Hi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Jane (PlainJane) and I am the blessed and happy wife to Jeff and doubly blessed mama of two perfectly wonderful daughters. Please join me as I share our Lifestyle of Learning through Christian homeschooling and homesteading on our little hobby farm with our prairie girls.
Amber (Bookworm) is our dd15/10th grader.
Our perfectionist and over-achiever. She loves reading, playing violin, all things vintage, riding her Paint horse, and being a farm girl.
Anna (Ladybug)
is our dd12/7th grader.
Our "girls just want to have fun" girl. She loves to play and has a great sense of humor, but also enjoys cooking, music, and riding her QH pony.
Nov. 16, 2009~ The Simple Woman's Daybook - Monday, November 16th, 2009 ~
For Today, Monday, November 16th, 2009
Outside My Window...there is a beautiful bright blue sky and nothing but sunshine. We have a heavy white blanket of frost as it is only 23 degrees ~ expecting a high of 50. Today's normal hi/low is 40/24.
I'm thinking...gotta get going...I already feel a little behind this morning as puppy's 2 am and 4 am play sessions threw off my sleeping schedule.
From the learning rooms...still need to fill out our weekly school schedule, but this should be a normal full week of getting er done. I am thankful for...good Christ-honoring Christian hymns and songs.
From the kitchen... M -Lasagna T - Soup & Corn Bread
W - Chicken
TH - Roast Beef
F - Pizza
S - Chow Mein Hotdish
S - Amber's Choice
I am wearing...black exercise capris, berry-colored fleecy top, sports socks, hair is in a pony.
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Ezekiel; NT: Hebrews, KJB;
Haven't had much time to read lately, but catching various articles on prophesy; Sunday School handouts on cults (our current Sunday School lesson series); and holistic dog care.
I am hoping... to have a productive day/wk.
I am creating... need to get to a good fabric store so I can make the puppet theater. (I know, this has been up for how many weeks?). Haven't had much time to be creative.
I am hearing... the clock tick; my fingers bang on the keyboard; Amber is getting herself some breakfast and Anna is talking to Elsa (the puppy).
Around the house & barn... well, our house was nice and clean Friday morning - sorry you missed it. Now it will be a daily vacuuming & cleaning up around puppy area as we are tracking shredded paper all through the house. I'm trying my best to keep the house from smelling like a pet store.
One of my favorite things... visiting with my bloggy friends.
I am going... to stay home most of the week, woohoo. A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)...
M - Jeff took the day off to get the final fall chores buttoned up before it gets really cold. Today he is doing his annual moving of some of Pasture 1's fencing to make room for our sledding hill. He also has to get the heater in the horse stock tank; store the glass picnic table under the deck; and wash the windows on main floor and basement...but...he has been asked to help with a remodeling project at church so I'm guessing the windows won't get done. Meanwhile us girls will be doing school as usual; taking puppy out to play multiple times; laundry; mucking and perhaps riding horses -- a busy day! T - repeat of Monday only Jeff will be at work W - clean house; lead Awana Cubbies ~ a special Cubbie Bear Birthday Party
TH - Laundry; Amber has violin lesson
F - Nursing Home Ministry
S - Quiet Family Time
S - Church & Family Time
A picture thought I am sharing with you...
Today I'd like to draw your attention to my dear friend, Christina's, Etsy shop,
She's home! Woohoo!
It was a long drive, a long day, but we are so happy to have our baby home with us now. Wow, does the breeder ever have a lot of dogs and puppies (too many), but our puppy was a good traveler and although a bit scared with her first time away from mama, siblings & lots of other dogs - and her first experience of being out of an old basement and now with LOTS of human interaction (something I don't think the breeder had time for), she is coming along very nicely - thanks to the girls being with her almost every moment.
Unfortunately, it's been a very gray, cool, and now wet day -- not good for picture taking, but here are a few pictures of puppy since we got home this evening...
Puppy snoozing in her pet "yard" set up in our dinette area - all wore out. She stayed awake through about 99% of the 3.5 hour trip home - her first time out of the basement.
Anna with Puppy. The girls are all smiles. For some reason I didn't get many photos of our last dog as a pup, so I'm going to try better this time around.
Amber with Puppy. Everyone gets their fair turns.
