grass and pond are definitely defrosting, making it easier for the animals altogether.

You can see where the snow is becoming sparse and grass (or that brown stuff) is coming through. There, past the horses, you can see my favorite tree in the distance.

On the way to town, we go over several little bridges with these gorgeous creeks running under them. We couldn't come to town this way before because the road over the creeks was completely iced over.
This one (below) is my favorite little creek. It is so pretty at every season.

Isn't God so amazing that He made our world so full of beauty, naturally.

I'm so thankful He has allowed me to live here and see all the

T R E A S U R E

He has put around me. Just amazing!

Do you know the one thing that is always outstanding in its field?

COWS! Ha-Ha! I love cows. Their just so natural.

{MaYbE, mOrE tO cOmE!}

{SnOw DaY #5 2011!!} The Defrost Has Begun...

2011-01-14T15:33:00.000-06:00

...and since the kids and I have been indoors for most of the week, we decided to take a trip to town. Here's how it went. This is one of the good roads we traveled on to get into our closest town. This is good. My husband said that yesterday it was only a one lane road.

These are chicken houses. We have them everywhere in the south.

This is a cabin up in the woods, around where we live. It is really gorgeous from this view.

Same road, further down.

Heading into town, we pass alot of families and their farms/homes.

This used to be used as a chicken house and now many, like this, are used as barns and storage for the retired farmers and their families.

To the right of this little house is a small cattle and horse farm. Their pond is nearly iced over. A few more days of these cold temps and we could have skated on this pond.

Our town is a farming town. This is the town's livestock sales barn. Every Saturday and Tuesday they either have horses/mules or cattle and other livestock going up for auction. You can purchase tack and feed and sometimes small equipment here.

Finally, we are in town. Here is our favorite gas station. Chevron. The owner, Miss Dorothy, is a precious lady. She always makes a fuss over the kids and insists they have a treat when they come in the store...either a slushy, hot cocoa or other treat. She keeps her station so clean and the parking lot extremely tidy. She sweeps it herself and always talks with her customers. Kinda old fashioned, don't cha think? We absolutely love that about her.

Yes, we have a walmart super store. We don't shop there very often though. My husband does work at a local grocery store, you know. I just took the picture because of the amount of snow to see. Any parking lots in town are filled with piles of snow.

We drove out to the other side of town and this was the view. Very gorgeous land with all that snow. Thankfully, the town has had many people getting the main roads back into shape for travel.

Coming back through, we saw this drive-thru. It was piled high too. Very different for our community.

One of the snow piles. It's bigger than it looks here.

Back home, the horses needed watering, and they love the icy cold snow. They've been eating it right out of our hands.

The defrost has begun and maybe by the end of the weekend it will be gone.

Last night our low was 7 degrees. It's up to 42 right now! That's really great. And by Monday our forecast says, "High of 47." We might make it up there.

{MoRe To CoMe!!}

{SnOw DaY #4 2011!!} Snow still here

2011-01-13T21:35:00.000-06:00

The snow is still hanging in there! It's is still cold and tonight is going to be our coldest so far. Tomorrow is predicted to be up to 38! So, "We're havin' a heat wave, a tropical heat wave!" Maybe by the end of this weekend, the snow will have melted and on it's way to the pond or lakes or even the ocean. This morning my husband and our oldest daughter ventured out to walk to the car parked at the end of the drive. It's about a 1/4 mile or so and covered with ice and snow. We are completely laughing every time they leave! This has kept us in a good attitude as well as given us a new and growing appreciation for our vehicles. It was 12 degrees this morning when they left! Shortly after they had left, the snow started to fall again. Thank goodness they made it to the car in time!

I am just crackin' up with this expression here! She is kinda dreading the little hike, but oh well! Nothing like gettin' up and at it and gettin' that 'ole blood flowing! Her Daddy is lovin' it-TOTALLY!!

Yea, our little doe-gee is going down with them...remember, we do have a pack of coyotes that run this area.

Wait up Dad~

Sky's are absolutely gorgeous this afternoon. Still, the land is covered in snow and a thick layer of ice.

Look at this little guy! He has found the 'hugest icicle and is going to eat it! Go for it baby!

See all the way across the hills, they are full of snow. Simply gorgeous!

Sunset at our house, over the snow.

It has been such a great week here. Snow, sledding, being home and lovin' it! This afternoon I cleaned out my Tupperware cabinet-moved it to another part of the kitchen, rearranged my canned food, organized my Hoosier cabinet, put all my baking supplies, utensils, appliances and staples into one area/large antique cabinet and plan to finish the rest of my kitchen tomorrow. Maybe I'll post it and take pictures. I'm so excited about having my kitchen just the way I want it. What a relief!
{MoRe To CoMe!}

The rest of our {SnOw DaY #3 2011!!} Making snow angels, sliding down the icy hill & finally, coming inside!

2011-01-12T22:34:00.001-06:00

After starting out the day with a lengthy trek up the driveway to our car, the kids were off to ride down the hills in our pasture. Diego, our ever faithful tri-colored paint is watching over the kids as they slide down the hills and then run back up. He figures he could do it too, but for now it's their turn.

Chickens are inside their coop, trying to stay warm, waiting for more scratch feed. Ok, they'll get a little bit more, since it's so cold.

Laci, our 8 1/2 yr old mix breed dog, has adapted well to farm life. She doesn't leave the kids when they are outdoors. Sometimes I can't tell who is having more fun, the kids or the animals.

At last, snow angels! The snow that fell earlier this morning has made it soft and fluffy to lay on. Well, a little bit softer anyway! And time to go inside. They've been outdoors since before Dad and Sis left this morning. Almost 4 hours ago!

Time for lunch and the preparation for tonight's lows. Supposed to be 12 degrees.
p.s. it didn't make it up to 27 today

{MoRe To CoMe!}

{SnOw DaY #3 2011!!} Early morning snow and walking to work

2011-01-12T10:37:00.002-06:00

Early this morning snow was falling pretty good and then the clouds cleared and the sun shone bright and warm. It was 15 degrees and we were glad for that.
It was lower through the night.

Now the sun is out, it's 18 and our high for today will be up to 27 degrees, hopefully.

Snow falling early this morning (above) and the boys checking the horses' water (below)

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go! (below)

Work can't wait and so off they go! (look closely in these 3 photos and you can see them walking) We parked the car at the end of the drive(below), so Dad and Big Sis are walking down to it. The three younger ones are just joining them as they walk down the drive to the car, and then the kids will head back home for their breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast...the newest member of our family(Gato) has found his.

