I love resale shops! What one pays for something new in the right resale shop, you can get 5 or more of the same thing! We have this little shop that is in Ridgway, Colorado, that we always find great bargains at. For example, we went there on the first of March and found about 5 Disney movies for $3 each in very good condition. You can't buy one of these new for the same price I got all five of them for! You can't get them online for that price either - especially after you pay shipping for them! My dh found a fleece name-brand pull-over for about $2-3. He also got some cookbooks for about $2 each! I found some wooden stackable kitty-cats for about $3 - a great heirloom toy and it comes from Russia! I found a dress for dd10, and also some Merrill shoes for her ($2 each I think). It was an awesome trip, and worth it! Our local nearby town has several retail shops that I don't get quite the good prices, but I keep my kids in clothes this way, and, ya know, once you wash your own new clothes they become used too, right?!
For today's Tightwad Tuesday, hosted by Canadagirl, I would like to share with you about how we save money buying meat. If we have the option, we like to buy into a steer that is organic or grass-fed. We buy a quarter or half a steer for a set price then when it is butchered we get that meat. Since we've been on the mountain, my husband hunts elk and deer, which he processes himself. When we have to buy meat at the store, we buy in bulk and I separate it at home into the portions that I would probably need to cook, before I freeze it. That way I only have to thaw the amount I need.
Sorry, still no pics. My baby got his hair buzzed by daddy and I have before and after shots. It is very dramatic. Hopefully we can figure out a way to get our new computer to download them. It is not recognizing its own hard drives. Very frustrating! On another computer note, I was out of internet for several days because the snow on the roof slid off and sheered the bolts holding the dish onto the roof right off!
Today my husband and two oldest dd's went to town to participate in a town-wide volunteer work day. They worked at an elementary school painting tables and benches and picking up trash all morning. The Discipleship Training School worked at a trailer park helping to haul off junk and trash. Hundreds of others from all of the churches in town were spread across the city doing various jobs at the same time. It is a neat community effort, and worked out well today with nice weather too.
I stayed at home with the the two little ones. I pulled out the winter clothes, mended and adjusted waist sizes so that my 8 yo could wear them without them falling down! I moved my son's baby clothes into his little room for storage, and moved two bookshelves from there into our room for easier access to our homeschooling books. They had been in the baby's room because that used to be our homeschooling storage room (it is just a little bigger than a closet!). I vacuumed the floors in the dining area and living room. I cut the baby's hair (hence the reason to need to vacuum!). I got some things off of the computer so I can make a poster for 3dd3's prehomeschool program that we are going to start with ideas from Brightly Beaming. I found some really cute pics to go on a poster for her. I forgot to put on my picture of Hey Diddle Diddle in art, but you get the idea.
Things I still need to do before Monday:
Cover new Sonlight readers in contact paper and get language arts programs ready to begin on Monday.
Prepare the stuff for the poster for 3dd3's pre(home)school.
Go to church tomorrow morning.
Go to homeschool picnic tomorrow afternoon.
Stay off the computer until #1 and #2 get done!
Have a great day of rest and worship tomorrow. Blessings to everyone!
We had a great afternoon Sunday. After church we took a side road that we've been wanting to go on for the view. It was a beautiful drive, especially because of the aspens turning and such. I could just kick myself for not having my camera! I wound around for about 14 miles up to the top of the ridge across from our mountain that we live on. Finally it opened up and there was a great view of our valley, where we live, places around us. We drove through a lot of cattle on the road, and even a couple of cowboys driving a small herd. The girls really enjoyed them walking right next to our van and seeing them up close. On this road we even found Skeeter's relative, Skeeter II. It is another brown snake only slightly bigger than Skeeter was. My dh got out and caught him in a cup with a lid, and now the girls have a pet again. Here's his picture:
Last week the covered porch was dismantled except for the roof. Much of the siding was removed, and the floor boards removed. They've put some boards back for us to get in and out of the door, and they are getting the supplies they need to close it in to make our new living room. I'm so glad to be able to put up a Christmas tree this year! Hopefully there will be enough room for the girls to have a craft area and to put their books, so that the baby can have their little storage room for a nursery when he arrives in November. God is good!
