Our family....

.....on an amazing day!

What we've been up to....

Planning....baking....decorating for.....





....a wedding!

Introducing Mr and Mrs Anthony Fender

The wedding was held at Rachael's sister's house. Everything was beautiful. Everyone worked so hard to make their special day a dream, and it honestly was. I can't wait to see all of the pictures from the wedding, I know they will be amazing! 

We were blessed with an amazing sunset during the reception. Lightening lit up the hills around us, giving a beautiful light show to end our evening. Couldn't have been more beautiful!

Catching up....Yet again!

Long Beach, Washington

Good morning! I know, it's been far too long between posts again. I have a good reason, I promise! :)

We've been extremely busy with "life"...rounding out our school year, counting hours and recording grades, forecasting for fall classes at the community college for two of our 3 left at home, testing (state requirement), planting a garden, saying goodbye to a dear part of our family on this farm, planning a wedding for our son and his beautiful bride and celebrating that bride with a couple of bridal showers. Life has been non stop for weeks!



For Mother's Day, my husband surprised me with a trip to the Washington Coast. He knows me SO well! I had secretly wanted to spend a day at he ocean, but didn't dare mention it...Wade has been working so many long hours and has only had one day off a week most weeks. A trip to the beach would have been a full day away from home...but I really wanted to get my toes in the sand and the ocean!


The weather was beautiful! Sunshine and not too cold, but very windy...perfect kite flying weather, if we'd remembered to grab the kites. I was one happy mama, getting to put my toes in the sand and that beautiful ocean water. There is just something soothing about the ocean...taking a little bit of the stress of life away with each wave.

Brandon, Alyssa & Dylan

Before we headed down to the sand, we walked the boardwalk. It was a nice walk with the kids...we missed Anthony and Rachael...maybe next time. :) 

Alyssa, Mama, Brandon & Dylan

I could have spent days at the ocean, but the few hours we did spend were wonderfully refreshing. I was one happy mama!  

                                     

Thankful for Friday...and another daughter!

We've had an eventful week here at Tanglewood Hills! Our oldest son is home on leave and has brought some excitement to our lives. This week, he asked his girlfriend Rachael to marry him! He took her on a hike to a beautiful water fall and on bended knee, popped the question. I had NO idea we'd raised such a romantic young man...this picture makes me tear up every time I look at it.

They had friends along with them on the hike that captured the moment, I am SO glad they were there. The pictures are amazing!

The big day will be sooner than any of us expected due to Anthony's deployment. Thankfully, Rachael's sister is helping to plan the event and the wedding will be at her beautiful home. It's going to be a busy couple of months for our families!

So, for this "Thankful Friday" my list is LONG...but can be summed up with a few words...

I am thankful for the blessing of watching our first born become a husband, for his girl to become a wife and forever join our family as our DAUGHTER! We LOVE Rachael and couldn't have picked a better fit for our son. She completes him. I've prayed for his future wife since the day he was born...it's awesome to finally see the answer to those prayers.

OK, so that was more like a paragraph, but you get the point. :)

Crazy kids...

Alyssa, Brandon, Dylan and our Marine, Anthony

Am I the only one that struggles to get all of her kids looking at the camera at the same time, ready for the picture? The only one of my kids that fully cooperated with our traditional Easter morning picture was Anthony. There was a glare on the glass of the picture frame, but at least he held the same expression. :)

This Easter, with Anthony gone, we decided to include him in our "traditional photo" and use his boot camp picture. He is always in our thoughts and prayers and on Easter Sunday, he was a constant on my mind. It's never easy being away from my kids, but this deployment is a tough one on my heart. I know he is in God's hands though...for that I am thankful! There is NO better place to be!

Easter Day was a busy, but blessed one! We had a wonderful service at church, then rushed home to make a salad and go to my hubby's parents house for the family dinner. It was a relaxed visit and we enjoyed hearing stories from Wade's grandmother about her family (her grandparents and parents). Always a favorite of mine....hearing about the lives of family members that lived their lives and died before us. So much to learn from how they lived, I often miss my grandparents for that reason...all of the untold stories that we missed hearing.

I pray you and your families had a wonderful Easter weekend together!

Thankful for Friday!

