Happy New Year!!

Can you believe that 2010 is coming to a close? I am just amazed at how quickly this year has gone. My husband and I sat and watched the morning news before he went to work this AM. They did a "recap" of big news making stories of the year and you know what, there were very few "happy" stories to be told. Not a very positive look back to our year, that is for sure. So sad that the focus this year was on so much sadness, devastation and heartache around our nation and the world.

What about the happy days, the good things, the blessings, the acts of kindness and amazingly wonderful stories? WHY does the media insist on focusing on the horrible sadness that consumes the airways? Sure, it's been a really tough year, it's been a tough several years. Has it all been horrible, bleak and hopeless?

Not in my house? We have been continually blessed. We've seen growth in relationships and watched our family come together in a tough season to see a better tomorrow. Are we alone? Is my family outside of the norm? Obviously we are not...just read a few blogs or talk to a few people that CHOOSE to be thankful.

I think that is key, choosing to be thankful, going out of our way to look past the struggle and see the many blessings that we do have even in the midst of trial. This has been a tough year, I won't lie. I am thankful to see the struggles of this year behind us. I know they are far from over, this world has just changed too much and struggles are all around us, but my hope is NOT in this world. It's in my heavenly Father who sees all, knows all, and provides for all.

So, this "Thankful Friday" post is not my typical thankful post. There is just too much that I could share BECAUSE I choose to be thankful, I choose to put my hope in the hands of the only One that can truly effect change or bring peace to my weary mind. If I were to stand on my own power, try to get through these hard times with my own strength, I'd be just like the media...hopeless. My hope, my peace, my thankfulness, my joy, my future rests in the hands of the Lord.

Happy New Year my friends! Make 2011 the year you CHOOSE to be thankful. The year you CHOOSE to hope. The year you CHOOSE to have peace. The year you CHOOSE to have joy. All in the midst of the storm. Having all of those things in the calm places of life is easy, the test is when you can have all of those things in the midst of your storm.

Praying for a wonderful new year for you and your families.

Christmas blessings!

This year, I purposed in my heart and mind to simply enjoy all that the Season had to bring. To not let the stresses of all of the "to do's" get to me and rule my days. Instead I focused on the people that are reflected on my many lists of things that needed to be done (just a few of them are my kids...Rachael, my oldest son's girlfriend, Anthony, Dylan, Brandon and Alyssa). Was I still busy? Of course I was! Was it enjoyable? You bet! :)

Our family enjoyed many relaxing evenings watching our favorite Christmas movies, looking at the lights on our tree and spending time with family and friends. I often had crocheting in my lap during these family evenings, making hats for nephews and our niece, or making folded fabric ball ornaments that would be added to gift bags for family members. I kept busy with hand work and such, but enjoyed time with my family at the same time.

The kids and I worked on making candy to be added to the gift bags for family. Something we've never done before...molded chocolates on sticks and candy canes. What a fun project that was! Brandon worked hard on his snow men...they turned out great.

We also made sugar cookies...though they never ended up getting decorated, Dylan enjoyed trying his hand at rolling and cutting the dough. He did a great job too!

My husband's VERY talented brother does chain saw carvings. This year, he carved a bear for each of the kids. Dylan was so excited about his...they all were! Such a wonderful gift.

This year we decided it was time to splurge and get the family a Wii game system. We avoided doing this until this year, but I am so glad we went ahead and took the plunge. We've had such a good time playing games like bowling and tennis rather than just sitting around in the evenings. So much fun for all of us! I don't typically get into this kind of thing, feeling like there is just too much "screen influence" most of the time, but this was a fun addition to our home.


Brandon asked for one big thing this year...a shot gun. He LOVES hunting and even just target practicing. It was the perfect gift for him this year. The look on his face was worth it all...he was thrilled!

Alyssa LOVED the bulletin board I made for her. The fabric that covers it is a horse scene with trees and water. She was so excited...a simple gift, the fact that my kids appreciate the simple things they receive makes me so happy! They appreciate the effort in the making of the gift and don't need the pricey commercial trappings that so many kids these days get caught up in. Oh sure, they still want some of the other things, but the simple things are often their favorite things. :)

You know your baby has grown up when a box of socks brings a smile like this...he is forever looking for his socks. :) Our oldest is now over 20 and understands the value of a drawer full of socks. Bitter sweet, I think...though he did have a huge smile on his face when he opened the gift from his dad...his paintball gun that he had sold to his dad when he was in need of money. Wade had saved it and then gave it back to him for Christmas. :)

My parents came and spent the day with us on Christmas day. We had a wonderful time visiting, eating and watching the kids play the Wii. Times together are few and far between these days, it was nice to have a relaxing day to just "be" and catch up a bit.

One of the best gifts we all got this year was my sister...she has been away for too long. We had a fun day, catching up, playing the Wii and just enjoying time together. I think time with family was the greatest gift we all received this year. God truly blessed us with lots of time, relaxing, good food and many laughs. None of the material things from this Christmas really mattered much, even to the kids, we all just really enjoyed being together.

All together!

In this photo, from left to right: Alyssa (daughter), Jenny (my sister), Dad, Mom, Wade (hubby), me, Dylan (3rd son), Anthony (1st son) and Brandon (2nd son).

This Christmas, my whole family was together for Christmas. This is the first time in 5 years that we have all be in one place for Christmas and it was such an amazing day. We had so much fun playing cards, playing the Wii, eating tons of goodies and good food, visiting about our lives and just enjoying the time together. Such a blessing this year, my sister was here and we had a great time reconnecting! I've missed her. :)

So many blessings from this Christmas season, this is just one. Praying you all had wonderful blessings this Christmas!

Are you ready?

This week is a full week for me....so much to do to be ready for Christmas. I've still got sewing to do, knitting, jewelry making, crocheting and baking to do. Thankfully I am not stressing, not worried. What needs to get done, will be done. If it doesn't, that's OK too.

My focus this year has been to simply enjoy the season. Enjoy time with family and friends. Soak up the true meaning of this season and the "who" that is on my list, not the "what". After all, it's not about the "stuff", it's all about the people that the "stuff" is supposed to be for. Right?

So, while I'm crocheting, knitting, baking and sewing....I'm soaking up the time with my family and friends. THEY are my focus, not the task at hand. Not the never ending list of "things".

How about you? Is your focus on the "what" on your list? Are you able to look past it all to the "who" that truly matters most?

My kids asked me the other day what my favorite Christmas gift ever was. You know, I could think of several gifts I'd received, but nothing that really stood out as my "favorite". What I remember more are the moments, the laughs, the special memories of family and friends. Watching my kids excitement on Christmas morning, reading the account in the Bible of the birth of Jesus, singing Christmas carols at church, baking cookies and blessing my family with special treats. That is what I remember more than the gifts I received.

Enjoy this time with your family, friends and loved ones. Remember to focus on the REASON FOR THE SEASON!

Thankful for Friday!

This week's list of things I'm thankful for is simple...It's been a LONG week! So much to be done, so much left to do and so very much on my heart and mind.

God has been SO faithful, even when I am not. So amazingly faithful in so many ways, too many ways to list. The biggest event of our week was a fender bender that I was in on Thursday afternoon. Thankfully, God protected us and everyone was totally fine. My new Yukon (new to us just before Thanksgiving) is not so new any longer. Not so pretty and I am not so thrilled about it all. BUT through it all I have remained thankful.

• Thankful for the Lord's protection.
• Thankful for my amazingly understanding and supportive husband.
• Thankful for my 16 year old son who stood by my side the whole time I talked with an upset driver, upset with me for hitting him and rightfully so.
• Thankful for our amazing insurance company who has made this whole process so much easier than I ever expected it to be. Even understanding when I tearfully told them about the accident and all that occurred at the time of it...even unnecessary information that they didn't need..just my silly unloading rant.
• Thankful that my car is repairable and no permanent damage was done.
  

God has been good to us! We are blessed!

Merry Christmas!!!

Rain, Rain....turn to snow!

Happy Monday! I am completely shocked that it's Monday already, how did that happen? We had a VERY wet weekend here at Tanglewood Hills. The whole Pacific Northwest was rather soggy this weekend. I haven't heard any official rain totals, but the forecast on Saturday was for 3 inches of rain in Portland. While we are not in Portland, much of our weather comes from there. I would not be surprised one bit to hear that we exceeded that total. So much rain fell on Saturday! We were all wishing the rain was snow...we are all ready for a good winter storm here. Snow would be a welcomed way to start our Christmas season next week...we are praying. :) I know that those of you in the mid west who are experiencing major snow events are thinking I'm nuts. Snow is just a welcomed and rare event here most years.

