Hey...

Hey to those who check up on our life! We have been too busy again. I was hoping for a bit of a quiet "at home" summer but we seem to be on the run. The kids worked on weeding the raspberries and grating zucchini for making muffins this winter while I spent a portion of the day running errands. Got the wrong mower belt, by the way. Kevin just does not have good cell phone service so he couldn't answer my question.

We are working on cleaning the school room and ordering school books. Some kids would like to start school next week but I haven't been able to get all the books ordered yet. I've been searching some used book sites and awaiting emails back before I make my final order. Then, we wait about 2 weeks before they come! Jordan has her year planned already. I'm so blessed that most of the kids look forward to actually doing school and take part in planning their own schedule. Oh, if only I had more time in my day and more energy to accomplish all that needs to be done in the next two weeks. I discovered I cannot participate in Pracs studies for awhile. My hemoglobin is too low which explains a lot for me; extreme tiredness at times and frequent headaches. I was really counting on that money, which shows you shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch. I didn't expect this road block.

We are missing our dog! She was a good companion. Emily found out Sunday and it hit her hard. They all want another dog of course. Grandpa Richard wants to get them a puppy related to his dog.

We are praying for something very specific in our home. Would you pray for God to show us that answer in some very specific ways! Thanks and we'll keep you posted! God Bless You all!

So long dear friend...

Our dog of 8 1/2 years died. :( We found her this morning in the garage. We don't know the exact cause but it might be poison of some sort. We can't find a source here at our place. She seemed fine yesterday.

We got her from friends the year Rebekah was born; 2002. Jordan trained her and she was such a good dog, if you don't count the few hundred chickens she killed. I didn't hold that against her since it was in her blood. She is already missed. You can't be outside without her by your side. If I'm weeding in the garden, there she is laying nearby. She liked to go for walks with me and go mowing down the drive. She loved the kids. If only we knew what happened?!

Lena calls all dogs, Cocoa. We loved you Cocoa!

A great day of deals...

I bought coupons for these items on ebay; 40 of them for about $3.00. I have been waiting and checking the stores for sales because these particular items are on sale for $1 a piece often. Well, I resigned myself to paying $0.53 a piece for them as I wasn't finding a sale on them and each coupon is for $1 off. It is still a good deal at $0.53 each but I wanted free. The coupon expires Sunday. Today, I was in town for something so again I checked it out and they were on sale for $1 each!!!!!!! I was so excited. I filled my cart with 27 4-packs of toilet paper (it was all they had on the shelf), 7 boxes of facial tissue, and 3 paper towel. I had to pay $2.22 in tax and out I went! :) (37 items for about $5.22 if you count the cost of the coupons!) The bonus is the product doesn't use any chlorine, dyes or fragrances.

Disclaimer: Kevin doesn't care for the toilet paper and it is a bit wimpy and not very soft but he says you can't beat free.

My wish came true...

Chickens to live in my chicken coop. We've been buying farm fresh eggs from somewhere near Kev's work and they hatched some eggs for the fun of it but didn't want the chickens so we have chickens! :) We don't know how many are hens and how many are roosters so I'm not sure how many egg layers we will have. I'm hoping for all hens :)

I added the picture of Lena holding the kitty, or should I say strangling the kitty?! :)

Chicken coop...

Kevin was home today and this is what we did! We should have worked on the boy's room all day but Kevin put the second coat of red paint on the front of the chicken coop. I trimmed the lilac bush and laid the stepping stones in front of the door. Kev dug the posts in for the picket fence and hung that. We dug in the edging and laid plastic and Kev got his tractor running and scooped up rocks (we have had a pile in front of our house for three years now, ever since we got them for doing window wells). We still have two sides of the chicken coop to finish but oh, what a nice view I have now! :) I just love it! I wish I had chickens to live in it! :)

In Vain...

I recently went to do a screening so I could participate in a research study paying $1200. I found that I was a bit anemic, 10.3 so she said, "eat some Total" and come back and check. I really wanted to get into this study. It was from Friday, 5:30 p.m. until Saturday 11:59 p.m. for four weekends. Easy money! I did eat some Total and some liver (three meals in 1 day), took several tablespoons of Blackstrap molasses and juiced carrot, kale and apple juice. I went to have my blood checked today and I get a call about 2:30 p.m. saying the study was canceled. They never did call and tell me if my hemoglobin was higher. I was disappointed not to find out if my efforts paid off! I'll try for another study next week. The money could be used in 12 different directions. We need school books, doors for winter, Kevin and Jordan's eyeglasses, my cracked tooth fixed, etc, etc, etc, etc. They recently had a study for $10,000!!! I would love to do it but you have to stay there 32 days. I just can't leave the kids that long. Someday, when the kids are gone, if they still do studies and I'm not on any medications! There are a lot of variables to getting in a study. Anyone interested can check out www.pracs.com. I was going to take an over-the-counter med called Prevacid for heartburn. You only take one pill and they take your blood many times to see how it metabolizes in your blood. So now I'll work around the house and outside. We canned 21 quarts of green beans yesterday. We'll do some more rhubarb jam tomorrow. Kevin should be home tomorrow. We should get a few things done on our list! Have a great weekend!

