Eclectic Homeschooling

2012 Goals

2012-01-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

Seems as though most of my bloggy pals are posting their goals for the coming year, so here goes...

1. plant berry bushes along back yard fence.(food)
2. Plant veggies in new raised bed on side of house.(food)
3. new rabbit hutches built by chicken coop. (consolidation)
4. get 2nd freezer. (food)
5. Move fence and gate. (security)
6. Can as many cases of food as I can! (food)
7. Finish the Story of the World Vol. One with boys. (school)
8. stick to new schedule in reading for boys. (school)
9. set up web page for my home business. (second income)
10. Get credentials to teach pistol from NRA.(second income)

That ought to do it for now y'all!!
I'll let you know as I check 'em off!

I want to thank everyone for all the encouragement I have received here lately...you guys rock!

Finally!

2012-01-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Just got off the phone with the kind folks at the NRA...my final certification just went through and I will be teaching the Refuse to Be A Victim Seminar in just a couple of weeks. My plan is to take my Pistol Instructors next and be teaching women in this by the summer. You know what they say about a second income stream!

On the home front we have all been suffering from the Mountain Cedar allergies here. Hubby snored so loud last night that I sent him downstairs to the couch!

Our home school group took a tour on Tuesday of a local bakery...They were awesome and my little men really enjoyed the bag of donuts and honeybuns they got at the end of the tour. Mom liked the three loaves of bread we got!

A cold front has blown in here and I'm off to dish up some Texas Red...that's Chili to you out of towners!

See if this is better

2012-01-01T18:07:00.001-08:00

Hmm

Glitchy!

2012-01-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

While the app I downloaded allowed me to pick an image, obviously I don't relish my titles appearing as though I am cussin'! I was not I assure you! I'llsee what else I can find...Thanks for your patience!

Happiest of New Years Day to all of you!

Image Test Ya'll!

2012-01-01T15:07:00.001-08:00

recovering...sorta...

2011-12-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

Well we are in a state of recovery here. To much eggnog, sweets, and way to many tamales! That's how we do Christmas in South Texas!

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve service at our church..A peaceful (HA HA) Christmas morning, kids, family, food ...and We all went to bed early!

I am still cleaning up stuff and today was the kitchen's turn. The reason I went on a terror in there was...my sweet, wonderful, caring, hubby gave me a hand written coupon on Christmas morning for a new stove!! The one I have is original to the house, 24 years old. My oven door doesn't shut all the way, only two burners really work...you get the picture. I am so excited, it is motivating me like crazy to clean and organize my cooking space!

Hopefully it will be here tomorrow...I'll keep you posted!

Merry Merry CHRISTmas!

2011-12-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

Yes..We say Christmas here! Hope your weekend is wonderful my friends! It is a chilling 40 degrees here, and they say we may even get a sprinkling of the white stuff tomorrow night in the Hill Country.

Got all our goodie shopping done...with six kiddos and three grands I am relieved! Hunkering down with cocoa and family tonight. Looking forward to church tomorrow night...and a feast on Christmas Day. I am making tamales with chili con carne and a big ham. Daughter is bringing an eggnog cheesecake (excuse me while I drool)!

Pictures forthcoming as soon as I can figure out how to do it through this i pad. Techy stuff eludes me at times, but I'll get it!

Blessings and Peace to you all!

This and That

2011-12-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

A coon update...nothing yet, and it is pouring rain now so hubs doesn't want to go mess with the trap tonight.

And on a school related note...I love The Story of the World for my guys. we spent a very cozy Friday reading and doing our worksheets...They really love it...and so I love it too!

We were blessed with three new sets of heavy duty shelves for our garage this week and we were able to do a deep cleaning and organizing. Trust me, it was much needed! My favorite part is being able to walk in and see what we have and where it is. All the propane canisters are easy to access as are the lanterns, stoves, we are able to see our preps and holes that need filling. I can see that hubs is delighted as well!

Have a blessed weekend Y'all!

One down...

2011-12-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

So here is the update...my sweet hubs was able to catch one coon five nights ago and dispose of it. So I said,"Should we reset the trap in case there is more?"

"Not necessary." He said while flexing his coon conquering ego...

Fast forward to two night ago as he had dozed off while watching Hawaii 5 O on the tv downstairs...I hear the backdoor bang open and much commotion...by the time I had made it down stairs he was sheepishly standing in the dining room and mumbling something about how he knew we should have reset that trap!

Long story short...he heard a noise and ran out in his boxers (and nothing else mind you) to see a big coon streak over the fence. Now mind you I have the backyard lit up like midday, so I am merely praying that all neighbors were asleep on their sofas and not looking at the insanity in my backyard! (I am kinda sorry I missed it!)

Last night at 2 a.m. I went down to check the trap...sure enough there he was in the trap. So I came up and told honey...he said "awesome" and went back to sleep.
This morning when he went down to take care of business...that raccoon had flipped the trap upside down and worked his way out! GONE!

We try again tonite and I am making sure if it is caught, it is taken care of immediately!

Anyone else dealing with an aggravating situation out there?

Trouble in Paradise

2011-12-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

We have a stinking, marauding, sneaking 'coon. This is one of the nastiest chicken thieving raccoons in South Texas. So far I have spent countless hours repairing my coop and shoring up any perceived weak spots only to find myself missing another bird! Now I know the nature films when we were kids made raccoons look cute...BUT THEY ARE NOT! They are strong and clever and this one is fat on my chickens! I told my hubby get a trap and get this thing...I had two chickens and two chicks in my dining room last night for safe keeping. Okay. Rant over.

My hip is doing well and it is so wonderful to be able to do the things I was unable to do. I am so thankful for this second lease on life! (Thanks for asking, KJ)

My cranberries came out well and I am planning on making cookies with them tonite! Daughter and I are going to make oatmeal with chocolate chips and the craisins as well as a batch of chewy chocolate with Peppermint frosting! Did I mention how much I love this time of year?

Hubby and son in law are going paint balling whle we bake...so they'll be hungry!

Hope everyone has a great weekend....

Accomplished!

2011-11-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

I am feeling quite accomplished today! I spent Saturday in Dallas getting my NRA certification to be an instructor for the Refuse To Be A Victim Program. my instructor also spoke to us (I went with my pal Dani) about coming back in January and getting our pistol instructors certification. We would love to, but we will see how the timing works out, but I sure would love to be able to offer that as well.

my hubs is on his way home from a hunting /fishing weekend in Lousiana...says it is raining non stop on him, so say a little prayer for his safe return.

I bought my cranberries today, so I am fixing to go get them in the dehydrator! I'll post the results as soon as I know them!

Score!

2011-11-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

I scored last night at our local Goodwill Store. I found a brand new Dehydrator for fourteen dollars! I am so stoked...I have been checking Craigslist for months with no luck. My first goodie to make will be homemade Craisins. With fresh cranberries so readily available right now and recipes abounding online...I can't wait! Then homemade fruit roll ups for the boys.