We were snug and cozy in our friend's home. Saturday was our cut and wrap day for our steer. He was a big boy! We split him with our friends, something we've done the past three years or so. Doing it all ourselves from the kill to the cut and wrap has saved us a lot of money. We spend a day getting the meat all processed and ready for the freezer. I am SO thankful to have this meat in our freezer. Between the beef and the chickens we butchered a few weeks ago, we are going to have plenty of meat to see us through the next few months. YAY!

This is the last week before Christmas break and it is going to be crazy! Between parties, activities and events for the kids I'll be doing a lot of baking. Bread baking, a bit of fudge, cookies and maybe some cinnamon rolls. The rest of the week will be busy making scones, cookies and other goodies for the kids to share at their events and parties this week. I also have some craft type things to work on and a party for co-op to to plan crafts for. All fun and good stuff, but makes for busy days for this mama. :)

Praying you all are having a wonderful week. Find ways to enjoy this season and not be so wrapped up in the "to do list", I'm talking as much to me as anyone. It is SO hard to not focus on the "to dos" of the day and not on the "who" you are doing it all for. My pastor yesterday shared that very thing and it really hit home with me. So, even though I am SO super busy this week, my focus is on the "why" of it all. I want to enjoy the baking, the time with my kids and why I'm working so hard this week. We are SO blessed, I LOVE this season and I am SO thankful for all that we have.

Have a wonderful week!

Thankful For Friday!

So much to be thankful for, so much I could share, so much I could ramble on about....but won't. Today I am SO thankful for the blessings the Lord has given to us...

• My family
• My hard working man that does all he can to provide the very best for our family
• Friends near and far, in real life and online, that help me see things in new ways, and give me food for thought. Friends that listen, don't judge, love me for who I am and where I am and pray for me and with me to become the wife and mom I so desire to be.
  
• This season of remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The baby that came and changed this world and that continues to change our world.
  
• The many military men and women who serve our country, away from family and friends this season. Men and women that won't have time around the tree with their loved ones, who will be and are fighting for our freedom and way of life. The sacrifice of not only the one in uniform but also the families that they leave behind that continue on with life...missing their loved ones, holding down the fort and keeping the home fires burning.
  
• Time to give thanks, show appreciation and remember the many blessings we have.
  
• The fire burning in the wood stove that warms our home.
  
• The lights on the tree, that give off a warm glow in the evening.
• YOU...for visiting this blog and sharing my life here. I am blessed!

Enjoy this season. Take time to relax and enjoy your family and friends...all of the blessings you have received. Remember WHO is the reason for this season....Jesus Christ!

Thankful for Friday!

Hooray for Friday! Do you feel that way? I don't know why, but I just love Friday. :)

This week, as always, I have so much to be thankful for. We are truly blessed! So, this week I am so thankful for:

• The reason for this wonderful season...Jesus Christ! His birth changed the world!
  
• My husband's job, we are truly blessed to have him still working. God is providing for us in ways that never cease to amaze me!
• My jobs, even if I'd love to not have to work, at least I know it is another way that the Lord is providing for us.
  
• Our home, warm and cozy.
  
• A full pantry and nearly full freezer. We butchered our chickens a week ago and have many tasty meals ahead. Our steer will be butchered in the next couple of weeks also and we'll have plenty of meat to see us through the rest of the year and into the spring and summer.
  
• My marriage, I am continually reminded at how wonderful my marriage is. I am blessed beyond measure to have such a wonderful relationship with this man. We had struggles early on in our marriage, but we are closer now than I ever thought we could be.
  
• My kids, amazingly smart and hard working. We all have our days, but I love them, they are a true blessing!
  
• Our place here and all of the projects that seem to never get finished. It is ours and we are living our dream.
• Friends and family that make my days so much more meaningful and rich!
• The chance to spend a day shopping with a dear friend that I don't get to see often enough. She is in town for the weekend and is making a day to spend with me. I love it!! :)
  

Have an amazingly wonderful weekend with your family and friends. As the old song says, don't forget to "count your blessings". I promise you, it will change your outlook on your current situation. We are all continually blessed...even in the hardest of times. We just sometimes have to look a bit harder at some times than others. The blessings ARE there.

A Baby Changes Everything - Faith Hill

When I found this video on You Tube, I had to share it to go along with my blog post for today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Brings a bit more "emotion" to the season for me, being a mom and knowing how it feels to bring a baby into this world. How hard it is to give birth and then the love you feel at the first glance of that precious baby.

A baby changes everything...

Are you feeling like time is just flying by? Perhaps feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done before Christmas? That is EXACTLY how I have been feeling, all the while knowing that I didn't want to feel that way. That I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy the season. Oh sure, I've had a few moments here and there where I allowed myself that simple pleasure. Then I'd realize that my "To do list" was backing up and I was, once again, behind!

What a horrible cycle to be caught in. Then I read a wonderful blog post from Christine at Joy of 8 that reminded me that there are more important things to focus on. Call it my "Duh" moment. I KNOW all of this...nothing she said was "new" to me. WHY do we let the daily life, the "important" tasks of this life get in the way of what our hearts know to be true? That, I don't know, but once in a while we all need the reminder of the "why" of the season and the "who" of the season.

It's not about the tree, the decorations, the hustle and bustle of the shopping malls and department stores. It's not even the cutting line at the fabric store or the yard that is waiting to be knitted into something wonderful for someone wonderful. It's not the candy and goodies that everyone associates with the Christmas season.

It IS about the savior that came to bring hope and light to this dark world. His coming did not promise an easy road, but hope at the end of it, a promise of a heavenly home with him at the end of our journey. This season is a celebration of this baby's coming, Jesus birth brought about a change in history like no other!

I have often thought about how Mary must have felt. Did she truly grasp the weight of her roll in history? Did she truly understand that this little baby would change the world? I've been blessed to have given birth to four children. Looking back, when I looked into that new little face after they were born, I could not even fathom how their lives would be, how they would grow and mature. I like to think that Mary KNEW that this baby would change the world.

Having a baby changes your life, having a baby that you know will grow up to be the savior of the world would be an incredibly overwhelming feeling, I think. Don't you? Perhaps she really didn't understand the whole extent of her roll in this little baby's life. I don't know, but that is one of many questions I can't wait to ask when I get to heaven. :)

Merry Christmas and remember to celebrate the true meaning of the season!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

It's a chilly 30 degrees here at Tanglewood Hills and snow is on the ground. That has been the norm here for this past few days and we are loving it! What a wonderful way to spend our Thanksgiving morning, looking out over the snow covered ground in our warm home. We have SO much to be thankful for. God has really blessed us!

Today, we'll be driving north to my parents house to spend the afternoon with them. There will be tons of good food and lazy conversation, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to just being able to relax a bit. I did my baking yesterday, a gingerbread cheesecake and two pumpkin pies. My mom is doing the rest, but we are keeping our meal simple. :)

Our morning will be spent enjoying having our kids all home, drinking coffee, enjoying the fire and having a nice slow morning. I LOVE that!

Praying you all enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving with your family and take time to "count your blessings" as the old song says. We are ALL so very blessed, have so much to be thankful for. Sure, we may be facing hard times, have struggles in our lives, but really...we ARE blessed!! Beyond measure!

Blessings to your family today and throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas season!

I'm back...did you miss me?

This has been a non stop busy month for me full of stress, work and changes. Every time I thought I'd update my blog, something else got in the way. Today, however, my work is as caught up as it's going to get for the moment and we are having a snow day! Yes, SNOW!! :) I am loving the weather we are having, cold and snowy.

Let's see, what can I tell you about life here over the past month. We've been super busy with school, trying to stay on top of everything has proven to be more of a job than I had anticipated, but I think we have it under control. :) My job with Gling has been very busy trying to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes. I LOVE my job, getting paid to cook and create is amazing.

Our homestead is as ready for winter as it's going to get. The snow came early this year. This week we've been blessed with over 6 inches of snow and frigid temperatures...this mornings temp was 17 degrees. The high today is 31. So far, the animals are fairing nicely. I was super worried about the meat birds, but they did fine last night. They'll be in the freezer in a matter of weeks (possibly days if the weather continues to be winter-like), that will be wonderful!