Yayee!! He's definitely a keeper!

{MoRe To CoMe!}

The rest of our {Snow Day #2 2011!!}

2011-01-11T20:21:00.002-06:00

So as the day went on, we were very productive. My husband and our son made it back from town with kerosene for our heaters. The girls and I kept ourselves busy in the kitchen baking and cooking up a real 'comfort' food meal and our littlest son helped out by collecting snow from outdoors. We made a bunch of homemade chocolaty-chip wheat cookies, several loaves of whole-wheat bread, and a hot meal of fried potatoes, bacon and turkey bacon, grits and homemade gravy. We skipped the fresh eggs because my little chickens are taking a break from laying their eggs. It's just too cold for them to produce right now.

We're not 'ALL' work and no play! While the cookies and bread were baking, some of the kids ran outside to check on the horses water and then I heard it. 'BANG!' 'BANG!' 'BANG!', sounded on the back door. They were all smiles and laughter as I saw all these bursts of snow on the glass! "Mom! Look now!" 'POW!' Right into the glass again and loud laughter. I love it!

Shortly after my husband returned, we heard an engine sound coming up our long, icy driveway. It was our neighbor, Mr. Alexander. He and his wife live on their farm, a short distance from us and he came down to see if we needed any help with our driveway. In the background you can see where there were 3 cars parked. My husband left our car parked, up at the front of the drive, near the road. Mr. Alexander offered to run his grader back and forth to clear the ice and snow from our drive. He did and it's better now. Mr. & Mrs. Alexander are what you'd call real, down-home neighbors and honestly they're one in a million! We should all be more like that! (We HAD neighbors like that 7 years ago)

I've had such great helpers today! Our nine yr old loves to cook. Here he's cooking bacon and fried bologna.

Bread is very much a part of our daily menu. We purchase, store, grind(mill), use and consume whole wheat in many of our dishes. Whole wheat bread, biscuits, waffles, pancakes, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, gravies, potpies, all kinds of crusts, and anything else you could imagine that could have flour in the ingredient list. Here our 10 yr old daughter is making bread in our bread maker. We use the bread maker just to knead the dough and then after its kneaded the dough, we take it out, divide it, bake it and then savor the warm, buttery bread, covered with local honey.

Somebody is getting into the cookie dough! My little bacon helper. Our oldest daughter baked a bunch of cookies with puffed,brown rice, fresh oats and chocolate chips. They were yummie!

Checking the horses' water and getting them up and running to get'em warm!

Diego can't miss out on any fun. He's the most friendly horse I've ever seen. Any time he sees his family (that'd be us) outdoors, he runs over (and I mean run), and nudges us until we sit on his back. I think we're going to seriously work with him this spring. He's not even been broken yet. He's so smart and willing to please his family. It's kinda neat.

Last of the day: pizza, tater tots and fresh, homemade chocolate chip cookies.

{Stay warm. More to come}

{SnOw DaY #2!!} 2011 Making the most of it!

2011-01-11T12:50:00.001-06:00

So, I'm sitting here at my pc and the power has finally come back on. We are all so accustomed to using electric and this is one reason my husband and I have longed to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle out here. We are moving toward that as best as we can. One day at a time, right! So, here I sit. Keyboard at my fingertips and looking out across the land with all it's beauty and snowy glory before us. Yesterday we all went out and 'played' in the snow before the sleet hit. Later in the afternoon freezing rain fell and atop our 9" or 10" of snow is a 1" layer of hard, cold ice. 'Crunch!' 'Crunch!' 'Crunch!' as we walk over to my little chicken coop, or over to the horses to brush off the layer of crust ice on their manes.

This is the view from my back door. I so enjoy sitting here in the mornings to read my Bible and take time with the Lord. This morning was different, and we were bustling around making sure everyone was warm, because last evening we lost all power. Just at dinner time. Thankfully we had eaten a good dinner and we had our trusty kerosene heaters at hand. God does provide! Today the power has been restored and we are busy with as much as we can do inside just in case we loose power again this evening.

Laundry, baking, and cooking are on the agenda on the inside, for today. Trekking to town on these icy roads to retrieve kerosene is on the agenda on the outside, even though all roads are officially closed. My husband and one of our sons went to town to get some kerosene. We live about 10-12 miles from the nearest town. That's not really very far considering. The roads we use to travel to town are mostly little, back roads though. So, they're icy-slushy-slick roads.

Here is my favorite tree. Covered in ice and snow.

On Sunday, before the storm hit, the kids and I cleaned out our big wheel barrow and set it next to the house. We thought that if it snowed alot, it would fill the wheel barrow up and then we could scoop out some fresh, clean snow. That's just what we did! And it made some of the best snow cream ever!! We decided to top it with chocolate syrup and then since I don't eat dairy, I put chocolate and strawberry on top of mine. It was simply dee-lish!!

{more to come}

{SnOw DaY!! #1} 2011

2011-01-10T10:52:00.002-06:00

This is one of my favorite trees! It's gorgeous covered in snow.

Last night, the snow began to fall and we all went outside to 'play' in it!

But not for very long...brrrr....it was too too cold!

This morning we woke to a snowy land...far, far away!

Well, it was just in our pasture

Time to go play again!!

We are packing the snow down to make a good trail for sliding

More to come!

~{Happy New Year!! 2011}~

2011-01-01T00:47:00.002-06:00

What a way to start out the new year! Blessings to you all!

December Photo Project 2010 Day 25 [UPDATE]

2010-12-25T20:03:00.006-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Such a wonderful time to be with family this Christmas!

Many Blessings to you all on this very special day!

December Photo Project 2010 Day 21

2010-12-21T21:56:00.003-06:00

So, here's another snow picture from our early winter. Don't you just love my vintage coat? It was my Grandma's and she gave it to me several years ago. It's older than I am!!
It has the cutest double buttons down the front w/really neat, huge pockets and it's so long. It keeps me nice and warm! I love it!

We were just about to leave on this cold morning...it was 33 degrees

December Photo Project 2010 Day 20

2010-12-21T09:16:00.001-06:00

{FaMiLy}

The best times of my life have been spent there!

Merry Christmas

December Photo Project 2010 Day 19

2010-12-19T15:48:00.002-06:00

Silly Michelle!! (In the background) I loved the pic anyway so had to post it...I just found it on my camera. Ha Ha!
Me and my baby-girl!! She's a sweetie!