Here is an updated picture of the porch/addition:
Dh has been really busy working in the garden this week. The temps dipped down to the 20's one night, and frost is occurring most every night. There were like 120 cabbages still out in the garden that they harvested yesterday, along with beets, lettuce, broccoli and the herb garden. Does anyone have any good ideas for using the cabbage? He's been busy making a freezer slaw, cabbage soups, sourkraut. I'm hoping he'll make a bunch of filling for bierrochs to freeze. Cabbage isn't my favorite, but I love bierrochs! Here's our "Cabbage Patch Kids":
A funny story that just happened today. My youngest dd2 was playing in the older girls' bedroom while I was checking my email. I noticed that it had gotten quiet back there, so I went to see what she was up to. I was befuddled when I couldn't find her. I looked everywhere! Where could she be? She wasn't reaking havoc in her favorite haunts: my bedroom, the school storage room or the girls' closet. She wasn't in her room either. I even checked the bathroom: nope. Finally I found her - she had climbed into her sister's top bunk and went to sleep! Here she is:
An update on the girls who were in the accident. One of them came home from the hospital late last night with no broken bones or serious injuries, although she was pretty beat up. The other was admitted for the night with a concussion. She will probably be able to come home today sometime. We feel the Lord heard our prayers and healed the girls of much worse injuries before they got to the hospital. Thanks for the prayers.
My 1dd8 is still not feeling good today. She still has sore throat, a tummy ache and right flank pain. No fever or urinary symptoms. She is feeling a little better off and on.
My girls found a snake the other day. It was a small brown snake. Harmless. Only grows to 13 inches. Native to the area. They really wanted to keep it for a pet. We've been trying to figure out what kind of pet to get for them, and this seemed to be the answer. We went and found a small aquarium at a consignment shop, complete with cacti and a mountainous desert scene. Everyone was happy. Apparently everyone but Skeeter. On his second day in the aquarium he found his way out, and hasn't been seen since! LOL.
Here are shots of our new house. It is still a trailer with an addition, but it fits us much better. This fall the deck will hopefully be closed in and made into a living room, and our current living room will become a full-sized dining area. We also hope to take out the wall in the kitchen and put a breakfast bar/increase counter space! Anyway, here is how it looks now:
Deck:
Kitchen:
Living room from both ends:
I couldn't get a good shot of either the bathroom or the laundry room. They were too small to take from the door, and couldn't get it from outside the door either. Next the Master Bedroom:
And this is my favorite place in the house to read and have my quiet times:
The big girls' room:
And finally 3dd2's room:
That completes our tour of our new place. I hope you enjoyed your visit!
I fully intend on keeping those friends on my list who have corresponded with me regularly now or in the past, so don't worry. My main thing is weaning those who really don't have a mutual interest in my blog from the friends list so I can concentrate the time I do have on those who care. I guess I feel funny taking anyone off my list because it shows up on their friend list then...KWIM?
Anyway, to answer Letitia's questions, I am fine. We're mostly moved in. I just need to hang up pictures and find places for my Willow Tree figurines and other decoratives. I also need to clean out my desk, but I'm feeling pretty moved in and even organized.
I'm feeling pretty good overall. I overdid it today by doing too much work, I think. I cleaned a lot for the base, and then came home and did the same. By suppertime I had a definite waddle - my back and groin were letting me know I'd done too much. By the time I got the girls into bed I came out and crashed on the couch. I know I was asleep before them! I woke up after 20 minutes and they were still awake!
One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To behold the beauty, the beauty of the Lord. To inquire in His temple, the temple of the Lord.
This is my everyday thoughts about being a mother to three little ladies (10, 8 and 3) and a toddler son. We serve God full-time, and I am a physician assistant. I have the most awesome husband in the world. I am trying to seek God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength.