Hunting season has come and gone here, for deer anyway. No luck for my guys this year. Such a bummer! They spent a week at elk camp, 9 days actually. Saw a few animals but nothing that could be shot at. They had a wonderful time though and that is just as important as the meat in the freezer as far as I'm concerned! I LOVE that my hubby and son have that time, even if I do miss them terribly when they are gone.

Last week we bought a new-to-us SUV!! WAY overdue, we've lived out here for 8 years and have needed 4 wheel drive every winter. Until now, if there was ANY snow on the ground, I stayed home or ended up in the ditch. Yesterday, I was able to take the kids to their classes and do my grocery shopping without any trouble! We got a 2003 GMC Yukon. I LOVE it! Feel absolutely spoiled!

So far, my hubby is still working. We are praying that continues. It's all in the Lord's hands and we are trusting that HE will see us through whatever is in our future. It's a good place to be, that's for sure!

Thanksgiving is in just a couple of days and I have baking to do. Cheesecake, pumpkin pie and cinnamon rolls....I LOVE Thanksgiving. I think I just LOVE food!

Thankful for Friday!

Another week and I didn't get any other posts done. :( I had EVERY intention of getting a post up about my cinnamon roll experiment and how it turned out, pictures of my kids and other things, but the days got away from me...seems to be a trend the past month or so.

Today I am thrilled that it's Friday! I am getting to do something that I NEVER do. Something that I NEVER allow myself to do. I am going away for the night and all day tomorrow. My mother-in-law has a quilting retreat every so often, this time I'm going! We are making a Christmas tree skirt. It's sure to be a fun time and ALL ADULT...no kids. :) As much as I hate to be away from my hubby, I am still very much looking forward to some time to just relax, sew and enjoy some girl time. :) LONG OVERDUE!!!

So, aside from the list of the usual things to be thankful for...my family, my husband's job and the Lord's continued provision for our family, my quilting retreat is top of my list. :) Getting time away, time to not worry about dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, day care, animals and the ever present financial worries is HUGE for me! As much as I try to keep on going, keep on serving and keep on focusing on the blessings we have (which are many), allowing myself the time to relax is a rare.

I am SO extremely blessed that my family is supportive of this get away, mainly my wonderful husband. He has encouraged me from the first moment I mentioned "maybe" wanting to go. The hardest part about leaving is that I feel like I am missing rare time with him at home tonight. Hunting season it is hard to find time together, but I know he'll be going to bed early tonight, getting ready for an early hunt tomorrow. SO...I'm getting more and more OK with the idea of leaving in a little bit...to be completely honest, today has been EXTREMELY LONG!! :) Waiting like a kid for an exciting event. How crazy is that?!

This is sure to be a fun weekend and I'll have much to share...hopefully pictures of my finished project...in a few days. :) The best part about it for me is that it's supposed to be stormy and rainy this weekend. Perfect for a quilting weekend!! Don't you think?

Thankful for Friday!

This past week has been a long, busy one around Tanglewood Hills. Days seem to just run together lately and all of the activity kind of blurs together. Ever feel that way? Trying to list all that has been done the past week is not easy when the activities are a blur. :) We've been busy with school activities, my work for Gling (working on recipes that highlight fall flavors), deep cleaning areas of our home and preparing for another hunting season for my boys!

So, what am I thankful for this week? So many things...we are continually blessed beyond measure, even during busy or difficult seasons. God is SO good to us!

* My dear husband is still working, and things are looking like they are picking up again. YAY!
* Hunting season starts this weekend here for modern firearm. My boys will be heading out to hopefully add to our freezer. Praying for much success for them, safety and a lot of fun too!
* Finding a bit more room in my busy schedule to devote more time to my work for Gling. It's been tough between canning and homeschooling. I've found that this past week I've had a bit more time to be in my kitchen working on tasty recipes...something I LOVE doing.
* Starting on my sewing for Christmas....this weekend while the guys are busy hunting. :) I've been wanting to get started on some sewing projects for the coming Christmas season, this weekend I'll get my chance.
* Our kids, they continually amaze me!
* The relationship that my husband and I have. Being married to my best friend is such an amazingly wonderful gift!
* A good night sleep!! Lately I've struggled with not being able to stay asleep, or some nights, even fall asleep. I tried something that I read in an article that a friend of mine sent me, though I'll admit to being VERY skeptical at it actually helping, a cup of warm milk. Yes, the old wives tale that grandma used to speak of. :) A warm cup of milk, a spoon full of honey and a bit of vanilla. Not only did it taste AMAZING, I fell asleep last night and didn't wake up until my dear hubby got up to go to work. UNHEARD OF these days! :) I'll be testing it again to see if it was the milk or shear exhaustion, but I'm expecting good things. :)
* Good friends that just "get" me, and love me anyway. :)

Have an amazing weekend with your families!

Thankful for Friday!!

Good morning! Here we go again, another Friday and I haven't posted since last Friday. How boring is that? So sorry. Life has been non stop and to be honest, not entirely fun this past week. Once again, I'm VERY thankful to see Friday. There have been ups and downs all week, bad moments and really good ones...and always busy!

The bulk of my "busy" this week has been kid focused. School, dentist appointments, baby sitting, lesson planning, math paper grading, class planning and laundry. Oh, we did do a couple of hair cuts in there too. :) A never ending list of "need to do's" can make for a long week. Did I get it all done? NO! Am I OK with that, sure...I am, after all only one person. :)

This week, it was NOT hard to focus on the positive, the many blessings that the Lord continues to bless us with. Even in the midst of the stressful moments, the blessings were always easy to see.

So, what are they? Let's see:

* I was given a laptop by a dear person. She has NO idea how much of a blessing this is to me, how very needed it was! This person just wanted to bless me....and BOY DID SHE! I have wanted a laptop for YEARS, but as with many things, it was never in the budget and I could easily justify NOT buying one. We do, after all have a computer in our home and we just need to budget our time on it...right? That has worked for a long time, and would have continued to work, to be totally honest. Having this laptop has been so nice though...being able to work, plan school and life here when I don't have access to my computer in my office has been such an amazing gift! Something COMPLETELY unexpected...I had NO idea she was going to give this gift to me until the FedEx truck delivered it. Even after I opened the box and read the letter, it still took me a day or so to process it all. :) So amazing!

* My hard working husband is still working and things are looking good on that front. For now, there is work...we know, however, that anything is possible. The coolest part is that I am no longer "worried" about it. Sure, I want him to stay working through the winter, but I also have a complete peace that God will provide regardless of his employment. What a great place to be!

* Hunting season starts here in a week...we are praying for great success for our hunters this year! I'm excited to see how the Lord will bless us this year. Even if my guys don't bring home anything, I'm excited to see them go and have some fun! They've been pouring over maps, making plans and are as excited as little kids on Christmas. THAT is a blessing....they will have fun regardless of the harvest, I am sure! They need this time, time to go out into the woods and just have fun. A bit of recharging time, as crazy as that sounds. I'm excited to see them get that time.

* We had our first fire of the season in our wood stove this week. I LOVE how cozy it makes our home feel, brings us all into the living room and we all just enjoy the warm glow. SO inviting! It's been days since we needed a fire, but I've wanted one. :)

* My boys harvested the red potatoes from the garden last weekend and brought up 2 1/2 buckets full of huge, beautiful potatoes! So tasty! The buckets are 5 gallon buckets, so I think we did pretty well this year. We waited a bit longer than I think we should have to harvest them, several rotted in the ground. We've had quite a bit of rain this past month. I'm happy with the harvest, regardless of the lost portion. :)

* We were given a load of fire wood earlier this week by a dear friend. We have PLENTY of wood for the next two years now. YAY! Love those kinds of blessings. :)

* My hubby and I get a little date night tonight! The kids all have other plans and we will have time to kill in town after dropping them off...so we get to have a date! :) It will be simple, at a local hamburger place we love. I'm looking forward to a freshly made pumpkin milkshake! YUM!

* I FINALLY got the broken part on my blender fixed! YAY!! It's been broken for MONTHS and I finally decided to just order the silly part. I was able to make smoothies IN THE BLENDER for my kids yesterday afternoon. :) Simple pleasures. :)

Have an amazing weekend...look for the many blessings the Lord gives to you and your family, after a while, you won't have to look very hard to see them. :) Staying thankful is one of the best ways to get through tough days. :)

Thankful for Friday!!!