December Photo Project 2010 Day 18

2010-12-19T15:34:00.001-06:00

We are so excited this year because we have been reacquainted with our neighbors whom we lived next door to for 7 years! In November of 2009, Christy and I decided that we didn't like living so far apart any more and decided to start getting our families together again. We would get together and cook breakfast for our families, have bbq's, dinners and then that turned into Bible study time and then they started coming to church with us. When when we moved into our little place here in the woods, they would come over and help and help and help!! This year mark's one full year that they have been coming to church! It's no longer Grant and Kimi's church! It's now "Our church", says Bob and Christy and their kids. Below is a photo taken in August of 2010, a day they chose to renew their marriage vows! What a blessing for us to witness and how marvelous is OUR God!!

Thank you Lord for bringing the whole Sattler Family into our lives and to the TRUTH!

December Photo Project 2010 Day 17

2010-12-18T22:33:00.000-06:00

This was just too precious to pass up. Reebok (black cat) and Dusti (white dog) are sleeping on the arm of our love seat. They are two peas in a pod. Reebok is 6 lbs larger than Dusti, who weighs in at only 4 lbs. They make us laugh every day by chasing each other and running around the house!

Just fun stuff!

Yea, we like animals!

Merry Christmas~

December Photo Project 2010 Day 16

2010-12-17T22:13:00.000-06:00

We have had a bit of a snow this week. Since we had to get out, we had to drive on this snow and ice covered road...for about 6 miles. This was the second time I've ever driven in snow or on ice. I really don't want to do it again. Where's the 90 degree weather?

December Photo Project 2010 Day 15

2010-12-15T09:26:00.004-06:00

This morning I want to post about my very best friend, my husband.

He is a true man of God who leads our family in prayer, bible study, family time, fun time...he works to give us the very best of himself and exemplifies the patience of Jesus every day. All of our six children are the apple of his eye and when he snaps his finger, he has their attention! His strength has really shown these last few months as we have had various trials and such.

Four years ago my husband lost his job of almost 15 years with a corporate company. Since then, he has not obtained a job making the same income or benefits he had before. This has been very hard for him because he feels like he hasn't been able to provide all the necessary things his family may need. (that isn't true, but anyway) Actually, this entire situation has brought our family closer to each other and most importantly, closer to God. Romans 8:28 says, "and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose."

Sometimes in the middle of a hard situation it IS difficult to see how in the world this is 'working for ANY good'. BUT, we must remember: we are not of this world, "We are in it, but not of it." We have our heavenly reward to look forward to and what is very important to remember is this:

KEEP YOUR FOCUS.

Loosing your focus can cause such delays in where God is wanting to take you. Last night our Pastor preached a message filled with hope, and tenderness and love. It was this:

Storms in life will come-they are these:

Storm of the elements-Speak to that storm-Mk 4:35-39
Storm of the demonic-Stand!-Eph 6:13, Mk5:1
Storm of humanity-Don't get sidetracked!-Mk 5:14-17

This is what you do:

Tell it to leave,

Stand,

Keep your focus

Phil 3:13+14, "Brethren, I count myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before; I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" Thank you Pastor for encouraging us last night! We will ponder and study these words.

So, in the midst of the trial you may be going through, whether it be big or small, remember that God is in control and even though you may not be able to see it, there is light at the end of that tunnel you are going through. Your reward is great in heaven!!

dEcEmBeR PhOtO PrOjEcT [2010]

2010-12-14T23:35:00.001-06:00

During the month of December I really enjoy taking time to make lots of tried and true treats, as well as some new ones. Every weekend my family likes to eat Nachos and Homemade Salsa, fresh cut carrots, cheese and crackers and one of the little treats we have made. I have a pretty little cart that I sit the food on, and we all just come by and snack off and on, all weekend.

Fresh cut carrots and homemade dip, colby jack cheese w/wheat thins and chocolatey haystax! Yummie!!

Camille made this delicious new treat with cornflakes, peanut butter and cream cheese, blended with chocolate. It was gone in no time!

December Photo Project 2010 Day 9

2010-12-10T13:15:00.000-06:00

Since I couldn't decide which picture to use for this post, I chose something that is very much a part of my life...K-I-D-S!!

Every single day...I have kids around me. I couldn't imagine life without their involvement! What a blessing.

Enjoy the photos!

December Photo Project 2010 Day 8 [the coyote]

2010-12-08T23:56:00.002-06:00

Well, this was actually taken a day or two before the month of December 2010. It was a very cold morning and the kids were sleeping in a little bit. I was up early and reading quietly in our room when I heard my little chickens squawking just outside the window. As I leaned over and looked out, I saw this predator looking up at me not three feet away from my window.

I immediately called to Garrett, who was not quite awake yet, "Garrett, grab your gun! There's a coyote and it's going after my chickens!" My chickens were just squawking, with feathers flying.

Here we are in our warm pajamas, leaning out the sliding glass door. Garrett has his gun and wants to head outside. "Not with that animal!" I say. So he quietly opens the sliding door and aims. It runs a little bit and I say, "Be careful of the horses." By this time the coyote was standing near the horses and was a good distance away. Garrett aimed and it ran. He kept his eye on it and as soon as it stopped, Garrett shot!

He dropped that predator right there! We jumped in the truck and headed into the pasture. We drove up on it and it was lying there. I said, "You are NOT getting out of this truck until I can see that it REALLY is dead." He shot it in the head and it didn't move. We waited and finally we got out of the truck.

There it was. His first kill.

Now, we don't go around shooting things. We don't allow our boys to use BB-guns and shoot birds or other animals, 'just for fun'. I grew up with a hunter for my Dad and was taught at a young age how to shoot, when to shoot and the importance of the

SAFETY of handling guns and such.

Garrett has completed a Hunter's Education Course here in our state and is awaiting his license to be registered as a Junior Hunter in the state. This was something that he did to protect our livestock, our farm and our outside pets, as well as,
to ward off any other predators.

Incidentally, his Grandpa was curious as to the length of Garrett's shot. We measured and it was just over 93 yards. Grandpa said, "Fine shot, Garrett! And no scope. Real good shot!"

December Photo Project 2010 Day 7

2010-12-07T23:35:00.002-06:00

This is the 'cut-off' road that we drive every time we go into town.