I love a good score!

Pancake Alert!

2011-10-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

At IHOP 'S across America for today until 10:30 p.m. you can get free children's smiley face pancake plates! Kids up until age 12 are free. Here is a link..
http://www.ihop.com/countspatula/index.html

Happy Munchin' Ya'll!

Pumpkin Popcorn Balls!

2011-10-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

Check out this smile! We had friends from our homeschool group over yesterday and we made popcorn balls and colored them orange ... my boys were delighted!

Proud and pleased with himself...what a ham!

Now they are getting munched on and the black stuff is an attempt at a face drawing with black gel frosting by a five year old....I told him it was excellent!

My husband is all moved in to his new work place....Yeah! One night last week I was painting until 2 a.m. with my daughter. I'm glad it's all done.

We had a surprise today..baby bunnies! My son in law didn't quite realize how quickly bunnies do what bunnies do. So now we have two little kits. This is her first litter, she had three, but one didn't make it. (I hate it when that happens) She appears to be doing well with them so far.

Here is the recipe for the popcorn balls....
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter with 5 cups of mini marshmallows. I added orange food color to the mix.
Pour over popped popcorn (I had about 8-10 cups) sray hands with PAM and mix and form into balls.

An easy way to have fun with kiddos when the weather turns cooler!

Staying focused here...

2011-10-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

We have been staying focused on school here and so I probably haven't been posting like I should. Mea Culpa! In other news my 7 yr. old has mastered a 2 wheeler without training wheels...so as soon as lessons are done we head outside to enjoy that fun.
In prepping news ammo went up $2.00 a box at our local Wally World! Ouch, and time to stock up!
A good web site I found for ladies interested in being armed www.corneredcat.com
I am feeling the itch to move out of the city yet again, so we will see how that progresses. Have a great afternoon all!

Thank You!

2011-10-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts...My hubs has found a salon just across the street from where he is now, and he is excited! (Thank You, Lord!) He is not freaking out at all, in fact he is so laid back about it all that he went camping with our boys this morning! I am enjoying time to myself and am catching up on some chores I have been putting off. The big move is slated for next weekend, so prayerfully he will continue to be mellow! Our daughter is all set to help him get the space decorated...so I can relax and leave it to her..she is MUCH better at stuff like that anyways.

Transition Time

2011-10-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well ya'll, it is a time of transition around here.

First and foremost my husband is looking to be moving to a new location for his job. Some of you know my hubs got out of the Air Force many years ago, (many,many) and after he took all his Aptitude tests they said airplane mechanic or cosmetologist. Well, he had just been around planes and men for three years...so I am married to a hair dresser! He is an independent contractor, they all rent a space and he has been at this salon for 13 years. The owner sold the salon about 8 months ago, and now the new manager has made it impossible to stay. All the stylists are paying their rent, but she is not paying the building bills. They never know when they go to work if they are going to be locked out, or if their will be power... So he has been visiting other salons and praying and we will probably be moving him this weekend.

So keep us in mind this weekend, as we seek to make the right choices for his workplace and work through this transition. My guy hates change, so I need to be extra grace filled as he goes through this time...

Anyone else going through a time of transition?

Still Hot Here...

2011-09-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

Back in the 100 or so degrees here. Yesterday I was in the back yard cleaning up and trying to figure out where and how to move a couple of bunny houses and my brain just stopped! It was as if the heat of the summer drained out every last brain cell and thought pattern I posessed! So I gave up...And then I informed my husband he was going to help me with it next weekend!

I had my 6 week follow up with my surgeon and he said I look so good I don't even need my 3 month check up! I don't have to go back until my six month check! I am not even needing Tylenol anymore. WOO HOO! Med free.

After we do school today I am going to work on some serious organizing in boy rooms. They are getting out of hand, and at least I'll be in the air conditioning!

It's Quiet!

2011-09-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Wow! My hubs took all three boys to a park he heard about that has a couple of small caves to explore. It is quiet in my house...and you know what..

I LOVE IT!

Now don't get me wrong, I love my guys, it's just nice to curl up once in a while with my laptop, blogs to read and catch up on, and a nice cuppa Chai Spice tea...with out being interrupted a squillion times.

I am fixing to look up some canning tips for spaghetti sauce. I love recipes and all the great things I can learn online. I know it is the one thing I would miss the most if we lost the internet...information at my fingertips. I guess I need to buy more real books, but I'm running out of space!

Try and find a quiet moment for your own self soon, ya'll!

P.S. No more therapy...I graduated! Yippee!

It is well...with my..

2011-09-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Soul....I am blessed to have healthy children and a wonderful husband...and a God who loves me in spite of all I do!

It is well in my house...one of those rare days when the majority of everything on the list has been accomplished for today!

It is well with my recovery! Only one more session of P.T. and I am also happy to report I don't need pain meds at all anymore! WOO HOO!

All in all I must say, It is well! Very well! Thanks be to God for His great kindnesses!

Hope your weekend is well too!

Cool Air

2011-09-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

It is definitely cooler here....unfortunately no rain in sight yet. I know my blog friends are praying for our fires here...Thank you!

Here is my girl fooling around on the computer with my baby. (He hates being called that...but it is what it is!) She has been an enormous help to me during my recovery....Bless you, Jess!

I tried three different times to get an image of my scar on my leg, but the camera rebelled and they never came out...aren't you glad? I am just so pleased with my progress that I wanted to show off!

Here is a funny face enjoying the globe...we are still enjoying working on map skills, and he is really taking off at looking places up! I am leased to report that I am now DRIVING! Now we are able to go back to our Friday Park Days with our Homeschool group. Next Friday we are having a "Mad Scientist Day" where they are encouraged to mix up their own kooky drinks and see what is good! Mmmm...Koolaid, juice, and orange extract...I'll stick to good old H2O and watch the fun!

I can't thank you all enough for keeping up with me while I went through this process...I'll be a better Blogger...I promise!

Plugging Away...

2011-08-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well I am still plugging away at Physical Torture...Ooops I mean Therapy three times a week and it's really not that bad! To be honest it's my lower, ahem, buns that are really feeling it! I walked crooked for almost 3 years, so straightening out my gait has been a challenge to my posterior! All in all my recovery is going wonderfully and I am so blessed to be able to feel whole and not have that &@* feeling like someone was stabbing me in the hip with an ice pick all the time.

We have started some school this week and that feels pretty good too...They seem to have retained fairly well over the summer, and this mama is ready to teach! We re learning maps and globes for the 10 year old, and hitting some basics review for the rest of this week for everything else....What are all of you up to?

It's Alive!!!

2011-08-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday Bloggy Buddies! I'm happy to report I made it through the surgery and came home on Friday. I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to read your posts and prayers! I smiled and shed tears of joy and thankfulness for this wonderful community we have here together.