Our little Leonberger is 7 weeks old today and about 10 lbs.
Okay, Puppy has had enough of photo session one.
Puppy is doing just fine as long as the girls are with her all the time - it will be interesting to see how she does through the night. Maybe tomorrow I can get some better "action" shots as she is still VERY tired and timid.
Midnight & Inky are being quite the scardy cats and not liking this puppy business AT ALL! They take one look at Puppy and want to head right back outside.
And no, we haven't given her a name yet. We had a list of 23 possibilities and have narrowed it down to 3, I think, "Shalom, Elsa, & Lexus," but we are now at a stand-off, no matter what name we pick, someone isn't going to be happy, so we have decided to table the decision for another day since we are all pretty tired. anyways. Maybe tomorrow will be better - hoping.
Nov. 9, 2009~ The Simple Woman's Daybook - Monday, November 9th, 2009 ~
For Today, Monday, November 9th, 2009
Outside My Window...It's 6:30 a.m. and pitch black; it's currently 34 ~ expecting a sunny high of 55. Today's normal hi/low is 44/29.
I'm thinking...puppy, puppy, puppy. (We are sooo excited!)
From the learning rooms...today we will have school in the van while running errands. Then the rest of the week will be normal. I am thankful for....daughters who diligently and joyfully hide God's Word in their heart. We had a wonderful time at Saturday's regional Bible Quizzing competition and our team did wonderfully with a couple of first places + winning a double-overtime for second place, and Amber quizzing out once and almost a second time except time was up in the middle of her anwser. Also thankful for very sweet blogger friends and local Christian friends that we visited yesterday after church.
From the kitchen... M -Baked Potatoes T - Anna's Choice/Chicken Fried Rice
W - Pasta w/Homemade Sauce
TH - Deluxe Baked Bean Hotdish
F - Salad & Leftovers
I am wearing...black exercise capris, berry-colored fleecy top, sports socks, hair is in a pony. Something comfy for now - will change later.
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Jeremiah; NT: Hebrews, KJB;
Reading a lot on holistic care of dogs - more about that on a future post.
I am hoping... I'm feeling a tich under the weather, I hope I feel better shortly - I have much planned for the day and don't have time for this.
I am creating... need to get to a good fabric store so I can make the puppet theater.
I am hearing... the clock tick; my fingers bang on the keyboard.
Around the house & barn... a big thorough house cleaning this week getting ready for puppy's homecoming so we can just enjoy quality time with her.
One of my favorite things... doing reserch ~ learning new stuff.
I am going... to do some shopping to get ready for puppy's arrival; also get some groceries; and buy our annual stuff for Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes. (today) A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)... T - clean house W - clean house; lead Awana Cubbies
TH - Get everything set up for puppy's homecoming
F - Roadtrip ~ we go get our Puppy
S - Enjoy Puppy
S - Church; Enjoy Puppy
A picture thought I am sharing with you...
Online Images
Can you tell I'm in love?
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Have a Blessed Week!
Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook
Nov. 3, 2009~ The Simple Woman's Daybook - Tuesday, November 3rd ~
For Today, Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Outside My Window...It's 8:00 a.m. and a sunny, but frosty 23 degrees; looking for a high of 45 with a chance of rain later. Today's normal hi/low is 49/30.
I'm thinking...my brain is a puzzle, thinking about a dozen different things all at once.
From the learning rooms...busy like usual...in addition to our beloved Teaching Textbooks math, the girls are both starting "Your Business Math" by Simply Charlotte Mason. They named their businesses, "Anna's Pet's N More" and "Amber's Old Fashioned Bookstore", made their company logos, and ordered their inventory yesterday. I wish math had been this fun when I was their age.
I am thankful for....old time gospel music. We attended a gospel music concert Sunday night at a local church and it was such a blessing. It seemed like the theme was Revelations throughout the concert and the blessed hope of our soon departure.
