Well the morning is here, and its a wonderful one. As soon as I stop my brain from over thinking that I won't get all my bills paid. My dh's work changed things, he gets paid weekly now but lets just say some weeks are really slim pickings. And its putting added stress on me since I figure the bills. Our largest payment would be the mortage, and I have to basically take half from one week and half from another just to make it and the rest of both those paychecks go into groceries and gas for dh to get back and forth to work. Sometimes a little extra sometimes not.

I need to really re figure things. I had been taking $100 out each week for groceries and most of the time we don't hit that. As in we add things up as we go through the store so we know ahead of time. But now I think I need to get back to $100 maybe twice a month and the rest just half that.

I need to do menu's up again and know what we'll be eating and buy accordingly. It can be done.

I honestly wish we had an outdoor woodstove though because it would save me some money come winter. We have a programmable thermostat for the furnace and we still end up filling the tank 3-4 times a yr. Well that results in our budget payment with the propane company being $150 a month. The last 4 months its been way less. But still *Sigh* when it goes back up that's another thing to stress about.

I know things will work out, just need to get my head to realize it as well. I'm a worry wart.

Anyway here's a bit of a funny, I've been wearing a triangular headcovering lately. This morning my son, whose 8.5 came to me with a bandana and wanted me to put it on his head. It was really cute and to be honest I'm sure it has to do with me wearing something similar.....lol.

Ah the joys of kids.

I got a pleasant surprise. I was across the yard when my husband came home from work, I was gabbing with my mom. Anyway I came home and told my husband about the fence that needed to be fixed, and we went out, fixed it. After that, hubby was going to ask my mom if she wanted him to cut down some hay. We are behind on haying. There's a friend of my dad's that's suppose to do it as 2 of his horses are out here so him helping with things is just a given.

Anyway the guy's not been out here at all the last 3 days and each one could have been out in the fields cutting hay. We all got sidetracked because some of the mares were in heat. So we put a couple in with Diego, the Stallion and he did his business.

Then hubby checked the tractor and hay bine over, came to get me since we have to pull start the tractor as it needs to be put back in time.....lol. Anyway I did that then followed him to the field he was going to. Its actually the neighbors, they are only up for hunting most of the time, and he offered some of his grassy land for us to hay. As he has no animals and when he cuts it down it just sits for the deer. So we are doing it as it gives more for our horses. He has one area that's Alfalfa which will be mostly fed to our cows.

Anyway I got back from there, and did some things around the house. Now my hubby got home by 4:30pm and I just noticed at 7:30 that the flowers in the vase in our bathroom had been replaced. I mean he rinsed it out, so there's clean water and fresh wildflowers in there for me.

I feel so silly it took me that long to notice it. So now I'll have to figure out what to have ready for him for supper when he gets done.

As parents I think we all try to teach our children to respect, things/people and whatever else.

Now I have an issue, that's actually been going on since I gave birth to my son almost 9 years ago. Now I live in the same yard as my parents, which is a great thing but at times not so great.

The main issue we have is the fact that my mother *knows* what our son should or shouldn't have, this includes buying him things (now I know grandparents spoil grandkids, that's not the issue) but the other day we were in the grocery store and my mom was heading home, so our ds was going to ride with her. The minute we turned around he was getting her to buy him gum/candy things he knows he does not need, and doesn't get hardly at all from us.

Then he basically shoves it in my face saying "Look at what Grandma bought me." I said nothing, my dh said something like "yeah something you didn't need."

My mother stands there and says, "Yup we know that and he got it anyway."

Um HELLO??? To me this is complete disrespect of our wishes as parents. To blatenly say it like that in front of our child.

I believe sometimes this is why we have respect issues, along with MANY other things that I'm learning to change from *myself.*

But really how do you tell a person who *knows* this is not what we want done. Its like she does it delibertly. I can not talk with her because its like she ignores me when I try. Even if its a light hearted conversation, not accusing of anything.

There are reasons my mom is like this and I know them, but the reality is my son needs to learn to respect what his parents say as the word to follow. Not to hear what we say, know its the way it should be and be showed HOW to go against it.