My surgery was about 2 1/2 hours long and according to my wonderful surgeon, was a textbook success. I have been surrounded by loving family and friends since I came home. I have a very petty 7 inch incision on my thigh and I really debated about taking a picture and sharing with ya'll, but I'll spare you!

Now for the really exciting part...I put on my own sock yesterday...Now this may not seem big to most folks, but my hip had deteriorated to the point that I could not bend my leg up to put on my own sock or shoe. I did yesterday!! Without pain! I begin physical therapy tomorrow to regain full mobility....but I'm already sooo stoked about the sock thing! Woo Hoo! Look out world!
Love and Hugs to you all! M.

Tomorrow is "The Day"

2011-08-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Yep, tomorrow it is. I got the all clear on all my tests and tomorrow at the wee hours of the a.m. I go in for my hip replacement. (Why is it always at dark-thirty?) I have had friends ask if I am nervous....I was at first, but now I am okay. Pretty peaceful actually. I know that God has the whole thing under His control and I know His love for me. I guess that sums it all up.

On the home front...the garage sale was a hit and I met my money goals with a cleaner more organized house on top of it all! My plans for the cash are to become a certified NRA instructor. I have been looking for a second income stream for our family, and I believe this is it. I am not a saleswoman...no skills in that direction. But let me tell you, when it comes to women being able to protect themselves and their loved ones, I am all about that! So say a prayer for me, as I know many of you already have been...(Thanks, Red) and I soo appreciate them! I'll be back...I have convinced my boys that I will be the Bionic Woman...Able to leap tall buildings, homeschool with one eye closed, prep for TEOTWAWKI, and make homemade popcorn better than before! Hugs to all my bloggy buds!

Updates

2011-07-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

Daughter has been helping me do a built in desk and bookcases in my office/schoolroom. My former schoolroom is half filled with boxes for my upcoming garage sale...I am continuing on my mission to declutter and organize our home.

Next week will be taken up with pre op tests, i.e. EKG, chest x-ray, blood work, etc. Then on Saturday we travel to above Houston for our former pastor's son's wedding. My oldest boy and he have grown up together, and my big boy is now going to be his best man. I'm feeling a bit old I tell ya!

Back again to get ready for the sale on the 13th...and surgery the following week. Feels like a whirlwind, but I am trusting the Lord to see me through, and I know it will all be okay.

It's Coming Quickly!

2011-07-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise when during my visit with my surgeon today we got a scheduled date for my surgery in just about three weeks! Wow, I didn't expect it to be so soon! They had a cancellation and were able to get me in for August. I am a wee bit nervous ya'll...so pray for me.

I am continuing on the house clean up with an renewed sense of purpose...Garage Sale planned for this weekend to clean out and hopefully earn a little green! Hee Hee!

Attic down..rest to go

2011-07-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

Now That the attic is cleared, and it was an all day task believe me, I am moving onto the school room today. The goal is to move the 10 year old boy to the schoolroom, so he has his own room and combine our office space with the school stuff. Luckily I school one boy at a time, I find it way to hectic and stressful to try to teach everyone all together. So if I'm a sporadic blogger, it is just the season of cleaning and getting the house ready for fall and mommy being 'down and out' post surgery.

Moving Rapidly Ahead..

2011-07-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I have an appointment with my surgeon next week on Tuesday to schedule my surgery for the hip replacement. As much as I am not looking forward to it, I am looking forward to being mobile and painless MUCH more! I am looking at a couple of days in the hospital, and hen P.T. for the next 4 weeks or so. The worst part...no driving for 3 months!
But the funny thing is my reaction to all of this....I am going to have a garage sale! I am on some sort of a purging, organizing, streamlining kick! My daughter is coming over tomorrow to help me haul junk out of the attic. I feel this urge to get my house in order before all of this medical stuff takes place...I suppose it is a good thing, except now my hubs thinks I am crazy! (He is a bad packrat, btw!) I hope to have the house better and cleaned up by the end of the month, as surgery will probably be early to mid August. I'll keep you posted, and pray I can get this stuff cleared out without a total rebellion on the part of my sweet hubs...

Yeah for the pal from Down Under!

2011-07-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

KJ suggested I switch my browser to Firefox, and it worked! I can now get back to my commenting on all my favorite blogs...Woo Hoo!

Got in last night from a camping trip of four days...I need a vacation from all this fun! I now am facing a mountain of laundry as high as Everest! Hope to get some pics up later!

Oddity....

2011-07-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Something curious is going on with my google acct. When I try to comment on a few of my friends blogs, it knocks me back to signing in to my acct. over and over. So just know I am keeping up with ya'll, and I'll try to figure this oddity out. Phooey!

Prepare, Preparing,Preparedness

2011-07-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Prepare- to put in proper condition or readiness.

That is what the dictionary defines being prepared as....well that is what I am working on this summer during the super hot afternoons. I recently had a dear friend go through a house fire. All is well and their home goods made it out intact, but it was a wake up for me.

I have been compiling binders that are easily reached that contain what we would want to "grab and go" in case of an emergency situation. One contains all of our family members SS cards and birth certificates, my hubs military discharge papers, our diplomas, etc.

I have one that is just for Disaster Preparedness...What do we need to take in the car were we required to evacuate our home for any reason. I got some ideas from the web and tweaked them to fit our family. I highly recommed every one think about doing something of this kind...Emergencies and natural disasters do happen!

Today I will be working on a binder that will contain our homeowners insurance, mortgage, and other essentials as I pick 'em. It sure does help ease my mind a little bit knowing we could just grab these and vacate the house with this information easily....So how about you? Have you considered doing something like this to be more organized?

In the Summertime...

2011-07-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

First Bass!

Wow! This amazing image of a Ringtail Cat was taken by my 10 year old! They are very secretive and nocturnal...rarely seen. We spent last week at a friends ranch; and talk about an experience! My boys saw more incredible things and had the best time ever!

Longhorns checking us out....our tiny schnoodle Lacy barked fiercely, and she was quite pleased when they took off! She is convinced that she is, "All that!" Personally I think they left because they thought she was annoying...
You can see by the photo how dry it is here...no firework displays this Fouth of July...Drought to severe.

After we got home we did alot of research on the Ringtail Cat as well as our Texas Longhorn cattle.
Truly one of my favorite parts of home schooling....exploring and learning about what we see and experience daily. We are taking another trip this weekend going camping at a lake acouple of hours from here. I am sorry I haven't written much, just trying to pack in a great bunch of memories before the surgery on my hip. Have a great summer ya'll!

Rain!

2011-06-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Woke up last night to thunder, lightening, and RAIN! It went on for about three hours...cooled off things nicely! My whole garden said "Ahhh!". We are hoping and praying for more this afternoon.

One of my little chickens has begun laying. We picked up some more oyster shell to mix into their feed and see if that helps jump start the other two.

Off to clean house...more later!

Updates...

2011-06-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

In answer to my pal KJ, yes we have fans going all the time! And it's been so long since it has rained...I dream about it now!