From the kitchen... M -Salmon T - Ham & Eggs
W - Beef Stew
TH - Cheeseburgers
F - TN/FL Geography Presentations - BBQ Ribs, Key Lime Pie, Citrus Drink S - Teriyaki Stir Fry Chicken & Rice
I am wearing...denim capris, brown 3/4 length sleeve t-shirt with a pretty fall tree embroidery, sports socks, hair is damp & pulled back with a scrunchie
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Jeremiah; NT: Philemon, KJB;
Just finished the book, "The Blue Zones" by Dan Buettner. An interesting book about longevity...research about four areas around the world that have the highest percentage of people who live to be over 100 years old and what attributed to their long lives and good health. Although definitely not a Christian book, it inspired me to improve my eatting habits. I don't necessarily want to live longer, but rather live healthier.
I am currently reading up on holistic care of dogs - more about that on a future post.
I am hoping... to stay on task today.
I am creating... need to get to a good fabric store so I can make the puppet theater.
I am hearing... the clock tick; my fingers bang on the keyboard; an ocassional thump upstairs as the girls get ready for the day.
Around the house & barn... clean kitchen; muck stalls & paddock before farrier comes to trim hooves later today.
One of my favorite things... gazing at God's beautiful creation.
I am going... to Walmart & another grocery store today. A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)... T - grocery shop; vote (gov. school wants to raise taxes); farrier comes out to trim hooves W - lead Awana Cubbies
TH - Pick up Azure Standard order (grain & stuff); laundry; Amber has violin lesson; Bible Quizzing practice
F - Hopefully meat processor will call and say our 1/4 cow is ready for pick-up this wk; Girls will give their geography presentations
S - Bible Quizzing Regional Competition
A picture thought I am sharing with you...
Jeff finishing the siding on the sauna haus Saturday. He will be starting on the inside soon. I will have to paint the outside next summer.
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Warm Wishes for
a Wonderful Week!
Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook
It's official friends, we have reserved a puppy!
After two months of searching for a new dog, many emails, some research and a nice persuasive speech by our daughters, a family meeting and vote, a phone call, and sending a down payment, we have now officially adopted our newest family member. (whew)
We are getting a Leonberger Puppy. She will be 5 weeks old tomorrow so we have to wait until about November 13th until we can go and get her. The breeder is in Minnesota, but not close by.
Here she is, currently she is called "Dark Green & Orange" since that is the color of nail polish they put on her nails to tell her apart from the rest. Obviously we will be finding her a better name. She is the runt of the litter, so, no, we are not paying the going price of $1,000 - $1,500.
(All these photos by the breeder seem to be slowing down the loading of my blog, so I have removed as many pictures as possible, you can go here to view photos. The first photos are of Loverikets Khefren, our puppy's BIG grandpa from Norway.)
This is our puppy's papa, Braveheart, or Braver. Don't you just love the name. His papa came from Norway and his mama from Canada.
(Photo of our puppy's mama is here. she is the last doggie shown.)
This is our puppy's mama, Sweetie Pie. She is from Canada.
The Leonberger is a giant breed dog with it's foundation in the Newfoundland, Great Pyrenees and Saint Bernard breeds. The breed's name derives from the city of Leonberg, Germany. According to legend, the Leonberger was bred as a 'symbolic dog' that would mimic the lion in the town crest. It is a LGD (Livestock Guardian Dog) good at pulling carts & sleds, search & rescue, enjoys water play & hikes, and surprisingly, agility. It guards with it's size, not with it's teeth and is very loyal to it's flock and family. The average female (much smaller than the male) is about 27" - 29" to the shoulder and about 130 lbs.
I haven't had much time to sit down and think through a post lately (started one), so I thought I'd just post some recent photos...
I am really lovin' our hens this year, they are over-achiever layers. I was able to give away 4 1/2 doz. eggs this weekend. (Pictured: Our rooster, Col. Sanders; and one of our Plymouth Barred Rock hens)
Anna doing her Teaching Textbooks math.
This afternoon ~ my baby Sundance gets his first rider (Anna) - 'Mr. No Big Deal'.
Oct. 19, 2009~ The Simple Woman's Daybook - Monday, October 19th, 2009 ~
For Today, Monday, October 19th, 2009
Outside My Window...It's 5:00 a.m. and dark; a nice 47 degrees and breezy ~ looking for a blistering high near 60. Today's normal hi/low is 57/38.
I'm thinking/praying...that Anna & my cold will go away soon.