When it snows, we make sure we go slow and carefully!

For me, December means taking it all a little slower
than I usually would.

The business of going back and forth...

shopping...

buying...

spending...

...it all has to take a back seat to what really matters...
...the real gift of Christmas.

Without HIM I wouldn't even be here.

Thank YOU, Lord Jesus for your birth and your resurrection!

I give you praise because YOU are worthy!

December Photo Project 2010 Day 6

2010-12-06T21:44:00.003-06:00

Living in the Sunshine State most of my life was just that...so wonderfully full of bright and glorious sunshine!! Now that I live in a state that has 'actual' winters, I have learned to thoroughly enjoy the cold weather that I am soooooo allergic to. As I sit here and type this little post, my thermometer reads 29 degrees. The weather report says it will get down to about 19 tonight, so all the animals that can be brought in, are safe and snug and warm...sleeping soundly on their little beds. The horses have their huge 1,200 lb round bale of hay and the 10 chickens I have left are snugly in their coop with a heating lamp keeping them toasty. And here sits our lone snowman...yes, he's from last years' snow and not with us anymore, but he will be back again some day!!!

Oh, how much fun we had earlier this year, building this snowman...I think it was in February 2010. We did have the best time and this is one thing that I love about Christmas. We look forward to the possibility of snow.

Chilly lipsta!

Then, of course, we had to make snowcream! Oh boy, it was dee-lish!

Recipe:

1 lg bowl of snow

1/2 can sweetened cond milk

cocoa-optional

--put snow into a bowl, pour a little bit of
swt cond milk over it and
sprinkle cocoa on top-stir gently.

Enjoy!

December Photo Project 2010 Day 5

2010-12-05T23:07:00.001-06:00

During this special time of year, our family wishes you a very Merry and Wonderful Christmas celebration!

This Goebel of Joseph, Mary and Jesus sits prominently in our home as a sweet symbol of the celebration that is now upon us. The precious gift of Jesus is ever present, every day.

Many blessings!

third day with calves

2010-06-28T08:46:00.001-05:00

We've spent several days with our new calves and they are beginning to relax with us. When they see us coming, they 'bawl' and get excited.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

VIDEO~New Baby Calves

2010-06-25T22:21:00.004-05:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Earlier this week, our neighbors got three calves, which had lost their mommas and a couple cows from a farmer nearby. The farmer delivered them to our neighbor by putting them into the pasture. All the cows and calves ran around and would not come into the barn. After trying to round them up for a day or so, he was able to finally get them into his barn. His wife called us and asked if we wanted two of the calves. We accepted and they brought them down to our place the next day.

They parked their cattle trailer in our pasture and unhitched it from the truck. They told us it would be good if the calves could stay in the trailer for 5 - 6 days so they could get used to us. That evening our neighbor tried to get them to drink from the bottle, but to no avail. They fought him and kicked and bucked and just had a fit!! So we left them to sleep for the night and then we came out the next morning, bright and early!

We were happily surprised at these little creatures when we approached them that morning! They must have been ready to eat, because they were completely different.

Now, you must know something...I/we know NOTHING about cows. Horses...YES! Cows...NO! So, this something totally new to us. My boys know absolutely nothing about how to feed, catch, ties, pet, give medicine to, or anything...did I say, "Nothing!" at all, about COWS!

So, here is the very first time we have ever tried to give a bottle to a cow in our lives. Ever!
Enjoy the show!

Blackberries for summer jam are coming in

2010-06-08T13:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, they are definitely coming in and we're heading out of doors to pick and pick and pick. We have so many bushes that we are going to be picking blackberries for some time. Jams and preserves are on their way to the cubbard.

We trekked out into the pasture the other day and followed a path to the woods. We found umteen bushes and thousands upon thousands of berries...all green. We have a little bush in the front pasture, near the fencing...I checked it yesterday and the berries had turned RED and a few were even dark red and BLACK.

Ok, that means that "time is getting close" to pick them.

So, with buckets in hand we are off...I'll be showing what we find.

{Spring Recital} CRC~Style!

2010-06-03T14:10:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's recital time again! Last week several of the children and even some of our talented adults were featured during the recital held at Cornerstone Revival Center. Among them were D. Brazeel, H. Cottingham, L. Knight, G. Wisener, G. Pintaro, M. Pintaro, A. Isaacson, M. Wisener,C. Wisener, V. Wilbanks, G. Pintaro, and Rev. Z. Isaacson. As I was taking pictures, my camera's battery died and I didn't get to finish taking pics of everyone. So here's what I have!

Afterward, refreshments were served and everyone was able to share a few moments together talking.
We enjoyed the musical talent of each participant and are looking forward to next time. Thank you Sis V. Wilbanks for pulling it all together and for inspiring us.

Here's how the coop was moved...

2010-05-25T00:37:00.001-05:00

...from the previous property to our new property. We balanced it on the tractor with a 1200 lb round bale of hay. Of course the hay weighed much more than the coop, but it worked. We just strapped the coop onto the front and drove staight through the back pasture. A few of the chickens were still inside. We set it down carefully and opened the door. Out they came running and when one of the kids tried to pick up a chicken, out from one of the chickens, came an egg as they were running around! What a shock!

We found the perfect spot and positioned it on some cement blocks.

How 'bout it was cold the day we moved it and then it got colder!! We didn't even have a chicken run made for them yet. They didn't seem to care. They just roamed freely in the pasture. They even laid a few eggs nearly everyday.

Since we had a large warming lamp for them, they didn't seem to mind snuggling down in their coop.

Finally it warmed up some and the snow melted. They are enjoying their free-ranging pasture. We have to be careful the area predators don't have a healthy organic snack. We've already lost a few to the hawk family that lives in the woods nearby.

Since it was beginning to get warmer, we decided to go ahead and build that chilcken run for them. The kids and I set out and put up the lumber and started at it. It ended up being 10 1/2 ft by 16 ft.

We had the sides and top up and then we started on the fenced sides. We really thought this would keep them inside for at least the time being...but, oh no! They definitely flew the coop! Aggrivating!!

Now, they have a safe little place to get fresh air and walk around.

Next, I'm going to show you how we clipped our chickens' wings because they kept flying over the fencing. It's easier than you'd think!

Here's what came for a visit

2010-05-21T23:50:00.001-05:00

As we were clearing away an area of the fence line, we came upon this big guy. He wasn't too happy we disturbed him as he was on his way to the pond. We pulled the grass away from him and he reared his mouth open wide and stretched out his rough neck. He was a thick, sturdy alligator snapping turtle. His tail looked like an alligator with large bumps and ridges.