Another Friday...WOW! I have had the intention of posting here all week long and have not found the time. We've been busy here with school, orthodontist appointments, baby sitting, work and trying to keep up with laundry and cooking/baking. Seems to be keeping me rather busy.

To be honest, it's been a tough week for me. I seem to be on an up and down hormonal trip that is getting rather old..."power surges", "hot flashes", and really wacky sleep makes for a rather emotional mama! SO fun! It's not all bad though. All of this did help to show me that I need to take some time for me. I've been running on empty for far too long, and was in need of some "me" time.

SO....I took some! YAY! :) I took an evening this week and went ALONE to the book store. That NEVER happens. :) It was fun to walk around and look at the books I wanted to look at without interruption and I also got to take my time. A rare thing indeed!

The other thing I did this week....went back to the gym! It's been a good 6 months since I was there last and I knew I either needed to go or cancel it altogether. I am sore, but determined to get back on track, feeling better, in better shape and ready to face the tasks I have here with more energy and fewer back issues. Finding the time each week will be a challenge, but I need to do this for ME.

One of my favorite things about going to the gym is that I am able to just pray while I'm on the treadmill. I put on my headphones, turn on my i-pod and an upbeat Christian song and start walking. I pray about all that is going on, and sometimes just listen to the words and let the the Lord speak to me. That is something I've really missed. In my daily life, I get few opportunities to tune out the world and just "listen" for the Lord's voice. When I get the chance, it's never enough time, but enjoyable and refilling!

So, what am I thankful for this week? Hmmm....

* Hitting a "brick wall" so that I would take the time to refill and refresh.
* My amazingly supportive husband that sees what I need often before I do.
* Friends that listen and understand my crazy self....even when I make no sense at all.
* My amazing kids that understand my need for "me" time and even encourage me to take more.
* An understanding boss that knows that my family must come first and that my productivity during busy seasons is going to be low...I love working for him on Gling.
* My church family...such an amazingly supportive family that loves me regardless of what I am going through. Always an encouragement!
* Watching our oldest son grow up and figure out what it means to be a man...and fall in love with his girl. Makes me wonder how long it will be before we get to add another girl to our family! :) We are SO thankful that he has chosen a sweet and loving girl...time will tell, the Lord knows what He has for them. Can't wait to see it unfold. :)
* A bit of sunny weather to start our fall season, though it's been a bit warmer than I want at this point. It's been nice to have the sunshine, the rains will start soon enough.

Needless to say, we ALWAYS have so much to be thankful for. We are truly blessed! Even in tough times, days when all I want to do is cry out in frustration, I KNOW that we are blessed beyond measure! God is so good to us and continues to be faithful to provide, sometimes in ways that we least expect. :)

Thankful for Friday!

OK, I won't say it....you know, the opening line I use for EVERY Friday post. Yes, this week went by quickly and I can't believe it's Friday again already....but I won't say it. :) How was your week? Life around here, as usual, has been non stop. Good, but non stop. We've seen some struggles this week...sick kids, sick mama, mountains of laundry, a kitten dying and a cranky baby...but it's life! We are blessed despite the struggles and THAT is what I try to stay focused on. Am I always successful? NO! I'm only human....but I DO try!

So, what am I thankful for this Friday?

* My hard working hubby and his job....we are blessed to still have him working. Also blessed that things are "starting" to look up in that area of life, S...L...O...W....L...Y we are seeing signs of a busy season ahead.

* Our kids and how much they are learning this year in school.

* Our adviser at the school....so helpful and is making this year's homeschooling so much easier with her tips and advice! Having two high school age kids has been a bit overwhelming for me, but we are doing great so far...thank the Lord! :)

* Answers to prayer in a tough situation....won't share more, but had to share how amazingly faithful our Heavenly Father IS!!!

* Canning season coming to an end for this year....there is more I COULD do, but I am feeling like I can be done with the bulk of my canning. :) YAY!

* A steer growing and soon to be in our freezer....chickens too!

* A weekend getaway for me...a much needed break.....quilting with a bunch of ladies! I just confirmed my quilting weekend with my mother-in-law. A group of women, getting together at a local lodge to quilt away the weekend....no kids, no laundry....just relaxing, laughing, good food and quilting! What could be better? I have not done this EVER and need the break SO badly! My amazingly wonderful hubby encouraged me to just go.....so NOT my normal behavior, but I am going. :)

* My grain mill...and the amazingly tasty bread that I am able to make with the flour I grind. Only down side is that I can't keep enough bread in the house most of the time. :)

* A dear friend that is going to give my kids riding lessons....gives her horses some exercise and fulfills part of my kids PE credit for school! Plus, my friend and I get time to visit. :) My kids are thrilled. :)

Enjoy your weekend! Praying you had an amazingly wonderful week...even if you didn't there is still SO much to be thankful for....WE ARE BLESSED!!!

It's here....Can you believe it?

It's here....it's here!!! I am SO excited! Are you excited? :) In case you haven't heard yet....FALL IS HERE! :) Today...well, tonight really, it will arrive. :) After the summer we had in these parts, I am welcoming fall with open arms. Our summer was less than a summer and I am ready to put it behind me. :)

I wish I had some glorious picture of fall color to share, but sadly I don't. I don't even have a pumpkin to take a picture of. :)

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. The smell, the cool air, apples, pumpkin...yummy foods that just scream fall. Burning candles, baking tasty treats, hot cider, cool crisp mornings, fall color all around and the smell of freshly cut wood. I LOVE it all! I look forward to the weather turning colder and having a cozy evening in front of the wood stove, a hot cup of tea in my hands, my family cozy around me and a good book.

Yes, I am ready! Ready for all that fall brings...even the rain. :) Around here, rain is often what we get...along with the mud, wet leaves, and lots of wind. I'm OK with that this year, I am ready!

Another Monday...ready or not!

Why does the weekend always have to go so quickly? This weekend was a busy and relaxing one for me. Saturday I worked on finishing up canning the tomatoes and applesauce that I didn't get to during the week. It feels SO good to have that done for now. :) I'll do more tomatoes IF I come up with the money for them before the frost comes, thankfully I've gotten enough done that it wouldn't be the end of the world if I didn't do anymore. I'd LIKE to have some tomato sauce done up, but won't feel like a failure if I don't. I LOVE being in that place where canning is concerned! Don't you?

Sunday was spent just relaxing, for the most part. Three of us are either suffering from a nasty cold or feeling one coming on so we were home all day. The rains were heavy at times, but it sure felt good...a really "fall" feeling day! The only thing that was missing was a fire in the wood stove, but it was just not cold enough yet. The temperatures were actually rather warm and muggy, everything just "looked" like fall. :)

On Saturday, while I was canning away, Wade and the boys were working on cutting out some limbs from some trees and also taking out a few in our side yard. These trees were totally shading our fruit trees and we finally decided to deal with them. It looks completely different out there now and we gained a bit more fire wood in the process. The goats LOVED the fir needle treats. :) I really don't like taking out trees on our place, but these trees were just not allowing our fruit trees to really grow properly. Sure, we could have planted our fruit trees in another spot, but you know what they say about hind site. :)

This week is looking much easier than the past few. I have VERY little canning to work on. That will allow me to work on some baking, cleaning and a bit of relaxing....OH MY! :) It's amazing how much my house suffers while I'm busy canning, I know my family will appreciate a more normal routine this week. My body will appreciate a bit slower pace and my house will look better for all of the extra attention. :)

So, how is your fall going? Is your pantry fuller? Are you still canning? I still want to can some pears, apples and some dry beans. Not sure where I'll put them, as my shelves in my pantry are FULL, but I'll figure out something. :) My hubby may have to sacrifice a bit of space in his shop for a few shelves. :)

Another canning project on my horizon is some more beef and chicken stock. I actually have a crock pot full going right now. I'll get at least 7 quarts of rich stock from the carcasses in the crock pot this round. It's so easy to do, I just let it simmer away in my crock pot for a day or even two...one of those projects that I can work around my schedule. The longer it cooks, the better the stock. My house smells wonderful in the process! :)

Have a wonderful week!

Thankful for Friday!

Wow, I know I say this every week, but really...it's Friday already? We've had another busy week here, shocking I know! :) Canning, school here at home, the beginning of classes at the school and co-op and more canning. :) In the midst of it all, we've had a good time, despite the threat of a cold or two. Our pantry is getting fuller by the day and we are finally seeing the end of the canning season in the distance.