From the learning rooms...since very little school was accomplished last week due to flu/colds, this week is a carry-over from last (easy planning) - one of the MANY advantages of homeschooling -- No Child Left Behind, lol.
I am thankful for....the relevance of God's Word. I was just reading this morning about the destruction of Judah and thinking how it parallels with America today and then in II Thessalonians 2, was comforted by His words on the soon-coming rapture.
From the kitchen... M -Beef Short Ribs T - Egg Bake
W - Spaghetti w/Homemade Meat Sauce
TH - Amber's Choice F - Pancakes
I am wearing...pj's, will change soon.
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Jeremiah; NT: II Thessalonians, KJB
I am hoping... some of the books I ordered or the books I placed on hold at the library arrive soon, I'm excited to get them.
I am creating... still thinking through how I want to make my puppet theater - too many possibilities.
I am hearing... the clock tick; my fingers bang on the keyboard; the wind blow.
Around the house & barn... still need to get everything buttoned up for the winter; much catch-up housework to do since we were sick last week.
One of my favorite things... cuddling with the girls.
I am going... to be home most of the week. A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)...
M - laundry; grocery shop; pick up some wood chips for stalls & coop; play with horses
T - horsey lessons (qusetionable - rain forecasted)
W - lead Awana Cubbies
TH - laundry; Amber has violin lesson; Bible Quizzing practice
A picture thought I am sharing with you...
Here is the Stationary folder I made at a scrapbooking class on Saturday.
It holds 10 notecards & envelopes. The all-white class version doesn't show up very well, but I will add a bit of color to the embossed strips inside & finish the cards. I will be teaching the girls how to make these, maybe today. It was very fun and pretty easy & I look forward to making a more colorful one with my own emblishments. There were 6 of us ladies in the class and I think I was the least scrapbooking savvy - those gals had all the $ gagets, but that's okay.
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Warm Wishes for
a Wonderful Week!
Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook
Schoowise/Healthwise: Well, school started out great this week with putting in a full day Monday, but it all went down hill from there... we have been battling either a cold/virus or a very mild H1N1 for all three of us girls with a low-grade fever, cough, the works. Thankfully, we started doing better yesterday and this morning the girls woke up with NO fevers. Woohoo! I'm doing much better too with some chest congestion (not good with asthma), but else perky as can be. No matter what, I still don't believe in getting the flu shot.
Farmwise: Lost another hen yesterday! That makes our 4th hen disappearance this summer. The naughty things wander down to the woods/river and I'm sure are a tasty meal for a fox or coyotee. That leaves us now with 5 laying hens, 1 rooster, and little old Brownie, our banty that just wants to set on eggs. I suppose we will have to get more chicks again next spring. Meanwhile, with all the rain & snow lately, even if we felt good enough, we can't ride horses - just too slippery.
Funwise: Even though we are mostly homebound, I did manage to order some books...
Thomas Edison (In Their Own Words) (Scholastic) - I'm really into great men of the past right now and read some really great reviews about this book.
World of Inventors: Thomas Edison - Okay so I know 2 books about Thomas Edison is a bit much, but I had a hard time deciding and this one includes a really cool kit to make a "kinetoscope"
World of Inventors: Alexander Graham Bell - And while I was looking at Edison books, I came across this one too. Too fun! In this one we make an intercom.
School is just too fun!
A couple of days ago when the girls were sacked out with fevers, Midnight spent some quality time with Amber - notice him pointing out the cat in the magazine (he did that all on his own).
Oct. 12, 2009~ The Simple Woman's Daybook - Monday, October 12th, 2009 ~
For Today, Monday, October 12th, 2009 Columbus Day Observed
Outside My Window...A wintery gray sky, 32 degrees, and small flakes of glistening snow coming down. We probably have about 1/2" so far and only expecting 1-2 inches this morning -- it should melt by tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow it's suppose to be sunny and then back to rain/snow through Friday. Today's normal hi/low is 61/41.
I'm thinking/praying...for the Chris Klicka family as Chris reaches near his heavenly reward.
From the learning rooms...everything is ready for another full school week. Now that the girls are older, everything pretty much runs on automatic and there is very little I have to plan, except getting the history lapbook "crafts" copied & ready and geology planned & copies made. I've got our hymns picked out and love the "Online Hymnal" for piano accompanyment.