Passionate homemaking....

On my counter yesterday: A bowl of whole wheat flour soaking 24 hours in yogurt, water kefir fermenting in a gallon jar, yogurt being cultured 24 hours, beef broth cooking on the stove to make soup or cook rice in this week.

Last night, the soaked flour was made into banana bread. Soaking the flour is supposed to break down the vitamins in the flour to make them more available for your body to absorb and easier to digest.

I received water kefir grains from a lady the weekend of Family Fun Days. I love receiving new information. It is a fermented drink using these grains, with sugar to feed the grains, lemon, and raisins for flavor I believe. It is carbonated and fizzy. I really like it. It has "good" bacteria to aid in digestion and other things. To read more about water kefir or soaking flour or grains for bread making you can check out www.passionatehomemaking.com . She is a young mother seeking to serve her family nutritious foods and live simply and frugally. She has many recipes for homemade soaps and toothpaste, etc. I haven't had much time to peruse her site but when I do have time, I will. Jordan found this site when she was checking on water kefir for me.

No go...again...

We tried going camping Monday but Gideon was sick, Tuesday, but Isaac was sick, Wednesday, but Lena was sick. So on Thursday we get up and everyone felt good. I had a cleaning job that morning and then Em had violin lessons. Jordan stayed home and worked with the kids getting the camper ready. It takes hours! to get ready for two days of camping. Bedding for 9 (Kevin wasn't going), food for 6-7 meals with all the things to make it and serve it, first aid kit, toys, swim gear, bikes, toys for in case it rains, etc, etc. I got home and we spent another 1 1/2 hours cleaning up the house and grabbing last minute things. My brother had called a couple times by now wondering where we were. We got there about 6:30 p.m. We grilled right away because we were all so hungry. Em threw up about 7 p.m., Rebekah threw up about 9 p.m. and then Caleb about 15 minutes later. I was feeling like I was going to any moment. Now, what to do? Sleep there and see if we feel better the next day? What if I got real sick? How are we all going to throw up in that camper toilet with kids getting up and down on bunk beds? About 10:30 p.m. we headed home.

A very good thing! 2 a.m. Moriah threw up, 5 a.m. Isaac threw up. Kevin already had before we got home. I was so sick Friday that I couldn't get out of bed most of the day. Jordan felt sick by nightfall but hasn't thrown up yet. Most of us feel pretty good now. I am so glad we came home to our beds and toilets! :) No-one could eat while sick with this. You couldn't even keep water down! I sure hope we don't give this to my brother's family.

Family Fun Night...

Here the kids are watching a Lassie movie while they shell peas. We had double the amount from last time. Last time we got two gallon bags in the freezer and we ate some. We were supposed to go camping with my brother's family but we ended up with some virus. Gideon threw up Monday, Isaac had a fever Tuesday and Lena is throwing up today. We keep putting back the day we go out to the lake. I sure hope it's not going through the whole family. We are planning to go tomorrow night now, God willing. The camper is mostly ready.

Here is the final bowl of peas. We had 4 times this when we picked them. There is so much to throw away when you process food, especially peas.

Here are the green beans we picked. I grew 5 varieties of bush beans. I just finished canning 7 quarts. I could can 7 more but then we wouldn't have any to eat! For supper, we are having chicken stir-fry with green beans, pea pods, peas and carrots.

Kale! Rich in iron, vitamin K and a lot of other good things. I juiced over half of this and froze 2 and 1/2 ice cube trays. That is all it made! I even juiced the pulp twice. I might freeze the rest in baggies. I plan on throwing it in soup this winter to add some vitamins. You can process kale, but it takes 1 hour and 25 minutes at 10 lbs pressure. Would there be any vitamins left is my question? Freezing will preserve the most. If you've tried kale before you know it isn't really what anyone would call tasty. We like it fine juiced with apples and carrots. I bought this often to juice for Isaac because it is rich in iron.

I am in my element when the harvest starts! I love to garden. God has given us a bounty this year. I spend a lot of time outside weeding and mowing and cleaning the pool and now painting and I enjoy that time with the Lord. It is when I find the most time to praise Him and to pray. Inside my house I'm filled with good intentions but get pulled a hundred different ways. Outside, I'm sitting there picking beans and thinking and wondering and planning. I don't always mind the kids not helping when I get that time alone. Unfortunately, I have to work at finding time for the Lord. I sure can ask Him for things but yet fall short when it comes to giving Him my time. Anyone out there relate to that? Gardening is a blessing for me in more ways than food to eat! :)

Lena on our camping trip...

Top bunk in the bus camper! As soon as she saw the camera she struck a pose!

Riding with her brother Caleb! If you ever find one of these let us know! It was so much fun! It would work great out here in the country.




She woke up cranky after two nights there. She was tired! She loves this picture of herself!

Doing sissy's hair at the Sermon on a Saddle by Darci. Darci gave a sermon using the round pen and a horse that was just taken from it's mother. It was really good!

Getting love from sister Emily!