So, what am I thankful for this week?

*My hubby is still working, as is his brother...YAY!
*The kids first week of the full school schedule went well and everyone enjoyed their outside classes!
*The fall color is everywhere, overnight it seems, and it looks like it will be a BEAUTIFUL fall around here.
*A friends daughter that had open heart surgery is doing fairly well...please be praying for little Lily.
*Our new layers should be laying any day...SO excited!
*Made 17 pints of tomato soup yesterday...might make more, but it's a good start...my kids will be thrilled this winter! :)
*My pantry is filling up by the day...I LOVE that feeling!
*We pick up this year's steer this weekend....he'll live at a friends house until he's ready to butcher...we'll have beef in the freezer again in about a month and a half!! We're starting out with an older guy this time...not really by choice....but that means we'll have the meat a bit earlier. Good timing!
*Hunting season starts in a few weeks...my boys are excited and so am I...praying for a good harvest this year with the three of them hunting. :)

It's been a crazy busy week, and today will be no different. Canning more tomatoes today, perhaps a batch of plum preserves and working on school, laundry and baby sitting too. Pray for me in the midst of it all...I'm feeling a cold coming on. I need my strength to get through the last of my canning. :)

School schedules and canning...trying to fit it all in.

School is in full swing here this week and it has been a crazy, busy week. In a perfect world our lives would be busy with only school at this point, save a box or two of pears or apples to can. Not so much this year....all of the summer crops were late here this year, so I'm still in the process of canning tomatoes.

This week has been a busy canning week with Monday and Tuesday being filled with peaches and pears. Thankfully, I am officially done with peaches for the year. YAY!! :) Pears are another story. I have about a half box left to go here and a friend of mine is giving me more pears next week. We'll see how many we get out of those and decide from there if we need more. My hope is that we don't. :)

I'll be starting on my next 100 pounds of tomatoes today and tomorrow. Some of them will be canned and some will be made into tomato soup. The recipe was posted on a friend's blog this week and I have GOT to try it! My family LOVES tomato soup and I refuse to buy canned soups. Having some on hand that is just as quick and easy to prepare as the store bought variety will be nice on those busy fall and winter days. :) My kids are excited too.

Beyond that, choir started for my daughter last night and the kids returned to youth group at the church. We shall see how long we are able to keep going between busy schedules and weather, I'm praying about our involvement there. For now, the kids are enjoying the time there. Dylan also had his first co-op classes yesterday too. They went well and he had a good time making new friends and connecting with old ones. :) Yes, school has officially started!

Life is busy right now, and I am looking forward to the slower days of winter. At least the end of a crazy canning season. I've been trying to update my canning totals on my kitchen page, I know I've missed a few jars in my counting, but it's a general list. I also have apples to sauce this weekend and I'm hoping to have a couple of boxes of apples to work on next week. There is also a bunch of chicken parts in the freezer to make stock with and a few beef soup bones as well. Those will all need to be processed before our chickens are ready to butcher and we add any other meat to our freezer. Yes, it's never ending at the moment. Not complaining really, just busy. :)

We have been so blessed and even in this busy season it's good to be able to recognize that fact. My hard working man is still working, we have a pantry that is filling up by the day and will soon have chickens that are ready to find their way to the freezer. Hunting season starts in less than a month and we are praying for a couple of deer in the freezer as well. :) Maybe even an elk or two. We will be eating well this winter. :)

It's time to resume my crazy routine...I just wanted to check in and say hello! I miss being able to post about life and all more often. Thankfully, I know you all are in the same boat that I am in...trying to adjust to a new fall routine and care for your families in the mean time. :)

Thankful for Friday!

Wow, another Friday already! Seems the weeks are speeding by faster and faster all of the time. Must mean I've been busy, you think? Oh my yes! It's been a good kind of busy however, so I can't complain much. :) Life around here just keeps going full speed, there have been days I feel like I am not able to keep up. In the midst of it all I am trying to be thankful, because all of this busyness is proof that we are blessed!

So, what am I thankful for this week?

* My wonderful and hard working man is still working...thank the Lord!
* Our computer is back up and running and the repair bill was less than we expected.
* My pantry is filling up...peaches, tomatoes, green beans, apple pie filling, pickles, chicken stock, pears and more apples. :)
* We harvested about 50 pounds of apples off of our best producing apple tree...it's about 5 years old and we get the best apples off of it. I wish I could remember what kind it was...we'd get a couple more trees! :)
* My wonderfully talented husband made a grape arbor for our one grape vine...we'll soon be adding more that a friend is giving us. :)
* We were blessed with a load of produce from some friends....60 pounds of pears, broccoli, squash, zucchini and corn! YUMMY! So fun, especially since our garden has done little to nothing. Theirs had done very little as well, but they live at a lower elevation and have a bit longer and better growing season than we do. Crazy how a 15 minute drive can totally change a gardens production ability!
* School has started and so far it's going well!
* Our yard is about 90% ready for fall and winter...weeding, harvesting of herbs is done and all of that fun stuff. :)
* My back and shoulders are about 75% healed from the above weeding and such! :)
* Our cockerels are half grown, more than, and will be ready for the freezer in another 6-8 weeks! :) Meat in our freezer! Yes!! :)
* We were able to sell one of last years goat kids, now a yearling, to a neighbor....solving a problem for both families. :) We needed to downsize and they needed a buddy goat.
* All of the corner posts for our new expanded pasture are set and ready for the rest of the fencing...now all we need is a bit more money for the rest of the t-posts. :) One step closer...can't wait! :)

There is more, I know, but I'd say that's a good list. :) I have been super busy with canning, school preparations, baby sitting, yard work, cleaning and just life here at home. With our crazy harvest this year....everything being super late and all ready at once, it seemed, I'm STILL canning. Normally I'm about finished by this point. Thankfully, so far I've managed to stay on top of it all...but my dining room may tell you differently. I have boxes of pears, apples and tomatoes everywhere...waiting to be canned into their jars and be placed on our pantry shelves. Even with all of the canning I've done so far, I have not come close to what I wanted to do this year. Thanks in part, to our garden and it's lack of produce. I'm OK with that though, I know that God has blessed our family and will continue to do so! I can only do so much, I am one person...how awesome is it that we can trust in an awesome God that can do so much more than we can...and WILL! If I were trying to do all of this on my own power, I can honestly say I'd most likely quit...there is just NO way!

Enjoy your weekend, be thankful for the blessings you've received. If you can't see any...perhaps you are not looking hard enough or in the right places. Blessings can come in the strangest of forms sometimes...like enough broccoli given to you to provide that one night's dinner with a vegetable dish! God is SO good to us!

Computer issues and school starting

Did you miss me? OH my what a week it's been here! My computer totally quit on me a week ago, but thankfully it's back and up and running again. :) It's a bit scary how dependent we are on this silly thing, don't you think? I've felt completely out of touch without it. Thank the Lord, it's back and we are hoping we won't see any further problems for some time now. :)

School started here today. The kids are getting to ease into the school year, but by next week we'll be at almost full schedule. So far, so good...smooth with a few bumps, but nothing major. :) The weather today has sure felt like fall and a typical school day. As I type this post, it is POURING down rain outside. I have cookies baking in the oven, the smell of freshly baked bread still lingers in the house and I have 7 quarts of tomatoes canned and sitting in my kitchen. :) Feels like fall here, for sure! Sadly, my hubby is out working in this nasty (as he would put it) weather. That is the only downside to the weather in my mind, though I know a few more days of warm temperatures and sunshine would do my green tomatoes some good. Oh well, I'll enjoy the rain if that's what we get. :)

I just wanted to check in and let you all know I was still here, just lacking a computer for a week. Thankfully everything can return to normal and I'll be able to post more often again. :)

Thankful for Friday!

Wow! Another Friday already? Where did the week go? Ever have one of those weeks that just flew by without you even realizing it was happening? My goodness, this week was non stop and I honestly didn't realize how fast it was going until this AM. :) I didn't even have time this week to wish it was Friday...crazy!