A friend from church moved and gave us a huge bag of canned goods and some frozen meat! Got to love those prep supplies when they are free!

My hubs is doing some serious decision making, and it looks like I will be having the hip replacement in fall or late summer.

Back to school for my boys tomorrow....we had a break for a coupe of weeks.

Whew!

2011-06-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Temps have been in the hundred plus for a couple of weeks...It wouldn't be so bad if we knew there was some rain coming. Hate to say it, but a mild hurricane stategically place in the Gulf could do South Texas a lot of good. (Note: I said strategically placed!) I am going to take us all swimming later today.....How are you staying cool this summer?

trip pix

2011-06-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

my biggest boy

SNOW!

The place they said "Farewell".

A day at Mesa Verde...They loved this, and haven't stopped talking about it yet! (I'm jealous!)

A wall of ancient writing...

Standing on the Four Corners!

I'm so glad they had a good trip together. I'm so envious of the snow! I'm so happy they are home!!

Safe and Sound

2011-06-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

My hubs and biggest boy made it home all in one piece! They had taken lots of beautiful pictures, and I'll try to get some up here later today...Off to the park with my little guys this morning before it gets to hot!

A Special Journey

2011-06-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband is on a journey of sorts with our oldest son...they left home yesterday to make a trip to spread my in laws ashes in Colorado. My mom in law passed over five years ago and my father in law passed a year after her. Before my father in law died he asked my husband to spread their ashes in his birthplace in Gateway, Colorado. Many obstacles came along...but it was finally time. I have been praying for peace and closure for my sweet heart as he fulfills his dad's final wishes. I can't wait until they are home with us, yet I know how important it was to do this. Peaceful journey...I know they are in heaven and rejoice that it is well with them always...at home with Him.

Updates...and a Yummy Cake!

2011-05-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

This is "Slap Your Mama Cake"....(I didn't name it!)

Hold onto your hats...

2 Large blocks cream cheese

2 pkgs. crescent rolls

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg separated

Cream together the cheese, sugar, vanilla, yolk. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with PAM and roll out 1 pkg. of crescent rolls to cover the bottom of pan. Layer in cheese mixture then cover with second roll package. Brush top with egg white and bake at 300 degrees about 25 minutes.

While cake cools off mix a glaze of

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. melted butter

2 Tbsp. milk

Spread glaze over warm (not hot) cake

Enjoy with loved ones!

Chicken little..not so little.

But stll not laying!

Just eating!

A Zuchinni in my garden. We are hitting 100 degrees every day now! Lord, send rain!

Overflowing...

2011-05-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

That is the state of my heart! I was so blessed to hear from blog ring pals after my last post. I feel supported and cared about...and you guys just rock! Thank you sooo much for the words of encouragement.

Dealin' with Pain

2011-05-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well, those of you who know me are aware of my bone issues. For those of you who don't, I have congenital hip defects. This translates to ..... Waiting for God to show off and heal me or provide a way for us to sell our home and have the funds necessary for a replacement. All that to say, I am sorry I haven't been posting as regularly as I would like to.

Somedays are tougher than others and they are becoming more frequent. So, pray for me folks! My spirit has been a bit down with it all. I know that He is faithful, and I am striving to not have a defeated attitude around my kiddos and hubs.

To top it off, I feel behind in my prepping and I want to do so much more than I am with my kiddos for school!

Thanks for letting me vent!

Randomness...

2011-05-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

All has been well here...just life and the usual ups and downs.

I am quite excited today though, we are going to a concert! Not just any concert...Celtic Women! For those of you who don't know these lovely lasses of song..They are awesome! My sweet hubs bought us the tickets way back in February for Valentines Day. AWWW! He sure knows how to make my day...

Here are some rndom pictures in the life of home, school, garden, etc.

Pretty girlie with a haircut...

What one month of my brain looks like...I'm telling ya'll...I can't lose this thing!

What rain can do....

What we are listening to in the car....

Blogger blogged up

2011-05-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Well, those of us who use Blogger to power these things know it was "Out of Whack" for the last couple of days. Seems to be working now, so I'll get a good post on later!

Rain

2011-05-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lord for the precious rain! We received about 1 1/2 inches this morning, and hopefully we will get more before today is done. My state is in a severe drought in every area, plagued by wildfires...where I am we have not had any rain in over 100 days. Farmers are suffering mightily, and I know that to the East of me they are going through extremes in the other direction! http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015009294_drought10.html
I am so thankful for this day, this rain, and ask for more, Lord. I also pray for those in the Mississippi Delta as they leave homes and belongings. Keep them safe and give them comfort. Amen.

Stats..

2011-05-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided to check out my stats for this blog. A pal of mine over in http://www.chicky-bit-run.blogspot.com/ inspired me! So a big surprise to me was that the fact that I had readers in Yemen, Germany, and the Netherlands! Wow, what a thrill to me!! My favorite part of all this bloggy fun is making cyber pals, and to think that folks so far off are checking in on what's going on around here simply astounds me! Thank you for stopping by...I really appreciate it.

More fun in the Sun!

2011-05-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoyed them. They had a blast! I sure do love these guys.........

On a more serious note, we chose to give Ranger back to his breeder. It had become obvious that he was not truly as good a fit as we were pushing for. (Pack leadership issues, etc.) After much prayer and tears on my part, he went home with them tonight. We discussed it with them and if all goes well with the move to a more rural setting this summer, and with more room for a large breed...we will start over with a puppy from them. Some breeds just don't adjust to new enviorments as well as others, and we have learned a hard lesson.

Mother's Day is coming up...What did you ask for? Me? Well I told him to send in my CHL paperwork to the state! :)

Spring Break!

2011-05-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

We vanished to the Texas coastal town of Rockport for four days. Building sandcastles, walking the jetties, bird watching, eating shrimp.... I love vacation with my guys!

One of the best parts of the trip was visiting the Lexington! A floating WWII museum that my boys loved! http://www.usslexington.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 I cannot tell you how great a history lesson this was, and watching my little guys spontaneously saluting the memorials and our country's flag brought proud tears to this Mama's eyes!

Glad to be home and catching up on home and laundry! I'll post some more beach pics later!

Cruise follow up...

2011-04-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

The ladies and I had fun getting hands on with each others favorites. I am definitely going for Christian Liberty Press http://www.christianlibertypress.com/productsBySubject.asp?cat=31 for history in the elementary years. I also liked the look of http://www.sonlight.com/DH13.html?aid=1695 for later grades. I had soo much fun, and now I get to look forward to the used book sales coming up! I like a bargain...

Do you swap, buy used, or is it all new stuff for you each year?

Curriculum Cruise

2011-04-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

I realize I have been a little spare on the Homeschooling aspect of my blog. My apologies everyone! I am excited that this Friday we are having a Curriculum Cruise at our park day with our homeschool group.