I am thankful for...that I know and serve a strong God who is greater than all the evil in this world.
From the kitchen... M -Deluxe Baked Bean Hotdish T - Ham & Scrambled Eggs (the hens are laying about 6 eggs a day - we can't keep up)
W - Pizza
TH - Chili
F - Out to Eat with Grandma
I am wearing...denim capris, navy fleecy sweater, sports socks, hair is long.
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Isaiah; NT: I Thessalonians, KJB
I am hoping... the girls are feeling okay today - they have been exposed to sick kids lately and Anna seemed to be wearing down last evening.
I am creating... still thinking through how I want to make my puppet theater - too many possibilities.
I am hearing... the clock tick; my fingers bang on the keyboard; Midnight (Amber's cat) just came into the room to tell me he wants to go outside (he's such a jabber box).
Around the house & barn...the weather calls for mostly indoor work; Grandpa may come by to put in the door to the sauna haus.
One of my favorite things... singing hymns
I am going... to a class this coming Saturday at our local scrapbooking shop to learn how to make a VERY cute stationary pocket folder that will be super for gift giving. I love our little scrapbooking shop -- for a small town, it's so packed with neat ideas & goodies - they have everything I need for my lapbooking & interactive notebooks. I'll have to show it to you when I'm done. A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)...
M - laundry; grind grain; bake bread
T - horsey lessons (maybe - depends on weather & condition of paddock); library; postoffice
W - violin lesson for Amber; lead Awana Cubbies
TH - Bible Quizzing practice
F - Nursing Home ministry; Maybe go to Grandma's to put up curtain rod (w/DH)
S - Stationary Pocket Folder Class
A picture thought I am sharing with you
This Morning
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Warm Wishes for a Wonderful Week!
Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook.
Oct. 10, 2009~ Lifestyle of Learning - October 10, 2009 ~
Here are some highlights from our homeschool week...
It was a very good school week and we got much accomplished...
Our Text of the Week:
Our school day usually begins the evening before as "the evening and the morning were the first day." We have family Bible reading time where we all gather in the family room and read a portion of Scripture (reading through the Bible - not skipping anything), discussing, and answer the correlating Balancing the Sword questions. Then we gather in a circle, holding hands to pray.
This week's reading was Leviticus 23-27.
Opening Time: Our day begins with prayer, pledges, sword drills, hymn sing, or missions study, depending on the day. This week's hymns: "Faith is the Victory" and "I Sing the Mighty Power of God."
Scriptorium: Since Bible Quizzing started, the girls now spend this time working on their Bible Quizzing verses in I & II Corinthians. Wednesday Chapel Time: We watched from Dr. Hovind's Creation Seminar, Part 4A "Lies in the Textbooks". We just love his seminars.
Bedell Curriculum: We are continuing in Volume 4, Lessons 24-25 in the Bedell books based on Leviticus 21, 24-25. Here are some of the things we were learning/discussing this week...
The High Standard of Holiness; Evil was to be strictly punished; justice & punishment; obeying your parents
Representative democracy vs. dictatorship; the Miranda Rights; law enforcement as "ministers of God".
Spankings vs. Dr. Spock; corporal punishment
The Sabbath Year & the Year of Jubilee
Farm land fertility; nitrogen & lighting
Business cycles: boom or bust, bull or bear market
(Note: Since we use the Bible as our No. 1 textbook, sometimes we don't have a Bedell lesson to correlate with the day's Scripture).
Hands-on American History: More fun lapbook inserts with Homeschool In the Wood's Time Travelers "The American Revolution". This week we continued timelining & mapping several battles of the Revolution; focused on John Adams & Baron von Steuben; and made a diorama of Valley Forge. And we decided we would rather have George Washington as our current president :). The girls' dioramas of Valley Forge. The photo doesn't do them justice, but they are done in 3D using the foam spacers for scrapbooking. They really turned out nice.
Music & Ministry: Thankfully this was a much quieter week than last week and we only had Awana on Wednesday night (as Cubbie leaders), otherwise it was a stay-home week.