So we watched him a little while and then left him alone. We must have found him while he was taking a little rest in the cool of the grass.

We kindof figured that he knew where he was going and he didn't need any help to get there. Later that afternoon we came back and he was gone. It's pretty safe to say, we won't be going swimming in the pond this summer.

[FARM LIFE: IT'S NOT AS GLAMOROUS AS YOU'D THINK]

2010-05-19T16:59:00.002-05:00

So, when we moved a few months ago, we knew just a little bit of what we were getting into. I emphasize 'little' here.
Starting from the ground up, [from scratch] and collecting, assembling, checking supplies AND THEN..finally building, takes alot of time, energy, and money! Well, those who know us -well- understand what our family has been through over the past 4 years or so. Alot of the people around our glorious country have endured the same thing or nearly the same thing, haven't they! (I say that with all due respect considering the national economic status.)

About a month ago, a friend asked us if we wanted an old barn that was going to be demolished.

Of course, our response was "YES!!"

"Well, if you come and tear it down, it's yours," He told us.

"Ok," We asked, "When can we come take it down?"

He said, "The sooner, the better, 'cause it needs to come down!"

Alright, here we go then. A free barn--well, at least we didn't pay for any of the wood, tin, gates or hinges! We began tearing things down, pulling gates off the walls and the wood off the beams. We stuck our head in and out of the windows, looking at all kinds of stuff in there. The barn had been there for years: probably more than 60 years. It really was a sturdy old building too. It was full of beams, trim, posts, huge poles and other goodies. This really amazed me. I mean it really did! Tons of stuff. I even felt a little sad about our family being the ones who were tearing it down, you know. It probably could have told so many stories about the days that it had seen. I guess that may sound strange, but I tend to think that way about things. It was a neat, 'ole barn.

Here's what we found after we had been working for about 2 1/2 hours! See this little guy-he was sleeping above the back window and was not about to move. He would just uncurl himself, stretch a bit, then wrap back up into a ball and doze off again.

"What are we gonna do?" One of the kids asked.

"Well, we'll just leave him alone while we work. Let's not bother him." I said.

And so we went on working and moving all kinds of stuff out, hammering and pounding on walls, poles and the trusses. All the while, he just slept away. Thankfully!

If you can imagine, this took us only two days to tear down completely. Yes, they were long 13/14 hour days, but it was down in 2 days. It had to be cleared and ready by a certain time. I'm just glad we were physically able to do it. The first day my husband, the children and just myself worked on it. We got several trailor loads brought to our new house. There was still alot more. The first day the kids and I worked on all the gates, hinges, plank wood and posts that we could get onto the trailors we had. We even pulled up lots of briars that had woven around some tomato frames. So we got to have those too. Hauling it over to our new house was hilarious! Yes!! Call me 'Sanford 'N Susie'!! I ain't prow-uld neether! Me 'N the kids driving down the road. I drove the farm truck with this mammoth load overflowing and pray'n I didn't get pulled over. In our little town, this is not unusual to see anyway. So I wasn't too worried.

This was the breeze way of the barn, along with the planks that we pulled off. They were more sturdy than you'd think. Old buildings were built with such care & quality, and this one was made when a 2X4 was actually a 2X4, not a 1 3/4 X 3 3/4. Needless to say, it was a doozy to take apart. Some of those 16 penny nails were 6 inches long!

These are two of the gates. They were actually in great condition. Solid!

We were told we could have any thing we wanted, that was left inside of the barn.

"WHAT!" We exclaimed. "ANYTHING?"

"Yes, anything you want to take, you can have it."

There was a pile of wood poles that would be perfect for something I had in mind.

The next day, just the men worked on the remaining frame and tin. That was probably much more work than they bargained for. It was a L-O-N-G day for them. The kids and I decided that we would pack a lunch and take it out to them. Maybe this would force the guys to take a short break. We were successful and they rested for a little bit. Oh, and on the 2nd day our little friend was gone from his spot, even though the walls hadn't been taken down yet. We think he went up the tree next to the barn(below)

Hauling tin to the trailors. We took 3 additional loads of it to the house.

The final stage took the longest. Mainly because energy was running low, and those beams were heavy. I'm sure if we wouldn't have had Brother Bob and Brother Clayton helping us that day, it would have taken much longer. Thanks you guys for all your hard labor!

So, wondering about what we are going to do with all those supplies? Well, we have already started a new project. I can't wait to show it. I'm going to go out right now and snap some pics to post later.

I want to add this thought: I publish this because I want to share our life with you, hoping that in some way, it will be a blessing to you and encourage you. We are just a family that works hard together, takes time to play together, trying to live a life that is pleasing to God. TOGETHER.

We are so far from perfect and realize that we all need each other to make it..everyday we need each other. Friends, family and we even need YOU. You who we don't even know yet, because what you have to share may help us.

I count it a blessing, to share our days and read of yours!

Have a great day! Blessings to you~Kimi

{a new little CrEaTuRe}-boy what next? Ok, I probably don't need to know...

2010-05-12T16:47:00.000-05:00

We found a little, baby turtle last week and have decided to keep him. He is a tiny, little thing and loves to swim around. He's called a Yellow-Bellied, Mud Slider and is not even as big as a half dollar. We named him "Skip-Er-Dee Zapper". It really is our son's thing and he will be the primary {care-giver}.

Here is a picture of Skip-Er-Dee in the bowl.

Our youngest son found a 'GRUB' and put it in there with him...eeeeewww!

We did a little research and took the grub out and found a teeny earthworm instead. He ate it right up in a few seconds.

We found a larger aquarium this week end and place the turtle in it. We added water, some rocks and pebbles so he could climb and bask in the sun. We sat him next to the window and he gets warm that way. So cute!

Homestyle Chicken Dinner w/potatoes, carrots & fresh green beans

2010-04-16T22:09:00.003-05:00

This is one of the easiest dinners you can prepare, especially when you are running low on time. Here's what you will need:

*4-5 carrots, peeled/cleaned

*1 qt green beans

*10 potatoes, cleaned, partially peeled

*10 chicken tenderloins, skinless, boneless

*1/3-1/2 stick butter

*S & P

*1/3 C Italian Dressing (I used Newman's Own-Organic)

*1/3 C Parmesan cheese

*1/4 C Mayo

-Place carrots in medium pot. Add a dash of S&P, pat of butter; turn on low heat; cover.