A cruise is where everyone brings the curriclum they love....you know, the math that even wiggly boys can handle. The science that is 'hands on' enough to be fun, yet not destroy your kitchen! The Calculus that you can hand over with your high schooler and a smile to somebody that gets that stuff!

I am looking forward to it, as I am always eager to share what I love...and look for more. I am currently enamoured with Critical Thinking Company and their Language Arts. There is a good bit of logic and common sense types of problems thrown in. (And trust me, my boys need logic!)

I think a Cruise is a great way to get your hands on stuff and talk to other homeschoolers about what they like about certain items...and what they don't! I'll try to remember the camera...

Fixed it!

2011-04-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

To those of you that emailed me about the error occurring with the comments section...it's all better now! And "Thanks" for the head's up!

Conehead....AWWW!

2011-04-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here we are....post surgery! Ranger is styling in his "Queen Elizabeth the First" collar. Or as my boys call it..."The Cone of Shame". And he HATES it!

He can't have it off until next Friday so he bumps into furniture, door frames, and all of us! Being a herding dog we are getting scooped along by his 'lamp shade' attire!

On a homeschool note I am looking at Christian Liberty Press for some American History. My friend M. uses it for her boy, and I really liked the way it looked. The price is good too!

We put raisers under our bed and are starting to store water. Six bottles so far, I wish it was filled up already! I have to remind myself to relax and just do what I can, when I can.

Have a Blessed Easter weekend Ya'll!

News of this and that..

2011-04-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

"I gotta go where? And do what?" Ranger is at the vet today being made a little "Less"of a male dog! Ouch, poor him!

Passed my CHL class for the state of Texas! Thanks for the good thoughts and prayers.

We are starting to get in an Easter mood around here, which means egg dyeing, basket buying, plastic egg filling, and alot of talking about ressurection, new life, and joy!

What are you doing special this week? Hope it's wonderful!

What do you think?

2011-04-14T15:07:00.001-07:00

Let me know what you think of the new format...Thanks my bloggy pals!

What's New...

2011-04-14T12:44:00.001-07:00

A fun way to review numbers and sums! Spent the morning at a friends home encouraging another mom in her home schooling efforts...That is one of the things I love about my homeschool group....Encouragement! I am encouraged by other moms who have the same struggles and the same passions when it comes to educating their kiddos at home. Go encourage someone today (even a kiddo or spouse!).

A prepper counter...2 liter bottles awaiting a wash and to be filled with water for storage. Canning jars await my fancy. Will it be jam or chili? Hmmm, maybe chicken soup...

Whose ball is it? Your turn...after you...no, no after you!

First tiny strawberries! Wow, do we need rain down here folks! Say a little prayer...do a little rain dance....Something!

Zucchini or yellow squash...I forget which one I took a picture of!

Hoping all your endeavors this week are going well!

Before I forget, I need all your good thoughts and prayers for Saturday...taking my Concealed Carry License Class. I really want to do well...Thanks!

Pretty darn good!

2011-04-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

That's what hubby said after we went to the range Monday for some practice with our new handguns. He bought me a Taurus Millenium 9mm for our anniversary. So after all was said and done, he said he is confident in my abilities...in fact he said, "Good shooting, sweetheart!" Kinda made me tingly all over! Funny what gets me tingly all over nowadays!

A hodge podge of a posting!

2011-04-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

We had our park day yesterday, and look at the goodies we got! I love this dry erase set for my little guys to practice numbers, letters, etc. Just have to clean off that girly heart! And look at these...

I love books and kids books are so fun! It is even nicer when they are free...except for my bulging bookcases and my hubs rolling his eyes at me as I head to the schoolroom loaded down with yet another armful of goodies....Oh well, better than some other vices! Hee Hee!

And then I got a catalog from Azure Standard. I am planning a order for next month. They specialize i all things bulk and organic. A good place to check out if you want to fill in some gaps in your food storage. http://www.azurestandard.com/

And finally another shot of Ranger. He is doing great with the kids and has attached himself to me. I am so thankful, as my hubs primarily wanted a guardian type of dog for our family. Australian Shepherds are known for family loyalty and being rather standoffish with strangers. He is definitely proving true to breed in that respect.

Hope you all have a great weekend....hug your family...

We have a name!

2011-03-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

And his name is Ranger...We love him, and he loves us. I'll post more pictures tomorrow....

Check this out!

2011-03-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Well look at this ya'll! We got the brother of Blue Boy. He is most excellent with the boys, no stress or accidents. Playful and loving, we are blessed! Blue is happy back at his former home with no children. We are trying to pick a name. Right now my husband is leaning toward "Ammo". Hmmm, we'll see.

A slowing down...

2011-03-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

We are going to have a slow down over the next week. We have had a non-stop March, and I am glad to see a light at the end of this tunnel. Time to focus inwardly for just a bit. Schoolwork, reading, some prepping in my food storage. My schoolroom needs a bit of love and attention. Ahh, a week or two of saying "No, not right now." to all the phone calls and unnecessary errands. Those things can wait...and I'm glad. How about you...Have you focused on the truly important things lately? Have you asked the Lord to show you what they are?

Off on a grand adventure...

2011-03-23T13:46:00.001-07:00

Well, I have to say "Thank you" to all my pals in the blog sphere who took the time to encourage me after the last post. I am reading "The Hobbit" to him and his brother, it's going well. He is also reading to me daily, and I quit stressing about it! He can read difficult words. As was pointed out to me he, reads while gaming, and I am going to put some kids books on my reader. I think the most important part of it all is not to stress, he will certainly pick up on that! Thanks everyone...

Monday, Monday...

2011-03-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

So good to clean! Fixed a wobbly table, vacummed the dust bunnies, and dishes are whirring! I sure do love my hard working machines!

Now onto a subject I'm sure a few of you have encountered...The Reluctant Reader. My 10 year old is just not that interested in reading. I have instituted a rule that he has to spend as much time reading as he does on the computer or gaming...but he would much rather be outside imagining and playing than any of those! I want to spark him...ideas?

Party..Part Deux..

2011-03-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Very excited biggest boy...He was accepted into seminary,(thank you for praying!) he enters in August. Luckily it is a local seminary, so I'll be seeing him around mealtimes some evenings I'm sure!

Youngest boy is sure loving that birthday cake. The boys prayed for their hot dogs and then for the cake!

Swinging at the pinata. Daddy said I made it too full!

They didn't mind one bit! Sugar highs galore...then we sent them all home! Hee Hee!

We are off to park day with our homeschool group...It is our 26th anniversary today and a friend is keeping the boys so we can go out to dinner....Woop Woop!

Party Time!

2011-03-17T09:28:00.001-07:00

We had a party! Pre teen boys were divided into two teams and had 2 minutes to make an alien out of two rolls of foil with scotch tape...

They loved it, and it built friendship and teamwork in a creative and fun way...(with out video gaming for a bit!)

The end result! Two amazing aliens! Both winners!

We followed all that fun with building your own ice cream sundae!

These kids are serious about ice cream...