I love my parents very much, they are really great, but this is the ONE small issue that seems to be making things bigger then need be.

I'm always looking for books to read. But lately its been more books on helping my child or understanding my child. What have you.

Do you have an recommendations on books to read. I am truly looking to raise a Christian son. I know there are many out there that are not here for religious reasons, and I'm not either, but its been wonderful to find like minded people. And I've also like meeting others as well.

So any books whether they are religious views or not are welcomed here.

Well this morning I made ds breakfast of 3 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of toast then he ate an apple with peanut butter.

He's now washing dishes, even though he loves to tell me, *I don't want to do them*. I just tell him back *There's a lot of things I don't want to do either, but have too*

I'm sure he was ready to tell me washing dishes was *boring*

I've also told him that if he gets bored to let me know I"ll find something for him to do........lol. He's yet to tell me he's bored, when I've asked its a quick, NO.

LOL I'm such a mean mommy.

Well today is Friday and boy am I glad. I've been looking forward to this weekend for awhile now. We made reservations to go camping. And we just can't wait. My dh only works 4 hrs on Fridays so he and I get to finish packing and by the time our son gets home from Public School we can head out to take care of Dh's paycheck and get a few things at the grocery store. Then off to set up camp.

Course its suppose to be in the 80's this weekend, and humid ~ Oh joy......lol. Just looking forward to camping with my family. We are taking our bikes to go on the bike trail and I hope to get tons of photos.

So far I washed up 2 blankets and a pillow that ds wanted to take. Swept the living room, kitchen and master bedroom. I need to mop kitchen/living room. And wash up the stray dishes, along with getting something to eat. Other then that not much has to be done. I packed the clothes the other day and the tent/air matress/tarp are packed up. Dh bundled up some wood to take with so we didn't have to buy any. There's another tarp we are taking. The chairs are ready to go. Ds put some toys in a bag to play with at the campsite.

Only problem is we got a walkin site and we are going to be making several trips along with pumping up the air matress and carrying it in......lol

Mother's Day weekend we had fun. The weather wasn't the greatest but it wasn't horrible either.

Saturday of the weekend it sprinkled off and on, without any sun. But we took our son to the headwaters of the Mississippi river as a surprise. He loved it.

Here's a few photos from there. I hope to get better ones when we go back, as long as the suns out.....lol

Hubby & DS at the sigh at the headwaters

Our son had stayed overnight with my parents and he didn't have any tennis shoes so he walked all over the park with cowboy boots. His feet hurt by the end of the day.....lol

On the rocks at the headwaters

Old Timers Cabin ~ Built in 1934, this cabin was known by the Civilian Conservation Corps as the "Honeymooners Cabin" ~ It's most memorable feature are the four huge white pine logs used to construct the side walls.

Walk up to the Cabin

The Bogwalk heading away from the Cabin

On the bogwalk we found these

They are called Marsh Marigolds

At the head of the bogwalk is this sign

DS & I in front of the Minnesota's Record Red Pine 

Age 300+ years

Circumference ~ 115 inches

Total Height ~ 120 feet

Crown Spread ~ 36.4 feet

Dh and Ds in front of the Big White Pine

Circumference ~ 173 inches

Total Height ~ 112 feet

Crown Spread ~ 48.75 feet

We hope to go back camping at the State Park, there is much more to photograph there, and learn while there.

The Five Love Languages

Complete set of results

Information

Ok I found out more, they were on their way home not sure how far from where they were in FL. But my dad told J to pull over at the next place because he had to use the bathroom. They stopped, grabbed a few things and went back to the truck. They got in and J just fell right over onto my fathers lap, he couldn't talk or move his arm. Dad couldn't move because J is a big man. He's blaming himself some, because he thinks he could have done more, he was limited in what he could do at all. It was most likely a Heart Attack. My dad just wants to come home but he has to wait with the Semi til the boss and another person gets there tomorrow at 4pm. So keep the prayers and thougths up with him. I know its hard on him especially being alone and so far from home.

PTL that my dad needed to pull over, it could have happened while doing 60 down the HWY.