-Place green beans in medium pot. Add a dash of S&P, pat of butter; turn heat to medium; cover.

-Wash potatoes with scrubbie. Partially peel and cut into small cubes. Rinse. Place in large water-filled pot to boil. Boil until soft.

-Meanwhile, using your favorite non-stick skillet, add the chicken tenderloins to cook on med-low heat. Add a sprinkling of ITALIAN SEASONING AND 2-3 T WATER; Cover; Be careful not to let them stick. Cook until done. When done, drain any excess water.

-Add to the chicken, 1/3 C italian dressing, 2 pats of butter, dash of pepper-salt only if desired, Cover and simmer.

-Allow to simmer until vegetables are done.

-While the chicken is simmering, come back to your potatoes. Drain about 3/4 of water from potatoes and add mayo, Parmesan cheese, S&P, and 3 T butter. With your mixer, slightly mash the potatoes before you blend them. This will help them to blend easier. Now, turn mixer on and gently blend together. Taking care to mix all ingredients, scraping sides as you go; set aside.

-Don't forget to check your chicken and stir the carrots and green beans.

When all veggies are done, serve with cornbread and freshly brewed iced tea.

Total prep time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 3 adults and 3 children

Note: one thing you'll want to know about using italian dressing is that it will absorb into the chicken and that is just what you want it to do. It will cause the chicken to become very tender and juicy! It will be yummie and very moist. You won't even have to add salt or much other seasoning except the italian seasoning. Enjoy!!

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoy this easy and quick meal idea! Come Again~Kimi

A lesson on shoeing a pony

2010-04-09T17:00:00.001-05:00

Over the last 1 1/2 weeks we have noticed that our littlest equine creature has been walking slowly and acting a bit more cautious than usual. We decided to bring him into the little area we have set aside for my chickens and keep him penned up until the farrier could arrive. Yesterday the farrier came and trimmed all the horses and took a look at 'Smokey', our little pony. Even though the news was not good, it was expected. We could tell by his symptoms that Smokey had probably foundered.

(Here's his little hoof all trimmed and ready to be sized for the shoe.)

Foundering is a condition that occurs to an animal when their diet is changed or other elements arise, such as a change in pasture, stress with in the herd or even drinking too much water. "There could be 10 different ways an animal could founder," our veterinarian told us, "And ponies are prone to it."

After a thorough exam of Smokey's hooves, our vet determined that keeping him up was the best. Placing shoes on Smokey will help to keep the 'frog' and 'coffin' of his hoof off the ground when he walks and also allow for it to heal over the next 8-9 weeks. Yes, he's going to have to be stabled for at least 8 weeks. Thankfully he will recover, but it is going to be a slow and careful process.

(Here the blacksmith is preparing the shoe for Smokey. It must be a fitted shoe or the pressure could cause more damage to his little hoof. The blacksmith remarked that Smokey was the easiest one he's ever shod.)

We have been trying to figure out the cause of his foundering condition. When the new grass begins to grow in the spring, it comes in so quickly that the horses just eat and eat and eat.

(A black paste is spread onto the underside of the hoof. It will dry somewhat softer than the consistency of dried out playdo. This gives a 'cushion' for the iron shoe to 'sit' on. It also protects the underside of the hoof from infection.)

Statistically, most horses will never encounter foundering because of their size in relation to how much they eat, but it is always a possibility. Riding them regularly also helps them adjust to the new grass. Ponies on the other hand are, of course, smaller and their digestive system works differently. They also eat with out taking a break as often. The new grass coming up in the pasture is probably what caused Smokey's condition.

(The smaller shoe is fitted exactly to his hoof, then attached with small nail-like drivers that keep the shoe in place for about 4 weeks.)

(There will be 6 little 'nails' tapped into the end of his front hooves. It lookes like it may hurt, but it's no different than putting a straight pin through the end of your fingernail.)

(The few final taps and his shoes are set.)

(Now he just needs the nail tips to be trimmed off and then filed down.)

(The farrier and blacksmith took great care with our little guy, continuing to pet and stroke him to keep him calm. He really did a great job standing.)

Thanks Tanner and Craig for taking such great care of our Smokey and for coming over so quickly. You are definitely #1 in our book! Well, I guess we better get started on that little corral we need to build, so Smokey can at least get out of the chicken run. Since he's so small, we can keep him in there for a couple of days, until his corral is ready.

Watch for updates on Smokey as he progresses. And please say a little prayer he heals speedily.

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend.

Busy on the home front

2010-04-01T00:54:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy several months around here. After moving into our new home, we have not let a minute go to waste. From building a fence, unpacking more boxes, taking a quick trip to see family out of state, to sorting through all our stuff that won't fit into our new home and having a yard sale that beats all yard sales so far to date, we are getting settled in and enjoying these warm days of spring. Yes, I am definitely planning a garden as well as canning what I grow. I am still raising my chickens (and harvesting the eggs). I am absolutely still milling my own wheat and making my own bread. I am still attending college to get that degree. I am planning a few new endeavors also...one has to do with 'BEES', another with 'painting', and still another with 'wood' and another with 'pasta'. I am so excited about the new ideas I can't wait to share them. Do you have any??

School and lessons for the children are wonderful. They are doing so awesome! In addition to all their lessons they are such 'willing' helpers around here on the farm. Starting their day with outdoor chores and then working on lessons, and maybe even a horse-back ride afterward brings such a contented and satisfying feeling. I thank my Lord and Savior for this opportunity! I haven't ever had a hard time going to sleep. I look forward to what every tomorrow will bring and cherish the memories of what yesterday holds. Most of all,I treasure the peace that comes from knowing the One who has given it all.

Thanks for coming by to visit...I hope your day is blessed, wonderful and that you make it something to cherish also. The Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

Just a little note:

2010-02-11T18:11:00.001-06:00

Busy times at the Wisener household. I haven't forgone blogging, I've just been busy moving, homeschooling, doing my own classes and trying to get unpacked.

It's funny how we have all this packing up to do BEFORE we move and then after we move into our new place it seems like we have EVEN MORE unpacking to do. Boy, where did all this come from. I don't even have my wifi installed yet. I am sitting in town, outside a local coffee shop...called "Rooster's Coffee Barn". Fitting title, huh. The weather has been so bad, the people can't get down my drive. Yes, we are far, far out. We had to have another load of gravel poured. I think that makes 12 or 13 loads.