How did it get to be Friday again so soon!? This week is our spring break...a much needed break from the normal routine of school, driving and anything that looks like our regular routine. We all needed it, but it has not lasted nearly long enough. I think part of that is due to our weather. Can you believe we've actually seen snow this week!? Nothing that stuck here, but just a few miles up the road from us they had snow accumulating yesterday morning. We've seen heavy rains, hail, wind, snow and the occasional sun break just to tease us. Nothing like we had hoped for...but the break was still enjoyed!

So, for my list of what I'm thankful for this week....

• Down time. It's something I rarely afford myself, but it was something I truly needed right now. So much of our lives has changed in the past few months and I have not given myself time to just "adjust" to any of it...just in "Get'r dun" mode as usual. 
• Time to relax and read a good book....or two. :) I haven't done that in YEARS! My daughter got me reading "The Hunger Games" and while I usually avoid the "trends" that seem to come around in literature and movies, this one is really good! I couldn't put down the first book and I'm halfway through the second. 
• Time with my kids...they've kind of come and gone all week doing this and that, but we've gotten a bit of time to just "be" rather than working on school and such. Shopping with Alyssa yesterday was a fun outing and something that we rarely get to do. I am not a fan of "shopping" but the errands we ran yesterday were more fun because she was with me. :) 
• Time alone...a RARE thing indeed. One day this week I actually had a few hours here at home with NO ONE ELSE HERE!!!  I left the house completely silent...no radio, TV or anything. Snuggled into my chair with my book while my bread was rising and just enjoyed the quiet time. 
• Signs of life in my greenhouse. It's been a tough start to our spring here, our weather has not cooperated at all! I am seeing small signs that spring is actually going to make it's appearance here though...in the small starts in the greenhouse. I've got two kinds of lettuce, bok choy, onions, chives and spinach starting to grow. I LOVE this time of year for that...new growth, new green and new life after a long winter!
• Long talks with dear friends. I was blessed to be able to sit and just chat with a couple of friends this week that both live miles and states away. Such a blessing and such an encouragement when I truly needed it the most! 
• Breaks in our "winter....er spring" weather, we've had a few moments here and there where the sun came out and warmed us for a short period of time. We soaked it up while it was here, as brief as it was. Praying for more! 

This is the first of many holiday weekends that we will be missing our boy, Anthony, as he serves our country. It will be tough, gathering with family and friends for Easter and not have him here to share it with us. I have to remind myself WHY we will gather together. Sure, it's fun to reconnect with family and friends, but first and foremost it is because of our Risen Savior!

I hope you all have time with loved ones and enjoy a wonderfully tasty meal together, some fun time and make some memories.

I also hope and pray that you take time to remember what Easter is truly about....a man, God's own son, who came and lived among us. That man hung on a cross for OUR sins, paid the ultimate price for OUR sins! On the third day, He rose from the grave and lives forever more! 

Honestly, that is and should be TOP of my "thankful" list...not just this week, but every week. None of this trivial "stuff" matters in light of eternity!

He is RISEN....HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Thankful for Friday!!

This morning I have to admit I am struggling....struggling to be very thankful. SO much is weighing heavy on my heart and mind, but I KNOW that I am blessed beyond measure. Sometimes it is SO hard to get past the frustrations and struggles in my mind, that is why posting a list of what I'm thankful for on Fridays is such a good way to end my week.

So, here goes.....

• I am thankful for my hard working husband and all he does for our family. Never complains, just digs in and get done what needs doing. Such a blessing to our family, and always a source of strength when I'm struggling!
• My kids, each and every one of them brings sunshine and love to my days. We have our struggles, but they are each a blessing! 
• Time last night with our oldest son, Anthony. Dinner and chatting about details of his deployment as he knows them right now. I cherish every chance we get to have with him, knowing they are few and far between. 
• So thankful that I held it together last night, tears threatened all night long....knowing he will soon be leaving us. I knew if I let the tears fall then, they might not stop...not how I want to have my son leave. We are SO very proud of him and his willingness to serve, even if it is hard to watch him leave. 
• I'm also thankful for Rachael, my son's girlfriend, she is just what Anthony needs. When he talks to her, looks at her or even talks about her, you can just see how much he loves her. He wants to much to be the man she needs...much like his father in that regard. :) 
• Also very thankful for the 6 little chicks we have in the brood cage in the barn. They are doing great, even the hunchback one (did I tell you all about that one...I'll have to go back and look) is standing upright and the kids can't tell what one it was now. Yay! 
• The birds singing this AM outside our windows. It is pouring down rain, our yard is flooded, but the birds are still singing....a bit of a lesson in that for me, perhaps? 
• Dear friends who love and support me during tough times. You all mean so much to me, and do so much to help get me through. Also very thankful for your prayers for Anthony....and for me.
• Last but not least....my Heavenly Father who knows all, sees all, and provides for all! Right now is SO hard for me, getting ready to send off my oldest son to a war zone. I KNOW that God is bigger than any bomb, enemy or danger he may face. I KNOW that God goes before him, guiding his EVERY step! I can rest in that...sometimes moment by moment. 