And the mama's are too! I am so blessed in my homeschool group. I have met amazing women with wonderful kiddos! "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you." Phillipians 1:3.

Have a great Thursday....We are playing laundry catch up and bake a birthday cake day. My youngest turned 5 today, I am having a hard time with that reality. He doesn't like it when I call him "baby". (Heaving a big sigh and feeling blue. Definitely not ready for them to grow up!)

Say a prayer for my oldest boy today, he is at a three hour interview to enter seminary today. He really desires to serve God in this way, so we are praying for His will. Thank You!

Spring is Springing!

2011-03-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

How beautiful is this!? My wonderful husband bought me this vine for Mother's Day a couple of years back, and it is a knockout this year...I just sit and gaze...

Little chicks are bigger everyday! We hope to move them into the big coop soon...

It may look small, but this is a pole bean vine...Food!

And finally...The home and pond of Chutney. Chutney is a large red eared slider turtle. He was rescued from sure death by pick up truck from the middle of a very busy road. He has run of the back yard and loves the rain.

We had a great field trip to the bookstore. Lots of fun and ways for Mom to go broke!

I also picked up a cheese making kit today, so not only will we be learning good eating habits, science thrown in! I'll be posting cheesy pics soon! (Ha Ha)

Shaking it off...

2011-03-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

The weekend is over and it's time for a new day!

New week...whatever it is, it's a new one!

Today we planted all our seed sprouts in our garden area. (I promise pics tomorrow!)

We also got through science, math and reading. The boys are currently watching "The Liberty Kids" series as well. Not bad for a week when everyone else is Spring Breakin' around here!

The weather here is gorgeous and I am sooo glad. This True Texan needs much sun shine and warmth to be at her optimal best.

We have a field trip tomorrow to Barnes and Noble with our homeschool group. I sure am thankful for all the friends my b oys have made, not to mention me too!

I'll be back tomorrow with pictures, ya'll!

Some good news...

2011-03-11T18:09:00.000-08:00

Well the breeders were sure the upset tummy is stress related. And in a week they are going to give us a call about another dog. Blue Boy is going to get lots of love at their house, and he'll probably stay with them. I'm sad, but I know it's for the best.

Sad Day

2011-03-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I am really sorry to say that we are going to be giving Blue back to the breeders. It has not improved one bit, he still wants nothing to do with the boys, growling alot at them and making them scared to be them. On top of that he is physically not well. He had diarrhea with blood in it all over my bedroom this morning after my husband had walked him. He isn't eating today either. I don't think this is stress related, as I've never seen anything like this before. If he has a bad case of worms, so be it...I get to de worm my other dog. My main concern is for him...he is not happy here. Anxious, fearful, none of that is good for him, he needs a home without children where he can relax and be okay. They will pick him up tonight and assess his health needs and once that is taken care of, find him the right home for him.

My heart is busted up! I'm gonna go cry now..

SOOOO BLUE!

2011-03-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well, please pray for our Blue Boy. His anxiety and nerves are being displayed in a few not so good ways. He is growling at anybody and everybody except me. Not aggressive growling, fearful growling. He jumped up on our bed in the middle of the night and his head connected with my cheekbone, voila' instant shiner! He pottied upstairs twice and we have a doggy door that he understands. We are going to try a mild tranquilizer and see if it helps him get over this hump of adjustment. I am afraid if he doesn't settle in he will have to go back to his breeder. I hate that, but they have no kids and he seems to really not like my boys. (Or anybody other than me) Has anybody out there ever experienced this sort of a thing? Help!

Our Anniversary Weekend

2011-03-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

A lot happened in the past few days! A few weeks ago when we were at the rodeo, we ran into friends that are breeders of Australian Shepherds. We are talking top show dogs. They told us about a dog they were looking for a home for...they were co-owners with a lady and she never did much with the dog...were we interested? Of course we said yes! We had been owners of Aussies for the first 15 years of our marriage. They brought him to us on Saturday night. Come to find out she just left him in the back yard all the time. No socialization at all. He is almost two years old. So we are dealing with nervousness andanxiety issues. He is very timid, and seems to have connected with me the best. We are praying over him, and are hoping for a good result. I have newly named him Blue Boy. Blue for short.

The next exciting part of my romantic weekend was a trip to the local gun show with my sweetheart, we both got new handguns and signed up for our CHL classes. Then we went out of town to a friends little ranch house and spent the night.

I'm talking no kids here folks! No one sneaking into our room and bed in the wee hours. No one to steal any of my chocolate bar. No interruptions... It was very nice! (What an understatement!)

Hope all of you had a great weekend too!

Our new Blue Boy

2011-03-08T13:01:00.001-08:00

Look here ya'll....He's checking out those chicks!

Running in the back yard with little Lacy showing him the ropes...And...

Awww! Isn't he beautiful! He loves to give me kisses. He is still settling in, but I think he is gorgeous!

I'll fill you in on my exciting weekend later on...

It's fixed!

2011-03-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

Yes! My computer is baaack! I lost my bookmarks, but I'll find 'em! I'm just so happy it wasn't fatal! More good stuff later...

Dr. Visiy

2011-03-04T05:49:00.000-08:00

My computer is at the Dr.'s for a visit. He is confident that he can cure the virus and eradicate all signs of sickness. Whew! This is really not fun...BWAAHH!

Okay, enough boo-hooing, gotta go get ready for a park day with boys...I'll be back...

Not happy at all now...

2011-03-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

I have a virus.

A bad computer virus. In my computer. AAACCCKKK! It's the one I use for everything.

I am posting this from hubs computer, but I will probably be sporadic for a bit.

Pray for me...I use my computer for school, blogging, and everything else.

I hate viruses....but I'll be back!

Oh happy day!

2011-03-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

We got to go to a wonderful field trip to a hands on Art school for kids today. My boys were very creative!

Then I ordered a cheese making kit. I am dreaming of fresh mozzarella and ricotta on everything. I love cheese. I am so excited to get this and I will post tons of cheesy pics. LOL!

We went to our local Costco and stocked up on some essentials and I feel a little easier in my mind and spirit about preparedness in the kitchen. I am going to spend some time working on our first aid and hygiene stockpile next. Lookout Dollar Tree! How are your preps coming?

2011-02-26T10:54:00.001-08:00

Hey ya'll! Here is my promised post on communion. I keep it at a minimum, all purpose flour, shortening, and water.
Once the dough is ready...roll it out thin...
Cut into bite sized pieces and bake..

Communion Bread Recipe

2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of shortening
cool water

Cut the shortening into the flour until crumbly and the consistency of corn meal. Slowly add water a few tablespoons at a time until a pliable dough forms. Roll out the dough thin (think pie crust here) on a cookie sheet. Cut into bite sized pieces and bake at 300 degrees until browned on the bottom and edges. Secret ingredient...pray while you do this. Ask the Lord to bring people to your mind that need a touch of His love during communion and I promise this will never be a chore! It is one of the greatest privileges I have in the body of believers. Depending on the size of your congregation, you may need to make more...this will make about 120 pieces, give or take a few.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sprouting!