Science: We made good progress in projects for our interactive notebook (like a lapbook only in notebook form). This week we reviewed the three types of rocks (only in greater detail/highschool level stuff). We get most of our material from "The Geology Book" by Dr. John D. Morris and also use the DK Rocks & Minerals book for additional beautiful photos as well as a nice rock collection purchased from Rainbow a few years ago. Once we research something, we make a nice lapbook-type booklet for our notebooks (currently I'm using some inserts from HS Treasure Trove's Rocks and Minerals lapbook ideas) to help us remember. We won't be doing everything from this lapbook, but will be adding our own material as well. US Geography: The girls finished researching their states of Kentucky and Arkansas; served their state dishes; & gave their reports Friday evening. They love this so much, one day after they had been at it for quite some time -- researching, and I had to remind them that they could stop -- they didn't want too. :) They have now drawn their next states and will begin all over again next week.
Language Arts: They are both pretty much done with language arts except Anna is doing a little BJU Spelling that she didn't finish last year. She got 100 percent on this weeks spelling test - she always draws a blank when the she begins to take the test and thinks she is doing poorly, but she does just fine.
Equestrian: Our horsey time has really been suffering with all the cold and rainy weather we have been having of late. We were rained out on Tuesday from a lesson, but did get out to ride Thursday, even though our hands & ears froze - it was good to get back at it again. Now, waking up this (Sat) morning to 26 degrees and snow on the ground, it's had to say when the girls will be riding again.
Home Economics: Amber finished cutting out quilt pieces for a doll-size log cabin quilt for her Christian Light Home Ec. book (we got a rotary cutter now that works slick) and we should watch the dvd that came with my new sewing machine so Amber can get sewing; Anna continues enjoying book one and working on some kitchen math (coverting to oz. and figuring cups & quarts, etc.) and is making some cookies next week.
Our first snow of the season came early this morning, only about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. I guess that's it for this week's review. I still haven't bought a new camara since breaking our last one but Anna has graciously taught me how to upload her camara to photobucket. :) Have a Good Weekend!
Oct. 5, 2009~ The Simple Woman's Daybook - Monday, October 5, 2009 ~
For Today, Monday, October 5th, 2009
Outside My Window... It's still pitch black out. It is currently 40 degrees, looking for a high of 52 with rain expected this afternoon through tomorrow. Today's normal hi/low is 64/43.
I'm thinking...I need to finish filling out our weekly school schedule right after this as Anna is up already (b/4 6 am) and will want to start school. I guess she's a morning person when she actually gets up.
From the learning rooms...just a full school week - nothing particularly exciting to report.
I am thankful for...good health.
From the kitchen... M - Brats on the Grill T - Hamburger Hotdish W - Sauteed Sirlon Tips & Jojo's TH - BBQ Chicken Sandwiches F - Egg Bake & Cinnamon Rolls
I am wearing... black exercise capris, berry-colored fleecy sweater, sports socks, hair is in a ponytail.
I am reading...Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Isaiah; NT: Philippians, KJB I am hoping... we all stay healthy - we were exposed to a lot of sick people this past week. I am creating... I didn't win "my" puppet theater on ebay, so now I need to get started and make one.
I am hearing... the clock tick; Anna eating breakfast in the family room.
Around the house & barn...housework & laundry; too cool & wet outside to do much of anything. We will see how the paddock looks later this week if we can get a horse lesson in - right now it's a muddy, slippery mess since we have had rain off & on (mostly on) since Thursday morning. Jeff is probably taking this Thursday & Friday off from work so he can work on the sauna haus construction and get most of the exterior buttoned up before winter sets in. I may move some of the fencing we put up around our garden so that grandpa can get his Bobcat into the paddock to do some leveling and move some eroded dirt back up near the barn - poor Annie has to step up about a foot or so just to get into her stall.
One of my favorite things... enjoying our family.
I am going...to stay home as much as possible this week. Last week we spent 19 hrs. just in church & ministry-related things (not including prep & travel time). This will be a much quieter week and I hope to make the most of it. A few plans for the rest of the week... lead Awana Cubbies Wed.; Bible Quizzing practice Thur.; maybe horsey lessons later this week; maybe Awana Leadership Conf. on Saturday; a big family birthday party later Saturday (not at my house).