This week has been a tough one for me in many regards though, speedy or not. I do have so much to be thankful for, so many blessings. Sometimes it's hard to see the blessings in the midst of "life" and the trials that come along with it all. This week I had a very emotional reaction to turning 40, something that totally caught me off guard, to be honest! I've never cared about age, never really gave it much thought. Then I found myself staring "40" in the face and not liking it one bit. My wonderful husband let me have my momentary freak out and then told me that I was the same woman, it was just a number. I have wonderful friends that encouraged me and helped me see that I am not totally crazy, but that it is just a number. Now, a couple of days later, I'm OK with it...I say OK, not liking the fact that I am 40 and haven't reached a few goals I had mentally set to reach before I got here. All in all, I am OK with it, I'm not letting the number rule the day or the year. I have SO much to be thankful for, so many blessings that have come my way in my 40 years of life on this earth! Who am I to be upset about a number???

So, here is what I am thankful for this Friday:

* The wonderful man that I married that loves me despite my short comings and crazy moods.
* My kids that want so much to make my birthday special.
* Our little homestead, a life long dream that is just starting to become more of a reality and a dream for all of us, not just this mama.
* Our pantry, that grows almost daily. The Lord is truly providing the produce and the funds to buy them. Earlier this spring I didn't know HOW we would ever have full shelves again unless our garden produced. That didn't happen this year, gardening in our area has been a struggle this season due to weather conditions. Trusting in the Father to provide kept me from letting the garden stress that could have been SO huge something that never really happened. I haven't worried much about the fact that our garden wasn't producing. I KNEW the Lord would provide!
* Amazing friends that remind me of what is important and what truly counts in life. :)
* Mostly, I'm SO thankful for my relationship with the Father, that carries me through the tough days, let's me appreciate the good days and is a constant...yesterday, today and forever...I KNOW I can count on His guidance, love, protection and provision!

It's been an amazing week, let me tell you! I've canned green beans, dill pickles, and apple juice. Adding to our pantry feels amazingly good. We have NO idea what the winter will hold for us, but we'll have food. :)

For my birthday this week, I made a strawberry rhubarb pie (wish I'd taken a picture of it) with the frozen pie filling I did a week ago or so. Let me tell you, it turned out wonderfully! What a wonderful treat that will be when it's cold and snowy outside and we are enjoying a pie that tastes like summer. :) I am thrilled with the result and know that I'll be doing more again next summer! Such a tasty treat and an easy dessert to whip up. We LOVED it! :)

A productive weekend

It's Monday and I am still wishing we had one more day to our weekend. Ever start the week feeling that way? Not usually the best way to start a new week, but sometimes that is just how it goes. Our oldest son came home from his training with the Marines on Friday. It was good to see him, but he was gone in a flash to spend time with his friends and girlfriend. We saw glimpses of him over the weekend, but not much. Kind of a bummer, but we expected it. The rest of the kids and I worked on canning green beans on Friday, ended up with 28 more quarts. YAY! :)

Saturday, my hubby and I headed to town for coffee and a few errands. Our weekend project was to work on expanding the fencing for the goat pasture. Long over due, and a big project that would not be completed in a weekend. It felt good to finally be starting it though. Before we went to pick up fence posts, we stopped by the "Wholesale Sports" for a few things. Wade was going to take the boys out to site in rifles and have some fun on Sunday and needed a few things. Every time we visit this store, I end up drooling over the backyard grills and cast iron in the camping section. :) This time, they were having a sale...a very good one! I've had my eye on a grill there, a huge barrel style grill, for a couple of years now. Well, 30% off was the best deal I'd seen on it and my wonderful hubby decided that we couldn't pass up that deal! I was like a little kid at Christmas, SO excited!! :) We decided to use it for a combined birthday and anniversary gift for ourselves. gotta love that! Both of our birthdays are in August, as is our anniversary. :)

After getting the fence posts, we headed home to get to work. I was little to no help with my back acting up, but it was fun to watch the guys work. :) They got one corner next to the barn set and then one more corner before it was time to start thinking about dinner. We decided to try out our new grill and headed to the store for a special dinner. We spent WAY more than I would have liked, but Wade wanted it to be a fun and delicious dinner and it WAS far less expensive than it would have been if we'd gone out. We ended up with bacon wrapped steaks, bacon wrapped shrimp, grilled corn on the cob and grilled sourdough bread. ALL of it was amazingly good! We all ate WAY too much and had tons of leftovers for the rest of the weekend. The grill worked AMAZINGLY well. Such a great time!

Last night, I cooked a prime rib roast on the grill. Took several hours, but I just kept feeding the fire more wood and it cooked away. I do believe that it was better than the traditional salt coated and roasted in the oven version. Every time we butcher a steer we cut prime rib roasts, they are a favorite here and something that we would NEVER go out and purchase. They've become a tradition for Christmas. :) Quite tasty on the grill, and I can't wait to try it again. So tasty!

This week will be busy, finishing up lesson plans for school that starts in just two weeks, a bit of shopping for the last few books we need, canning green beans and hopefully tomatoes, baking, laundry, cleaning and just living. So thankful for a productive and fun weekend with our kids, wishing for more time with one of them. It was hard to see my hubby head off to work this AM, but I know another weekend will be coming and we'll have more time to get things done around here. :) Never an end, it seems, but that is kind of like life...always a work in progress. :)

Thankful for Friday!

YAY! I am SO glad it's Friday, this has been another busy week here at Tanglewood Hills! This time of year is just plain busy, no getting around it. I cannot tell you how much I am longing for the lazy days of winter when we are snug in our warm home knitting and enjoying just being here. :) Summer and fall bring about SO much activity here, harvesting, canning and processing our bounty (or in the case of this year, the produce market's bounty) and preparing for another winter. Around these parts, we are expecting a harsh winter, both weather wise and work wise. It's all in the Lord's hands, but we are trying to do all we can to prepare for it now.

So, what am I thankful for today? Oh so much!

* Our oldest son is home from the Marines...for how long, we don't know, but for now, he is home with us.
* My husband has still got a job!
* Most of the curriculum that we need for the coming school year is here...I have maybe 3 or 4 small books to order still, but for the most part, it's here. :)
* My food dehydrator is full of apricots, drying away for future trail mix and snacking.
* 33 pints of sweet pickles are ready to find their new home on my pantry shelves.
* This weekend, we will begin expanding our goat pasture...the fencing won't be finished this weekend, but it's a start! One step closer to having our own cow...not sure if it will be a milk cow yet, but we'll at least have a steer for meat! YAY! :)
* I've been able to spend some time focusing on my home and our routines here, trying to find a routine that will work with all that fills our days!
* Our one dairy goat that is in milk is still producing strong, we're getting just under a gallon a day! This is the longest she has stayed in milk yet...such a blessing! :)
* So far, our wheat experiment is working fine. We know what doesn't work and have found our limit. :) I am enjoying baking wheat bread again!
* Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary! I can't believe we've been married so long, I truly don't feel like either one of us is old enough to have been married that many years already. Where has the time gone? I love my husband more today than I ever thought I could. He is truly my very best friend and someone that I know I can always turn to. He's not perfect, neither am I....but we have a great life together! I am so blessed to have him as my husband, best friend and father to my kids. I couldn't ask for more!
* As much as our part of the country was well overdue for a stretch of hot weather, I'm glad for the cooler days the past few days. This AM when I got up, it was 44 degrees...that's a bit cold, but I'm enjoying the cooler days. :)

We are so blessed here. I am SO thankful for all that we have, are able to do and how close our family has become. Things may be hard at times, but we all know in the midst of it all that we are blessed and well cared for!

Busy days

I've been very lax about updating my blog, life has been just too busy to keep up with everything. We are finally out of our little heat wave, we saw our hottest temperatures of the summer this past weekend. As much as my garden needs the heat and sunshine, I am SO glad that we are seeing a cool down.

This time of year means lots of canning and preserving for the coming year. This week I've worked on green beans and apple pie filling. This is the first year I've tried apple pie filling, I'm really excited about it! I've wanted to try and have a few "ready made" items in my pantry for when I just don't have time to make everything from scratch. This way, I get the best of both worlds...made from scratch and a time saver! What could be better? Gotta love it! I also froze 12 pies worth of strawberry rhubarb pie filling. All I have to do is add the tapioca and put it into the pie shell....simple! We can have a slice of summer any time of the year. Yum!

Today, Brandon takes his final drive for driver's ed class. I'm glad it's finally here. He can't get his license until after Thanksgiving, but at least we are going to be done with this phase. :) I've got errands to run in town today too, so it will be a busy day for us. It's never enjoyable for me to be away from home all day, I try to group as many errands into the day I HAVE to be in town as I can so I don't have to do it as often. We'll see if we get it all done today. :) Once we get home, we'll set to work at preparing the boys bedroom for our oldest to be home for a bit from the Marines!! :) So excited!! I have no idea how long he'll be here, but we want him to have a place to feel at home while he is here. It will be so nice to have him home again...we've really missed him!