God is good....ALL THE TIME! I am so blessed...even if there are struggles in my day. Staying focused on the blessings helps get through the struggles. :) 

My heart!

Anthony May 2010

Nearly 22 years ago, I gave birth to our first baby boy. While at times it seems like just yesterday, in other moments I can hardly remember what it felt like to not be mama to someone. Being mama to my kids is all I really ever wanted to do, and my kids are my heart, my life. I would move heaven and earth for my kids....if that is even possible. Trust me, a mama's heart can do amazing things. :)

Bags packed...ready to go.

Very soon, our oldest boy will be leaving us to serve his country far from home. Being the mom of a Marine, I knew this time would eventually come. I knew it would be hard, I knew it would require much faith and trust in our Loving Heavenly Father. I knew that my heart would break at the very thought of my baby being so far from home, so far away from the family that loves and cherishes him and his heart!

From the moment a mama finds out she is caring a little life, her whole being (at least mine did) goes into protection mode. You do all that you can to protect, nurture and love that little life that God has blessed you with. I've asked myself MANY times over, how do I "do this"...being mama to a Marine? He will be SO far from home, SO far from the protection of his family, SO far from the watchful eyes of his mama. Then I remember that someone else loves him more, someone else has had his heart held securely in HIS capable hands from the very beginning. Jesus loves my son more than I ever could, and I have to lean on that.

Fox Company, MCRD San Diego 2010

Many hours have been spent in prayer for my son's protection. Many times over I have handed my fear and worry over to the Lord to let him carry that burden for me. While it's not easy to picture so many miles between me and my son, my heart, I have to remind myself that God is bigger than any of my fears. God has Anthony held securely in His hands. ANYTHING that comes my son's way, anything that touches his life, his heart, his mind is first filtered through the hands of God. A loving God that has Anthony's VERY best at hand.

A friend of mine asked me recently how I "do it", having a child serving in such a dangerous place. My only answer was that I have to take it moment by moment, and continue to give it over to the Lord. I have to remember that God loves my son more than I could ever dream. I also spend a great deal of time praying for our God to go before, behind, beside, under and over Anthony and the men he serves with. You see, it's not just my son who goes to serve and fight, it's other sons, daughters, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandsons, husbands and wives. We want to see them ALL come home, whole.

Our handsome Marine!

I would like to ask you all to pray. Not just for my son,  but for the hearts of all of those that are serving. This world is a scary place at times. Our military personnel are serving, putting their lives on the line for this thing we call Freedom! While I HATE the idea of my son being in harms way, I KNOW that he must go. I know that Freedom does NOT come cheap. It comes at a great cost and I am extremely proud of my son. Proud of the man he has become, willing to go and serve. My heart breaks because it's a big scary world out there....but my God is bigger and has already won!

We had a cake made at a local bakery for Anthony's going away party...they did an AWESOME JOB!!

Anthony is center back in this photo...taken at his graduation at MCRD San Diego 2010

Anthony leaves for training very soon. After his training is completed, he will be serving in Afghanistan. Our son will be gone for nearly a year, and your prayers are SO much appreciated. Not only for Anthony, but for his dear girlfriend that waits here for him. She is as much a part of all of this as he is, and we are SO proud of her and her love and support our baby boy, this mama's heart. She is part of our family, and we love her like she was born to us...our second girl. :)

Rachael's sister took this picture, I LOVE it and the two in it.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a family send off for Anthony. It was a great time and I hope it blessed Anthony! I managed to pull the "military mama" card and made everyone stand for a picture. It's the first time we got everyone in one picture and it was such a special time for me. I really wanted to get a group shot of us all. My husband's family (all but one nephew who couldn't come...he was missed) and my parents were here. It was no easy task to get everyone in the picture, but we did it and I think it turned out great! :) At least we are all looking in the general direction of the camera.

Our family....such a good looking bunch! Love them all!

Hatching....