A picture thought I am sharing with you
Part of our Bible Quizzing team waiting for the others to arrive - there are 5 on a team and two alternates waiting on the side (one boy). Our first meet this past Saturday was very fun. We compete against two other teams in 6 separate heats. There were 33 teams present and about 250 young people in our division. I understand that there are actually about 6 different Bible Quizzing organizations throughout MN - that's a lot of scripture memorization going on! One often hears about all the bad young people are into now days; you don't hear it reported on the news all the young people spending hours each week memorizing scripture.
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Warm Wishes for a Wonderful Week! Much thanks to our hostessPeggyfor the Simple Woman's Daybook.
It's been over a month now since our beloved little Peanut died and it's been harder on me than I expected, but we're mending. I did find out a little about myself though -- I "NEED" a dog! :) So, I have spent considerable amounts of time looking for that perfect new family member (and here you thought I was working hard, haha). And although I LOVE Boston Terriers, grew up with them, and seem to gravitate to them, we decided to do a little research to find the perfect hobby farm dog for us. There are a lot of good farm-type (working) dogs out there, but some need a constant job to keep them happy lest they become distructive. We wanted one that would protect it's "flock" and protect it's family without being too aggressive. We finally narrowed our search to three breeds...
3.Karakachan (Bulgarian Shepherd Dog). A wonderful LGD (Livestock Guardian Dog); however rare. I was offered an older puppy (8 months old), but the breeder is in Ohio. The few breeders of this dog are mainly out East, mostly Ohio and Virginia, and my DH isn't too keen on me traveling out there just for a dog. Oh, and btw, rare translates into $; the average price of all three of our choices is $1,000/ea. Of course, we are seeking a dog for much less.
2.Leonberger dogs derive from SW Germany and are a cross between a Newfoundland, Great Pyrenees, and Saint Bernard. Leo's a great guardian dog and a gentle giant. Yesterday I was offered to reserve a smaller female puppy (born a week ago) from a breeder in MN for $500 and it's very tempting, but after a family meeting last night, it was decided that we would try to hold out until we can find our #1 choice.
1.Our #1 pick is a Bernese Mountain Dog! A Berner is a farm dog that originates from the Swiss Alps and loves cooler weather. I was offered a BEAUTIFUL stud-quality 13-month old male yesterday, and boy, was it hard to decide against getting him, but some members of our family are holding out for a baby (new puppy), which gets a little complicated since I have yet to find a baby for under $800 in MN.
So there you have it. This is what we are looking for - now just to find it at our price within a reasonable distance. I still haven't totally ruled out other breeds or even mixed breeds from rescue missions, but we will see. The search continues, but we may not find one until next spring or later . I'll keep you posted.
In light of the frost advisory for tonight, I am so thankful that we got our harvest in when we did. This year's garden wasn't too bad -- all things considering...
We had a very late spring & summer and we didn't get planted as soon as we should have. And then, it remained cool with drought conditions most all year which took it's toll on most gardens in our area. Personally, we/I could have done more -- we have rain barrels, and I could have been more aggressive in the weeding, but it seemed like such a lost cause that I just let it go this year.
It seemed like nobody's carrots came up, including ours. Our onions were small and few. Our green beans came very late and were mostly too dry. Our corn we had enough for two meals. Apples run every-other year if you don't prune - so this was our off year and we just got two or three dozen. But..., although late, our tomatoes made a nice comeback and I probably had one of my best canning seasons for them, and then there were the potatoes...take a look at these puppies...
The potato on your left is a typical medium potato from a grocery store (what I still had in the pantry). The potatoes on the right are our potatoes this year. I weighted them, the store-bought potato is a 1/2 a pound; our potatoes are 1 1/2 pounds each! And almost all our potatoes this year were BIG - our small ones were more like the potato on the left. Although it was way too dry, Jeff did make some very nice trenches for planting the potatoes and then was diligent at covering them mid-season and I think that really made all the difference in the world. We usually get a good potato crop, but this was our best ever. We thank God for His bountiful blessings!!!
I still need to do something with the herbs, but may just cover them tonight from the frost and deal with them later.
We are thankful for what we received from the Lord and every year we say, "Next year" -- we will try harder and do better.
Outside My Window... It's 5 am and dark out. Fall hit full blast yesterday with a blustery cold front and strong winds. Looking for a high today of 56 and tonight's low around 37 (average is 66/46). It's still blustery out.