Planning for the coming school year has also been heavy on my mind. Planning our days during the school year is tough sometimes, this year will be extra busy....but we are excited! :) The mapping out of our days will start later this week. One of my stops today is to look at ready made planners. I've tried printing ones up on line, and I just haven't found what I really want. With all that we have on our plates this year, I need one that "fits" what we are going to be doing.

On the homestead front, we added a new buck to our goat herd. He's a Nigerian Dwarf buck named Honor. He's such a sweetie! We also moved our meat birds out into the tractor yesterday. I'm praying they survived the night...we had a stray cat trying to find his way into the tractor last night. My hubby thinks that it's secure, but I still worry. It would be a HUGE bummer if we lost all 25 of them now! This weekend we'll be working on expanding our pasture, stringing hot wire and getting the power hooked up in the barn for the charger. I am SO excited! One step closer to getting our cow. Yay! :)

Thankful for Friday!

Oh my goodness! Is it really Friday already? I have tried to get on here and publish a post all week, so many fun things I could have and still could share, but time has gotten away from me. Life here at Tanglewood Hills has been extremely busy this week! So much to be thankful for and so much to do. It's part of life though...part of this season.

So, what am I thankful for this week? Oh my...where to start! I have found that focusing on being thankful has really helped me feelings of frustration that seem to come with a busy life and a lack of time. :) So, this week, I am thankful for:

* My family, how hard they all work to "get the job done" on a daily basis.
* Even though my garden has done little to nothing this year due to our crazy cold and wet spring and summer, I am able to buy produce that we need to get us through the year this year.
* My jobs...I know that I am very fortunate to have them. Even though there are days that I wonder HOW I will do it all, I am SO very thankful that I have the ability to work from home and help supplement our income AND be home to teach and care for our kids. :)
* My amazing husband that works so very hard in very uncertain times and almost always has a positive outlook on life. He gives so very much of himself for our family and to meet all of our needs. He's the best friend I've ever had and I'd be truly lost without him. :)
* Time with my kids, we went to the fair last Friday and had a good time together. I so enjoy getting to do fun things with them, and also seeing how grown up they are becoming!
* Our new little Nigerian Dwarf buck, Honor. We picked him up the other day and he is such a sweet heart. I think he's going to be a good addition to our small herd. :)

I could go on...but time is short this AM. I have 30 pounds of green beans to can, a large sack of rhubarb and a flat and a half of strawberries to make into pie filling (to freeze) and a box of apples to make into pie filling to can. :) Never ending! Tomorrow we are headed to a neighboring county fair, our favorite! It should be a fun family day...though rather hot, with temps edging towards 100 degrees! Yikes! :) It's all good though, we'll enjoy our time with friends that are showing their goats there and watch the logging competition there. So much fun! :)

Have an amazing weekend with your families!

Thankful for Friday!

Somehow I totally missed posting my "Thankful for Friday" post last week...but my blog post did have some "thankfulness in it" so I hope that counts. :)

It's been a trying week here at Tanglewood Hills, but you know, God is good and there have also been many blessings! :)

* A new little guy, 3 months old, is the newest little one that I get the pleasure of watching while his mama is at work. I've baby sat for friends and family for years and have loved every little one that has come to my home. It's been an adjustment, but he is such a cutie and we've all fallen in love with our little guy!

* My husband is still working...it's been long days and long commutes, but he IS working...Huge blessing there!

* I got to spend a good part of a day working on a hobby I had set aside during a busy period of life. It felt SO good to spend the day on Monday scrapbooking.

* My kids came home safe and sound from their camping trip with their grandma. They had a good time, despite the cold weather.

* Our baby, Dylan, turned 11 yesterday!! I can't believe that he is already 11 years old. It just doesn't seem possible that my baby is that old, or that 11 years could have possibly gone by so quickly. He is such a blessing to our family, such a loving and caring kid. I can't wait to see the man that he becomes....on second thought, I CAN wait, don't want the next 11 years to go as quickly as the first. :)

* My kids and I get to spend the morning at our County Fair today. It's opening day and we have tickets to get in free. A tradition we've kept for more years than I can count. This year it's just my three younger kids, my niece and me...small group for us, usually we have other friends and family in tow. It will be a fun adventure just the 5 of us, exploring the animal barns and enjoying an ice cream cone. Tradition....just a bit different this year. :)

God is so good to us...I could go on and on with my list of things I'm so thankful for. I have great kids, an amazing husband and a place that provides us with so much. We have our stresses, our stressful days, our trials, but we are truly blessed! I was reminded this AM by a dear friend that God has given me enough of what I need to handle the hard things. I can either choose to worry about what's going on and stress over the bumps in the road or I can do as Cinnamon and her family are doing during a difficult time and:

"Instead we can choose to know that God has made our way perfect, no matter what that way is and all we have to do is trust in Him."

Thanks for the reminder, Cinnamon! This week, I needed that. :) God is good ALL THE TIME! I will CHOOSE to be thankful, I will CHOOSE to trust...I will CHOOSE to NOT go down the "worry road" as my friend has said.

That is another thankful item...good friends that remind me of the Lord's truths. :)

As much as I don't want to know....

This is information that NONE of us really "wants" to know, but anyone that really cares about where we are going SHOULD be aware at the very least about what is being done to our food. Know that there IS a plan, a design, if you will. This is beyond frustrating, beyond scary, and beyond angering! I get so mad when I see stuff like this....but really, that anger is a good thing. It inspires action and drives me to do more for my family. No, we can't possibly do it ALL and avoid all of the GMO and effected products, but we can do something! Every little big helps the health of our families and helps to educate our kids as to what they need to do to keep this from happening further in their generation. Knowledge is power, as they say! :)

Exciting give away on Homestead Revival Blog...

You don't want to miss out on this give away! Did you know that there is a company that has been around since the 1970's that makes REUSABLE CANNING LIDS AND SEALS?? OH my! I had NO idea.

This morning, I was just checking on the blogs that I follow while enjoying my morning coffee. I LOVE Amy's blog, Homestead Revival and look forward to every new blog post she puts out there. If you haven't visited her blog yet, you really should! Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea and sit back and enjoy. :)


(Picture from Tattler and Amy's blog)

The give away that she is hosting is from a company called Tattler, they've been in business since the mid 1970's and their product is a REUSABLE canning lid and seal system. The lids will last forever and the rubber seal rings can last 20 years, according to their site. WOW! How much money do you spend each year on canning lids? I know in my kitchen I go through DOZENS upon DOZENS of them each year!! Even if I could have a few dozen of these lids it would save me a ton over my canning years. I'm all for that, let me tell you! The fact that they don't go into the landfill and will last as long as I'd need them to work is amazing.

So, if I have sparked an interest, head on over to Amy's blog and find out more about this VERY COOL giveaway! You won't be sorry, even if you don't win you will have found another amazing homesteading blog to follow and more great tips and information on this life we all love. :)

A much needed mommy day!

Being a stay at home, working, homeschooling, homesteading mom is a lot of work, you know? It can be SO easy to just focus on the tasks at hand, the endless list of things that need to be done, the laundry that is never completely done (at least for long), the dishes, the lesson plans, the correcting of geometry work, the meals that need preparing and planning, the bread that needs baking...I cold go on and on. When do you take a break and NOT focus on the "To do" list and allow yourself time to relax, refill and refocus? Maybe take a few hours to do something that is totally for yourself? Is that selfish? Does that take away from your "productive time" and your roll as wife and mother? Do you feel guilty doing this?

Let me tell you, I struggle with this all of the time. So much so, that I have not allowed myself very much "me" time in way too long. There is always just so much that needs to be done and if I don't keep working, I'll NEVER get caught up. Is that your thinking too? UGH! WHY do we do this to ourselves? My husband takes every chance he can to enjoy his hobbies, fishing and hunting are very important to him. Very important to keeping him on track and recharging himself. When he isn't able to go for long periods of time he literally gets cranky! :) I used to be jealous of his "time" away, would HATE his week long fishing trips and hunting trips. At the same time that I dreaded it, I KNEW that it was what kept him "recharged" and able to keep going. He needs that time, time to perfect his art, enjoy the outdoors, get away and rest. Do I miss him when he's gone? YES! Do I want him home? YES! Would I ask him to give up this time? NO! So, WHY do I struggle so much with allowing myself that same time? Am I in need of that time any less than he is? NO!