We did get my chicken coop moved today. And all my chickens! We left most of them inside the coop and they just went for a ride. After we set it down and opened the door, they had a strange look on their little faces. Too funny!

I am trying to post some about our move. Thank the Lord we are just about finished. Just have to finish the fencing around our house, move the horses and their tack, set up a watering hole and then move a big freezer. My sweet husband has not stopped. We are gonna have a great spring!

The Time is Getting Nearer!

2010-01-25T18:23:00.000-06:00

Oh how exciting! We are getting so close to moving into our new home! Painting, laying flooring, cleaning, repairing walls, cleaning, etc. Our days are filled with school, house chores, outdoor chores, new house work, and this is just the home side of our life. We love the fact that we're gonna be moved, unpacked, getting settled in and looking forward to the spring...oh, that means, garden time, hatching little chicks, and canning our fresh grown produce. Mmmmm.....Every season brings it's own set of works, doesn't it.

Just a little update on our progress. Looking forward to posting some pictures and giving more updates!

Blessings to your home from ours! Kimi

Fresh Eggs Everyday!

2010-01-19T11:09:00.002-06:00

It has been very cold here and when it gets cold my little chickens don't want to lay their eggs as frequently. Soooo, we have a red warming lamp in their coop to help them along. It keeps them warm in the cold of the night and then when the sun is starting to come up in the morning they come out and begin to peck around.
Here is Bridget.
She found 2 eggs this morning and we're going to go see if they've laid any to others around the barn.

Nope, the little ladies didn't lay any more, so we'll check back later. Did you know that 'hens' don't need a rooster to lay their eggs? Most hens are born with the capacity to lay between 2000 to 4000 eggs in their lifetime. Isn't that amazing! The reason you would have a rooster is so that the eggs could be fertilized and then set by the hen. This would give you little chicks. So technically we don't need our roosters. I just like them because they are so pretty to look at, but with the way they've been acting here lately, they may end up on our dinner table!

A Trip to Amish Country-Tennessee

2010-01-14T16:25:00.002-06:00

Last week for my birthday, we took a day trip to a nearby state to visit an Amish Community. The night before, we packed a huge pic-nic basket and carry cooler with lots of homemade goodies, homemade bread, muffins and sweet tea for the trip, so we wouldn't need to use the dreaded 'drive-thru' or stop at the convience stores on the way there or back home. It made the trip so much more enjoyable, because I knew we were going to feel better the next day. We went with our good friends Jeff and Bridget Koehoorn and their two boys, Tanner & Jody. Since all of us like the outdoors, it made the day even better. Such a great way to celebrate my birthday...

Here's a little photo gallery of the day...heading into the Gorgeous state of Tennessee

I always enjoy seeing the ridges of the mountains as we pass by

On the way we saw these rolling hills...

And this breathtaking valley!

Here we are entering into the Amish community. We reserved a wagon for us all and arrived that morning. It was ready and waiting on us, so after walking around the little gift shop we all boarded and off we went!! Isn't this home charming? Notice there are no electric poles/lines. I would love to have that clothes line in my back yard...talk about hanging out some clothes!! They do not use any form of electric at all. Their homes are very simple with little to no yard ornamentation. Very beautiful though. Very simple and lovely!

This is a working saw mill, where they cut their own lumber to make everything from homes, outbuildings, sheds and workshops to furniture, wheels for buggies and tools. Nothing is made using A-N-Y F-O-R-M of electric. It is made using 'MAN POWER ONLY'.

Here is a beautiful home place. You can see where the garden was and will be this spring. They grown most everything they consume.

This is our driver/tour guide. He was so friendly and very accomodating to us as a group. Since it was about 20 degrees, he put gas heaters in our cart and put a cover over the top to keep the wind out. It was very, very windy that day. Micaylah is actually driving the horse and buggy herself!! She was a little nervous at first, but then found out it wasn't as hard to do as she thought.

Garrett and Kyle are very interested in something across the road. Our buggy seated 11 people and we had 10. They have another buggy that seats 15 or 16. Next time we will need to bring more friends!!

Jeff and Bridget are enjoying some cuddle time...you two are sooo cute!

Austin is now driving the buggy. He decided to give it a try too.

Camille is driving the cart now!! Hey! Keep your eyes on the road! :)

Austin and his Daddy are having some cuddle time too! Sweet guys! I love 'em!

This little country store was probably one of the highlights of our trip. There were more things in this little store than my little camera was able to capture.

This is the front of this little country store...look at the front. Isn't is so quaint!!

Here are the proprietors...Grandma and Grandpa!!

The kids are taking it all in and of course, laughing, cutting up and being silly!

The day was so pleasant and it seemed like it took only a moment to come and then go. We visited with 'Grandma and Grandpa' and then we were on our way back home.

Thanks for coming by to share our trip with us!

Moving F-O-R-W-A-R-D

2010-01-12T09:47:00.002-06:00

The time is nearing and we are preparing to make our move. Here's some of what we're planning to move:
4 horses
2 ponies
14 chickens
1 duck
1 bigger dog
1 tiny dog
2 kittens
2 outside big cats
1 inside house cat
saddles, bridles, halters n ropes, barrels, buckets, lawn tractor, little trailor, swings, tools, lawn furniture, bicycles, push mower, weed eater, work benches, power tools, clothesline, 2 tillers, wagons, wheel barrow, 3 large garbage cans used for storing feed, pressure cleaner, all the poles we put in the ground for the garden and the fencing too-pull that up, stack of wood for building something else...like a little duck house by the new pond, OH, I ALMOST FORGOT...MY CHICKEN COOP!
That's just some of the outdoors things that have to be moved. Not to address the inside things...Geeze, I'm wondering now why I wrote this out...I might be overwhelmed...lol!! I actually was the other day and then I got a grip on myself. More to come...how many good friends do I have out there??? Anybody want to come and help me?? Aaauuuuuuwwwwwhh! PEEZ :)

Colonial Christmas Village

2009-12-21T21:12:00.003-06:00

Living in rural America affords many opportunities to visit places that have been in existence for a century and longer. Last week, our family took a twenty minute drive to downtown Constitution Village where we enjoyed seeing what it might have been like to live in the mid to late 1800's at Christmas time.