I'm thinking...today is Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). In Bible times, this was the one day of the year when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies and made atonement for himself and the people. The highest of holy days. I am glad that Jesus, the Messiah, is our perfect atonement!
From the learning rooms...It's back to school for us after a week off for harvest and canning. It will be good to get back into our routine!
I am thankful for...a pretty good harvest dispite our poor growing season - lots of BIG -- HUGE potatoes.
From the kitchen... M - Roast Beef T - Sloppy Joes W - Salmon TH - Slow-Cooker Pizza F - Out to eat with Grandma
I am wearing... long denim skirt, black t-shirt, gray jacket, sport socks; hair is in a braid.
I am reading...Thru the Bible Each Year: OT: Isaiah; NT: Galatians, KJB; a Hobby Farm Home magazine and a Fix It and Forget It recipe magazine
I am hoping... we can work with the horses today, but it may be a bit too windy for that. (Update: we cancelled horse riding lesson for this week - the weather is just not cooperating - either too windy or expecting rain).
I am creating... I didn't win "my" puppet theater on ebay, so now I'm going to make one.
I am hearing... the wind blow, the clock tick
Around the house & barn...finish picking & dehydrate apples; lots of laundry. One of my favorite things... spend a leisurely day in the kitchen cooking and baking.
I am going...grocery shopping & other local stores. Need to get to the feed store today or tomorrow too. A few plans for the rest of the week... horsey lessons; lead Awana Cubbies on Wednesday; Amber's violin lesson; a Bible Quizzing practice with another church; nursing home ministry; our first Bible Quizzing meet is this coming Saturday; and oh yeah, we will have to go to grandma's this coming Friday so Jeff can take down her screened porch for the year and help with a few other things around her place -- we were going to do it last Friday, but got rained out.
Picture thoughts I am sharing with you
Our table dressed for fall with quilting
View from our back deck towards the river. We don't see a lot of the oranges & reds since there are no maples or oaks near our property, but the drive to church is lovely now.
Our sauna building is taking shape. The girls enjoy playing in the loft.
...
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Warm Wishes for a Wonderful Week! Much thanks to our hostessPeggyfor the Simple Woman's Daybook.
Puppy snoozing in her pet "yard" set up in our dinette area - all wore out. She stayed awake through about 99% of the 3.5 hour trip home - her first time out of the basement.
Anna with Puppy. The girls are all smiles. For some reason I didn't get many photos of our last dog as a pup, so I'm going to try better this time around.
Amber with Puppy. Everyone gets their fair turns.
Our little Leonberger is 7 weeks old today and about 10 lbs.
Anna doing her Teaching Textbooks math.
This afternoon ~ my baby Sundance gets his first rider (Anna) - 'Mr. No Big Deal'.
This Morning
The girls' dioramas of Valley Forge. The photo doesn't do them justice, but they are done in 3D using the foam spacers for scrapbooking. They really turned out nice. 
Our first snow of the season came early this morning, only about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch.
Part of our Bible Quizzing team waiting for the others to arrive - there are 5 on a team and two alternates waiting on the side (one boy). Our first meet this past Saturday was very fun. We compete against two other teams in 6 separate heats. There were 33 teams present and about 250 young people in our division. I understand that there are actually about 6 different Bible Quizzing organizations throughout MN - that's a lot of scripture memorization going on! One often hears about all the bad young people are into now days; you don't hear it reported on the news all the young people spending hours each week memorizing scripture.
3. Karakachan (Bulgarian Shepherd Dog). A wonderful LGD (Livestock Guardian Dog); however rare. I was offered an older puppy (8 months old), but the breeder is in Ohio. The few breeders of this dog are mainly out East, mostly Ohio and Virginia, and my DH isn't too keen on me traveling out there just for a dog. Oh, and btw, rare translates into $; the average price of all three of our choices is $1,000/ea. Of course, we are seeking a dog for much less.
. I'll keep you posted. 
Our table dressed for fall with quilting
View from our back deck towards the river. We don't see a lot of the oranges & reds since there are no maples or oaks near our property, but the drive to church is lovely now.
Our sauna building is taking shape. The girls enjoy playing in the loft.