I used to really struggle with this, still do if I'm being completely honest with myself, but I also know that I can only give so much before I need a "mommy day" to recharge. Yesterday I took just that! I have a mountain of laundry, my house is always in need of "something" to be cleaned, there is always baking and work to do, but I needed a day! My kids are off camping with their grandmother, I had no extra littles around to have to chase after, so I took a day. Much to my surprise, my wonderful husband was completely in support of me taking that day. What a man! He knows that I need to allow myself time to work on my hobbies, time to be creative outside of my work in the kitchen and keeping our home. In years past, before we moved onto our homestead, I was an avid scrapbooker. Even sold scrapbooking supplies as a side business and had "crops" at my house once or twice a month for my customers. It was a lot of fun, but when we moved here it all stopped. I was totally OK with it for a while. Just living my dream was enough, but lately I've really been feeling the need to do something that has NOTHING to do with homesteading, homeschooling or homemaking. :) Shocking! I know!

What a fun day I had! A day of being "creative", a day of reliving memories, a day of allowing myself some "me" time....and fighting the "you are being selfish, you should be baking bread or doing laundry" feeling. When Wade came home, the first question he had for me was, "Did you scrapbook today?" Then he asked me, "Did you enjoy it?" His next question was, "Let me see what you did?" He was genuinely excited for me, excited to see what I'd done with my "me time" and was HAPPY I took a day off and just let myself recharge. What a gracious and amazing man I have married! I just love him! :)

It's hard sometimes to take a break, step away, focus on your needs and not on the entire worlds for an afternoon or even an hour. It's hard not to let the "tasks" of keeping a home running, from running right over you and as a result limit your ability to keep doing your job as wife and mother effectively and efficiently. Let's face it, EVERYONE needs a break from time to time....EVEN a mom! Shocking, I know!

Goat herding....sometimes harder than it should be!

Oh my! What a morning I've had. My kids are gone camping with their grandmother and that leaves the chores for me to do on my own. My hard working hubby would help, in fact he did the chicken feeding and watering last night, but he leaves way to early in the morning to help with the goat chores. We have 6 goats right now, hoping to down size a bit this coming fall, but for now we have 6. Four of our goats are full size Nubian's and all have attitude. The other two are Nigerian Dwarf...so sweet and well mannered, MOST of the time. :)

This morning was a challenge...I am not normally the one down there doing all of this on my own. Goats are smart, let me tell you, and they KNOW it's not normally me on my own and they worked it this morning. Milking went fine, that was a breeze. We have a system that the goats stick well to and as long as we follow the same routine, they are fine. Then came feeding time. I gave the girls their hay and water, then refilled their baking soda and minerals. All of this, except for the baking soda and minerals can be done from outside the pen....smart thinking on the part of my wonderful hubby. I am the one that instructed my son where to hang the mineral feeder...not the best location in the stall. I'll admit it. :( No problem filling the feeder with the minerals and soda, it wasn't until I had to exit the stall that things started to go sideways. Our yearling doe was standing in front of the gate, as I got her moved and the gate open that gave Cookie (our Nigerian Dwarf) her way out. I was distracted with Savannah and not paying attention to how far I had opened the gate. Cookie tried to squeeze between my legs, almost knocking me over. Thankfully she didn't get out, but we had a wrestling match...me with my hands full of baking soda and the mineral scoop. Whew...that escape plan was thwarted and I moved on to feeding and watering the boys.

The buck stall is behind the main barn, so I took the hose back there and put it into their watering bucket. Then came back into the barn to grab a few flakes of hay and to turn on the hose. As I was unlatching the boys gate, I was unable to see that Sam, our Nigerian Dwarf wether was situated in a place where he had an easy escape once the gate was open.
The gate flew open...thanks to Sam...and I struggled to get the hay into the feeder, thinking (not really using my brain at this point) that they would follow me to the feeder. In the mean time, Sam was out and Cooper (our Nubian buck) had gotten out of the pen. THAT is when I realized that Cooper no longer had his collar on him. FUN! I get to chase down a 180 pound buck (thankfully not in rut or he would be extremely fragrant) and try to convince him to go willingly back into the pen. Sam was another matter. That short legged little stinker is fast, I can be a fraction of an inch from his collar and he will bolt just out of reach. Thankfully he wasn't as hard to catch as he has been in the past and he was lead to the pen without much trouble. Cooper, that was another story. He was thoroughly enjoying his feast of blackberry leaves and nice tasty grass. Every time I'd get close to him, he'd push himself farther into the thorny brambles and out of my reach. Grr!

So, what did I do? I thought about leaving him out until he had his fill, but I have other things to do...like scrapbook in my quiet house....ALONE! :) I went to the barn, questioning my knot tying skills. You see, my Navy Veteran hubby is the knot tying expert around here and my skills are very much lacking. I managed to tie what I think is a slip knot or at least something that won't strangle my buck and head toward him. Just as he decided to move onto a more tasty looking blackberry vine I slipped it over his head. Yay! I had him. Then he started to drag ME into the blackberry vines to get yet another tasty bite before I had him in the pen. UGH! I have no gloves on, short sleeves and carpi's on....NOT blackberry vine diving attire. I got him pulled away from the vines, all the while wishing my kids had followed through more with teaching Cooper to take a lead. He bolted into his pen, acting like he was SO happy to be home and looked at me like it was my fault he had been gone from his beloved home for so long. Crazy goat! As I left the buck pen, he bawled at me in his high pitched voice....he sounds like a sissy boy, we always tell him that the girls are going to laugh at him. Normally I will go back and talk to him some more, but NOT today! I'd had enough. :)

Thankfully, that chore is done until my wonderful and helpful husband is home tonight. I can now enjoy my morning and afternoon of scrapbooking...in a quiet house...with no one needing a thing from me...just me, my music and my photos. :) I need this break, need this quiet, need this refreshing. My kids all come home, thankfully, tomorrow. I don't think I could handle another day of chores on my own. :) Plus, I just miss my kids. :)

A busy week!

It's amazing how busy a week can get, ever notice that? I've been running all week between my homestead and town...much to often to my liking I might add. Between grocery shopping, clothes shopping, orthodontist appointment, drivers ed and a trip to the fabric store...oh and a trip to the feed store too....I have only been home one day so far this week. Of course, the trips were spread out over several days. That just makes for a long week for this mama. The business of life at home keeps going even when I am not here, so today I am feeling rather buried. :) Thankfully, today is a day that I get to stay home...all...day....long!

It never ceases to amaze me how much laundry one family can generate! Ever notice how it just seems to multiply in the laundry hampers, floor and bathrooms....especially when you are NOT home? How does it do that? Seriously, this week has not been a very productive week in the laundry room, but today that will change. :) My washing machine is going to get a work out today, as is my clothesline. Sunshine...I hope you are going to be up for the challenge because I have a lot of laundry to send your way to dry. :)

Aside from running, shopping, kids appointments and trying to keep up, it's been a good week. The highlight of my week was my new "toy" that arrived yesterday! My new Nutrimill grain mill is finally here and I am going to get to use it today when I bake bread and cookies! YAY! To FINALLY have a grain mill that works well is going to be a huge blessing. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. Having a tool that helps you do your job here at home well is invaluable! Thankfully, my wonderful husband sees that fact and is very generous when it comes to making my job here at home a bit easier. :)

My old grain mill was beyond scary. It was so loud, I had to run it in the laundry room, away from the main part of the house. Another of it's downfalls was that it would spit flour out everywhere...I'd enter my laundry room to add more wheat berries or retrieve the flour and walk into a haze of flour in the air! AWFUL! The walls needed dusting daily when I used the grain mill every day and the top of my washing machine was looking rather scary. Thank the Lord, those days are over!

Thankfully, this week is coming to a close and our weekend can begin. This mam is ready, let me tell you! I just have to get through the tasks of today. Thankfully, I have help...my hard working kids. We'll have this house in shape and our clothesline full in no time. Taming the laundry monster that seems to want to take over our home will take some time, but I know we can do it. Starting our weekend with the laundry done is always a huge blessing! Friday just seems to be my catch up day...my goal each week is to be caught up on the laundry and baking by Friday so I can relax a bit more over the weekend. After a busy week like I've had, there is a bit more catch up to do than normal, but that's OK. :)