Hot cocoa, popcorn, singing, candy canes, reindeer, sleigh rides, story time, toy work shop (with authentic toys), working blacksmith's shop and some other things I can't remember right now. It was about 36 degrees and although we could have been at home warm and cozy, we ventured out into the frigid weather just to be together and to do something different!! Seeing all the lights, decorated homes, people and smiling faces made it such a wonderful night! And oh, did I mention the snow!! We're gonna make this a treat for every year!

Blessings to you from our family to yours!

Thanks for visiting!

Homemade decorations

2009-12-13T23:09:00.000-06:00

Every year we spend a little time and make new decorations and even ornaments. Most all the decor has been made by us over the years, with the exception of the little heart garland and the angel on top, because it is from my Grandma. It was hers when she a small. No telling how many Christmases it has seen. This year we didn't make any ornaments or decorations, because I am doing something different.

Even though we will be moving shortly, we have been having the best Christmas season ever! We've just been spending every single day focusing on what Christmas means to each one of us. We've been doing some baking, some school and a little bit of decorating. We'll be finished with school and with my college by this Tuesday.

I'm so excited about the week of Christmas here at our house!! I've got such a fun week planned for us all. More later on that. Plus, a delicious menu too. I posted it earlier.

I hope you are having such a wonderful time during your celebration of the birth of our Savior. Every day is a gift and I pray you will spend it with that in mind. We only have today, don't we! Blessings to you!

Preparing for the Sunday School Christmas Party!

2009-12-10T09:48:00.004-06:00

We spent an evening getting ready for our Christmas Party for Sunday School. Decoration, Puppets, Tables and fun! This Friday evening we will have all our kids gather for games, pizza, prizes and lots of fun! We are having a Cowboy Theme and everyone is coming dressed up and ready to celebrate the Savior's Birth and learn about why we have Christmas. I am looking forward to a fun time and so are my kids! I'll post pics after Friday!

Moving?? At Christmas time! DPP-day 7-8-9

2009-12-09T12:15:00.003-06:00

YES!! We are moving A-G-A-I-N!!! Yippee!!

We moved earlier this year into what we thought was going to be our home for the rest of our days, but God has a way of showing us what He really wants for us. Certain circumstances changed our plans for purchasing the house we're in now and we have purchased the property behind us, along with a cute little mobile home instead. It is the piece I've always admired and thought was so beautiful. It overlooks some of the most gorgeous land in the area.

We wouldn't know what to do if everything was "PREDICTABLE"!! We have been taking it one day at a time, trusting the Lord every step of the way. Here's what it looked like this morning. We went out to check on the surveyors while they were marking the property!!! I'm so excited!! If only I could share it all on here...but it would take a while to post.

We are still having Christmas here in the house where we are now, but we are doing a little packing too. I've got all my kitchen items that aren't needed right now, put into boxes. I've gone through all the closets and sorted the clothes that the kids have outgrown. Went through all my homeschool things and gave away or ebay'd what I'm not needing any time soon. My husband, children and I spent a day last week sorting the huge utility room. Thank the Lord!! I'm so so so glad that is done. Now, I can move and not have to sort and unpack and decorate. We won't be actually moving until AFTER Christmas day. Probably before January 1st!! I hope so!! I just can't wait to share it all!! I'm amazed how God is doing this. A few months ago, I didn't even see anything and I was having a VERY hard time of it. A very hard time. I was worried about myself and wondered how I could ever have doubt. But I did have doubt. And now I know that trusting God is more that just faith and believing. It is allowing the actual PATIENCE of God to REMAIN...in me.

I stand here with hands outstretched and asking..."Where next, dear Jesus, where next?" I'll go.

Snow Day! DPP 4-5-6

2009-12-05T20:28:00.002-06:00

How about this!! SNOW DAY! Last night after dinner we noticed the wind blowing and saw the branches on the trees swaying alot. As we looked out the window, we noticed a blustery white glow and little bits of snow coming down. It was gorgeous. We had some friends over and of course, the children and the adults had to run outside to play in it...in the dark.

Here's what we woke up to this morning...it was everywhere and these pictures do not really give it justice.

at the fence line near the barn

out came the chickens, from their warm, cozy coop

this is one of my favorite pics so far this season

the pond looked gorgeous surrounded by the snow

let's make a snowball

it was all over the patio

this is Venture..he's a tuxedo kitty and doesn't he look striking against the white snow..

'coop de lodge 'n lesnow

the sun was just about to come out and after a few hours the snow had almost melted...what a great way to start our season, here in the beautiful state of Alabama.

Fresh eggs, recipes and homemade Christmas cards-DPP day 3

2009-12-03T16:01:00.000-06:00

This year we decided to make our own little cards for the children to hand out. We started with 8 1/2 cardstock in black, white and light blue. Glitter pens and markers, a few stamp sets and some fun foam shapes. Here's what we came out with!

My little hens are doing so good! I'm so thankful that they have continued to lay eggs for me. I usually collect 3-4 per day and a few times we've got 5 from them. Which is really great considering I now only have four hens. You don't want to know what happened to the others. I still have some roosters though.

Oh, I just love baking during the Christmas season. My whole family likes to have little tins sitting around, filled with all sorts of goodies! And for the week before Christmas I like to have my family's favorite meals ready to serve.

Camille and I were planning our menu for Christmas week. Here's what we're having.

Monday 21st: Potato-Corn Chowder w/Homemade Croutons

Tuesday 22nd: Baked Ziti w/Steamed Veggies & Garlic Biscuits

Wednesday 23rd: Shepherds Pie w/Brown Gravy, Carrots & Butter'd Bread

Thursday 24th: Broccoli Braid w/Barley & Sesame Sticks

Friday 25th: Chunky Beef Stew w/Brown Rice & Corn Cakes

One of the reasons I chose these items for our menu is because they're easy, quick and some of them can be made that morning or even the day before. I can just pop them into the oven and have a hot, hearty dinner ready for comfort on those cold nights!

Beginning this Wonderful Season-DPP Day 2

2009-12-02T14:21:00.001-06:00

Last week our family went over to decorate for Christmas at the Koehoorn's home. We had lots of food, fun and laughter together as we began our celebration for this very special season.

Camille and Chasity have been friends for a long time now. Where was Joey for this pic??

Here's Bridget with her Mom, Brenda, and brother, David. I love this pic.

Jody, Tanner, Camille, Garrett, Austin and Micaylah.

The only ones we're missing were Jud and Heidi.