About three weeks ago, my husband and I bought an egg incubator. It was not our intention to make such a purchase just yet, but when we saw the price of chicks at our local feed store, we decided it would pay for itself in just one year. Between refreshing our layers and buying meat birds, we would be spending less, or close to the cost of the incubator and egg turner. SO, we gave it a test run shortly after bringing it home.


We put 10 eggs in to incubate and our "hatch date" was this past weekend. I had candled the eggs at one week, finding that all but one egg looked to be fertile. I left that egg in there, just in case...hoping I was wrong. After candling them again at 2 weeks I was pretty sure that I was right, but still left it in there....praying it didn't get broken somehow, what a mess that would be!


 Saturday morning, we had our first chick make it's entrance into this world. A fluffy yellow chick, was actively making it's way around the other eggs and making a huge racket. I thought for sure it was encouraging the other chicks to join it on the outside. Even before that chick hatched, we could hear them chirping to one another. So cute!

One by one, we saw cracks in the other eggs. One by one, they began to emerge and make a huge ruckus. I finally got to see one hatch early Sunday morning, or perhaps it was Saturday night, I honestly don't know for sure. Such a cool thing to see...I wish I could have gotten it on video. I did get one video, but I'm not sure how to get it loaded onto my blog...I'll have to work on that. :)

We ended up with 6 chicks from the 9 eggs I knew were fertile. Sadly, one of the unhatched chicks had started to break it's way out, only to die in it's shell. Two other eggs had no cracks at all and weren't rocking around like the others had been before cracks were seen. Another chick had managed to crack it's shell all the way around, but seemed to be stuck. This morning I decided to help it...knowing it should do it on it's own, but not wanting it to die if I could help it. I honestly figured it would surely die if I didn't, so I broke my own rule and helped. This little chick seems to be OK, but is not "right" either. We are watching it to see how it does, but I honestly don't know that it will survive. It looks much like the hunchback Quasimodo. Sad, but it's a fighter...I'm hoping it makes it.

SO....we have officially hatched our first eggs in an incubator. I'm thrilled! We are saving more eggs to do a larger batch later this week. My goal is to put 24 in the incubator and give it a go again. We will raise these birds for our freezer. Our hens and rooster are all large breed chickens, so they should grow nicely. :) I LOVE the fact that they are coming from our own birds, doesn't get much more sustainable than that!

Thankful for Friday...and friends!

I know I have been less than faithful to keep this blog updated, life has been just a constant blur it seems. Last night I was challenged by a dear blog friend (and I don't even think she realizes that she challenged me...thanks Christine) to take a few minutes every few days to write here and try to focus on some of the "blessings" in my days. It is SO easy to get caught up in the day to day, the stresses, the struggles, the tasks at hand, the need to do's and forget to see the blessings that are given daily. Not just the big ones, but the small ones too! So, here's my thankful list for this Friday....

• When I woke up this AM the birds were chirping and singing...spring must be close at hand.
• The reminder of a sweet boy that is now with Jesus, when the snow fell earlier this week here...Luke LOVED the snow. In the midst of my complaining, I saw a post on Facebook by his mama that reminded me that this snow, while not in my plan, would have made Luke's day!
• My hard working husband that does all he can to provide for our needs, works long hours, drives for hours every day to get to and from work all because he takes his roll as provider for this family very seriously. He is a blessing beyond anything I could have asked for! 
• Our chickens that have been giving us SO many wonderful eggs after months of nothing. 
• The incubator in my laundry room with 10 eggs in it that should hatch (if all goes well) in just over a week. It's our first try with a reliable incubator and we are praying it works out well! 
• My kids that never cease to amaze me at what they are able to learn, and do! 
• My oldest son, Anthony and his willingness to serve our country....even if it does mean he will be FAR from home for nearly a year. 
• Rachael, Anthony's girlfriend, she is such a good fit for my boy and we are SO happy to have her as part of our family! We love her as much as if she were born into it....since she wasn't, we'll just love her into it. :) 
• My new Tattler canning lids....amazing, reusable and will pay for themselves in no time! Canned with them for the first time this week (some garbanzo beans and some potatoes....more on that later) and I LOVE them! 

I could go on and on, we are blessed, but it's time to get Brandon to the bus and get my morning really started. Later, I'll update more and add pictures too. :) Lots of news to share, updates to give and tips to share. It's been a long several months and I've missed blogging! I'm back...are you happy?! 

Just a little look out my window...

Our winter wonderland.

More than a little behind....