2011-02-25T13:54:00.001-08:00

Yes, we have sprouts! Many of our little seeds are already off to a fine start.
It is so wonderful to begin the growing process...This is food folks, and I hope to do a good job with all of it!

We had a spectacular day of fun in the sun at the park with our homeschool group. I am so blessed to be able to hang out with wonderful ladies that encourage me and know that my boys are having a good time with friends and getting loads of exercise and sunshine!

I am making communion bread tomorrow for church and I'll be posting the recipe and pictures. Hope you like it, I prefer it to those wafer things!

Have a wonderful Friday night ya'll!

A work day...or two...

2011-02-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

Been catching up on work around my urban homestead. (Yep I said it!) Yesterday was devoted to reconfiguring garden space, chicken coop enclosure, and building a larger outdoor space for the baby chicks to move into. They were making me a little crazy with the incessant peeping.

Today has been school, and I was also blessed with some "me" time by my sweet hubs. I got my creative muse on and made jewelry for a couple of hours. And of course laundry, because laundry is never done! Never, ever done!

Here is hoping that all of you have a productive week as well as some time for just "you". We all need it and I know you all deserve it!

Sucess!

2011-02-20T18:13:00.001-08:00

Yes, you are looking at my first canning attempt, and we have sucess from what I can tell....

My daughter and I made apple pear butter...all the jars 'pinged'! It was not nearly as scary as I'd made it out to be. I want to thank all the blog ring sisters for the encouragment! I think the next thing we'll tackle is spaghetti sauce in the pressure canner! My favorite part of the endeavor was sharing the experience with my girl. We were so proud of ourselves that we were jumping up and down in the kitchen and giving each other hugs and high fives. Look out world, we are on a roll now!

Did I mention I love canning? Hee Hee!

My how they've grown!

2011-02-18T12:36:00.001-08:00

Wow! What a difference a week makes...Tiny chicks are almost all real feathers now...down just about gone.
I. will be five in a few weeks, here he is with his chick "Sara"...changed from Johnny Depp, thank goodness!
D. with his sweet baby the little "Miss Tiny"!
And here is E. loving his sweetie ...
Her name is Goldie Hawn the Second...
We lost the first one last year to a heat stroke....That was a learning experience we don't want to repeat!

I have to admit, I think my boys are cuter than the chicks!

Challenged...Very Much So...

2011-02-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

I am 'Challenged' by technology. Fascinated too. My sweet hubs bought me a nifty little e-reader for my birthday. Now I am sooo excited over this little gem of a goody, but I'm not so good at the techie stuff. Those of you who know me from here or real life know I have issues.

Issues with terms like RAM, Download, Widget, etc. So I had my brilliant 23 year old son mess with my gadget today and he has about 1/2 of the way got me hooked up to the library. (He had a church meeting and left me) Now I thought to myself..."I can get the rest of this figured out." That was 4 hours ago.

4 hours of listening and watching the 'how-to' site on my public library page. I am just not that bright I guess. But I'm okay with that...He's coming home,and there is always tomorrow!

Why I Love Texas...

2011-02-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

Because while some folks are dealing with snow and ice...It's a beautiful 74 degrees here. Sun out, windows open, barefootin'. Oh yeah!

We had an adventurous weekend at the rodeo. If you have ever spent all day in any sort of large area with big crowds while trying to keeping an eye on three rambunctious boys...you know what I mean by adventurous!

It is a wonderful afternoon in that I have a beautiful pot of Tortilla Soup on low on the stove and my new book on preserving food just arrived in the mail...So something to read! I bought my pressure cooker yesterday, and I wanted to say "Thank you" for all the encouragement I have received from my blog ring sisters! I'll post pictures soon of my first attempts!

Anybody reading anything inspiring and exciting for you? Ready to try your hand at a new craft?

Bananas...

2011-02-11T20:55:00.001-08:00

One more shot of my baking center. That is Bogart our cat perched above my wheat barrel. He is right in front of my grain mill. My kitchen was lacking in storage and a space for all my baking goodies, and my sweet hubs built this for me. I have all my cookbooks, spices, baking goodies, mixer, and rolling pin at hand! Also behind the cat is a blue bowl with over ripe bananas...So...
Isn't it lovely? Smells fantastic in here...

Ever wonder what to do with those bananas that are getting too spotty and brown??? Hmmm??
Okay here goes...

Easy Banana Pound Cake...

One yellow cake mix
3 peeled bananas (soft and squishy please)
2 eggs
1/4 cup water

Mix well and spread batter in a 9 x 9 or 10 x 10 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Do a toothpick test on it. Sprinkle with Powdered sugar if you want! That's it. Oh yeah, eat it warm! It's soo good! Takes all of 5 minutes to whip this up and get it in the oven. Enjoy!

I Apologize!

2011-02-10T20:28:00.001-08:00

For the second time a link I am trying to link to didn't work. Try http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html That oughta do it. Mea Culpa Folks!!

Backyard Flock

2011-02-10T11:04:00.001-08:00

Hereis a view of our suburban yard ...complete with chicken run. My amazing hubby built this simply in the corner of the postage stamp of a yard that we have. The best part is the chicken house!
Check it out! He used the bottom of my boy's fort tower. There is a door, and boxes are built in the upper right side for nesting. On the backside facing the other tower ladder is a little door that I can access the nest boxes for eggs. They also free range during the morning and late afternoon hours, but I have to keep an eye on 'em, because they want to dig up my potted plants! A great resource for anyone interested in a backyard flock is http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html
I love the creativity of people's coops and all the good hints. I don't have a rooster, since I don't need one to have eggs...I am in a neighborhood in a big city, even though keeping chickens is legal, I don't want to annoy my neighbors! Don't like to draw to much attention! My girls are awesome waste disposers..Yep chickens are not to picky at all, and mine love scraps of all sorts from my kitchen.
Survival Mom mentioned a concern for the heat where she is. I have lost one chicken to heat stroke and it isn't pretty. They need shade, room to move, earth to scratch down in and get a dust bath, and there is always a full bucket of cool water. Yes I have even misted my girls down with the hose if it is relentless, here in Texas it can be over a 100 degrees for days on end . I even spray the outside of the coop with some water so that it will stay cooler. Lots of room to move and shade with water are most important.

Keeping chickens has taught my boys a lot about responsibility, and appreciation of a food source and taking good care of it. I love the eggs we get as they are obviously fresher, as well as having a rich orange dense yolk. I know my birds are happy and spoiled,and we like 'em that way!
Cluck cluck!

Looky Here!