I've been meaning to post for months, been thinking about it....but life just keeps on moving at a pace that leaves me little time, or brain power at the end of each day. SO much has happened in the past 6+ months....where to start?!? Let's see if I can recap since last June....

• Summer here was not all it was supposed to be, our garden did little to nothing and I was left to purchase most of what I was able to can for the year at the local produce stand. This year, we pray, will be much better. 
• Planning for Brandon to start the Running Start program at the local community college was hard on this mama's brain. Adjusting to the schedule was another challenge, but got it down for the first quarter in no time. Winter quarter started a week ago and I am praying we can adjust to this new schedule quickly. 
• Planning the school year for the younger two was a bit more tricky this year and has involved MUCH more planning and a lot more record keeping on my part. You see, we completely separated from the local school district and are doing high school for Alyssa completely on our own. MUCH more involved....but the direction we feel the Lord would have us go. 
• My work with Gling has been busy, though the past few weeks have been a challenge for me. From adjusting to the New Year, Brandon's schedule change and just trying to get on top of everything after the Christmas break it's been a challenge to find the time and mental energy to get it all done. 
• Our homestead has been progressing, though we have had a rough go of it since New Years. just before the end of December, our Nigerian Dwarf doe gave birth to a baby that was far too large for her and the baby died. Cookie, we are almost certain, suffered from a broken pelvis and we had to put her down on New Years Eve morning. It was hard for me to see her suffer so much, this was her first kidding with us. We had heard that kidding had been a challenge for her in the past, though nothing like this. We had hoped that breeding her to our very small buck would work well. Breaks my heart that she had to go like she did. It's sad to look down in the barnyard and not see her sweet face.
• Daisy Girl, our mini Jersey heifer, will be ready to be bred in the next few months. She is growing nicely and is such a sweet girl (most of the time). I am looking forward to seeing how she does milking next year. Fresh milk from our own cow is something I've looked forward to for a long time! 
• The first week of the school year, the pump went out on our well. After having a pump company come out and do some looking, it was no wonder we've struggled with our water over the years. Our pump was compacted in feet of dirt, rust and minerals. The old pump was struggling to pump water through it all. While we've never lost water, our water has always been heavy in minerals and the pressure has always been extremely low. We couldn't even run a sprinkler. Now we have a lot of water and will be able to run a sprinkler in the garden without a problem. Expanding the garden this year is top of our list. 
• Early in the fall, my dear husband lost his job (got laid off, but really lost his job). We were sent into a tail spin, trusting in the Lord to provide and doing some serious evaluation of our finances and expenditures. My work took on a whole new meaning for me, and my frugal minded ways kicked into high gear. It was a wonderful time, having him home so much. God truly blessed us with odd jobs for him to do for different people, and meeting all of our needs. In the time that he was off (just under 2 months), not one bill went unpaid and we never had to touch our savings. Thank the Lord! 
• Wade started a new job, really got the job he had been wanting for some time. It has been a good move for him, though it's required a lot of adjusting in our family as his commute is much longer (some evenings it's taken him nearly 3 hours to get home), he is gone more and often works Saturday. All in all, it's been a good move and he is happy. We've got much to be thankful for! 

Needless to say, we've had a very busy and life changing 6 months. My focus has changed a bit, I am more determined than ever to provide for more of our needs from our own place.  Given the improvements to our well, we are going to work to expand our garden area and add more berry vines and fruit trees as well. I cannot wait to see how much we can grow of our own.

Another focus for me lately has been my sewing room. I was able to save money over the past few months and purchase a new sewing machine. Given the rising cost of new clothing (along with everything else) we've been shopping more than ever at thrift stores, but there is often little to choose from...kind of hit and miss really. To supplement what we can find used (or on sale somewhere else), I'm working to sew more for myself and Alyssa. I have no thoughts of sewing everything we wear, but plan to try to sew much of it. If it will save us money, I am willing to try.

All in all, it's been a half year of change and seeing first hand how blessed we truly are. I'm excited to see what this new year will bring. So many changes, new focus points and new goals.

While our winter has been far from "wintry", we are finally seeing some snow this past weekend. Puts me in the mood to sew even more than ever. I'm loving this winter weather, and hope we see much more of it between now and spring. It will give me more time in my sewing room, while I am not able to be busy out in my garden. :)

More posts to come....Lord willing....full of pictures, updates and tidbits of news from our homestead. Life is super busy, but I'm hoping to be able to keep up here more. :)