2011-02-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

Guess what we got today? Yep, three new chicks added to our homestead in suburbia...
The gold one is Goldie Hawn, the black one is Tiny and the multi color is called Johnny Depp! Can you tell I have boys naming these birds?
One of hubs clients bought them, then realized she was over her head. She brought them to us complete with heat lamp, chick starter and cage! I am so excited to get them, they are Ameracanas and it was just what we needed. My three chickens are getting a bit long in the tooth (or beak), and egg production has slowed down a lot. I am constantly amazedat how faithful God is to provide at just the right time!

I wanted to say thanks for everyone who has taken time to comment and write back. This Survival Mom Blogring is awesome and filled with fantastic resources! If you haven't checked it out yet...push that button!

Cold again!

2011-02-09T13:20:00.001-08:00

Last week we had a wee bit of snow down here Deep in the Heart of Texas!

My little guys were pretty ecstatic, as it is a rarity down here....

Not enough to make a real snow man or make an angel, but they managed to toss a few snowballs at one another! We then had a warm couple of days, I'm talking 70 degrees...and now it's freezing and sleeting today. Totally crazy weather! I hope it's back to warm by Friday as that is our Park Day.

Oh and by the way, for those of you that saw the pictures of the boys Valentine's boxes...we have two winners! Both the rocket and the outdoor scene won awards for most unique! (Just a little mama bragging here!)

2011-02-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

I have been invited to be part of an awesome new blog ring. The button to the Survival mom's blog ring is right on top here! There are all sorts of wonderful blogs on homesteading, prepping, gardening, etc. Check it out! The gal Lisa who invited me is at http://thesurvivalmom.com/

2011-02-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.dinnergarden.org/

Garden dreams..

2011-02-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with those of you who might be dreaming of a garden during these cold months...a wonderful non profit that was begun right here in South Texas... http://www.dinnergarden.org/ These fantastic people give away seeds! Enough for a garden! And you can save seeds from what you grow and the blessing goes forth...How cool is that!

They have info on there page on how to grow what you receive as well as a T shirt I gotta have. Let's face it, times are uncertain and the more prepared we are the better off we are if financial crisis comes, illness, or whatever. I am personally planning on becoming a better gardener this year as well as learning much more about putting food by. Canning and having the ability to have meals that aren't requiring a run to the grocery store every few days is sounding very good to me!

I am going to be getting a pressure cooker, so I can put up spaghetti sauce, chili, soups, as well as using my mom's old water canner for jams and jellies. If my garden pans out with some green beans...even better!

I'll be posting pictures as I learn! Pray I don't blow up the kitchen!

My new freezer!

2011-02-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Honey bought me this little freezer of of Craigslist for $50.00! I love the size, and it opens from the front, so I don't have to dig as I would in a chest type freezer. It is the size of a dishwasher, and holds a lot of meat! This frees up my other regular freezer for other goodies like veggies and ice cream!

I realize talking about a freezer when just about everyone is "freezing" is nuts, but I just love a bargain that benefits my family. (And my kitchen!)

Stay warm and drink lots of hot chocolate everyone...May you have safety in your homes and Blessings from the Lord...

What are you up to?

2011-02-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

On a cold day like today, all I want to do is bake something! This is the baking center in my kitchen that my sweet hubby and his friend Rocky built for me. All together it is one of my favorite places in this house! Today we will probably bake some cookies, and have some cocoa. I am watching a friends 3 year old for her, and he is a fun little man! I will use my babysitting money to go into my "Pressure Canner Fund". Anyone out there into canning? I'd love to hear what pressure cooker you have....I inheirited a water bath canner already. I am waiting for a couple of books I ordered from Amazon on canning to come, and then....lookout!

Brrrrr....

2011-02-01T17:17:00.000-08:00

I am not moving, Mommy! No ma'am, you can't budge me! It is freezing outside and my little pup dog has settled in for the duration! Can't say I blame her much! Move over poochie...

Tweet Tweet

2011-02-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

I use a wonderful resource on my laptop, The Homeschool Bar. The button for it is at the bottom of this page with my linkys. I am sad though, due to the fact that my homeschool bar is missing something! A tiny Twitter button has disappeared from my toolbar. I emailed them and received a reply that they were trying to bring it back up. It's not back. I try to fill in gaps in my blog by Tweeting as the day goes by. Ah well, no tweety time today!

Super Duper Sweethearts!

2011-02-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

D. loves the great outdoors and hunting!
This is I.'s Rocket Ship to Outer Space!

Here is E.'s box of WWE stars...

All my boys are sweethearts to me...I thought you'd like to see their Valentine's boxes we made for a contest we are having at our Homeschool Group Valentine's Day party! We had a fun day making them, and the best part for me was my friend Dawn coming over with her son and joining us! Have a Blessed Sweethearts Day!

Lethargy...Apathy...

2011-01-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

Must shake it off! I have to pull myself out of the funk, I have a 23 year old moving home this weekend. (He has to share a room with the 4 year old) Some rearranging must be done. He will only be with us a short time as he plans on entering seminary this fall.

On a flip side a local group was having a seed giveaway, and my hubs went to the drop site, and nobody had gone by. He scored me a ton of veggie seeds. It is the season to dream of gardening!

We are seeking wisdom about putting the house on the market. Please pray for us, we need guidance in this process from the Lord. We need to make wise choices.

Guess I'll go score some caffeine!

What a guy!

2011-01-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

Not only are our taxes done.....

Drum roll please...He also did yard work and grocery shopping! Wow!

I find him so irresistible when he accomplishes a lot, and I don't have too!

Oh yeah Baby!

Taxes....render unto...yadda yadda...

2011-01-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

Tax time!

Strikes terror into my heart, I tell ya! My dh has covered the dining table from one end to the other with ledgers and folders, registers and receipts...He is self employed which makes it all the more fun! I am finding every excuse I can to stay upstairs and outta the way!

I was hoping for a new sofa with part of our return, but it looks like it's all gonna be car repairs. Ah well....What are you doing with your return? If you have any?

Reading and such..

2011-01-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

From now until the end of the month you can get a very good reading program here http://www.funnix.com/ I believe it will be worth your while. I had to download in Explorer, Firefox didn't like it, but no biggie.

And speaking of reading, I am reading One Second After by William R. Forstchen. All I can say is...read it yourself and then start prepping.

Have a great weekend, and read something!

More to clean...

2011-01-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

There is always more to clean. I am reminded how truly blessed I am to have stuff and kids and kids stuff and a home with home stuff...Lots of stuff.

Yet the sun is back, my family is healthy, and I am rejoicing in stuff!

Now somebody get me a big trash bag for some of the extra stuff....

Good Day Sunshine...

2011-01-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

I cleaned out a file cabinet drawer today in preparation for the New Year. I owe all this energy to the sunshine peeking through after a two week absence. (If it wasn't two weeks, it sure felt like it!) My next task is kids clothes coming together in some form of order and cleanliness. I am striving to de-clutter in hopes that moving will happen by summer.

I have also asked my oldest son to bring me some buckets from work (the kind with lids) for pantry and toy organizing. Help, I fear Spring cleaning is hitting early!

What are your organizing goals for 2011?