Oct. 11, 2008 - Oh, the Sweet Moments

We are so blessed to not only be home with our kids but to be able to homeschool.  It is one of the most joyous things in the whole world.  I know I sound like I'm exaggerating a bit when I say that but when I see Daddy and Miss C all cozied up in a chair (of course, Benji in on the cozy action too) as Miss C practices her reading, it warms the cockles of my heart.  How incredibly fortunate we are to spend this time with our kids.  I can't imagine doing anything else!

Oct. 10, 2008 - For the Love of the Radio

I walked into the kitchen the other night to find my girls staring at the radio.  Of course, they weren't just staring at the radio, they were listening to a good ol' fashioned radio show.  I loved this picture because it made me think of what it might have actually been like in the good ol' days before all the high-tech electronics, video games, TV, computers, etc.  I always love the movies when they show the whole family gathered around the radio and the kids are just staring at it like they are actually picturing what grand adventures might be happening in the story.  I like to think that this is partly what is going on in my kid's minds as they listen intently to Adventures in Odyssey. 

Oct. 7, 2008 - Canning Peaches

We had a very sweet time of fellowship, the 3 of us, our girls and boys peaking in every now and then to lend a helping hand (or just to eat the peaches).  Here is what we ended up with:

Ahh, its a thing of beauty!

Now, are you thinking now that I have stacks and stacks of jars set away?  Well, my neighbor does.  In fact, between Geri and Lisa, they canned 90 quarts.  Yes, 90!  I, however, do not have 90.  In fact, I don't have any canned peaches.  I decided after all that hard work, I would just freeze mine.  So for 2 days in a row (actually I think it was 3 for Geri), I blanched, peeled and sliced my little heart out.  I am SO done with peaches!  But I guarantee that if you come to my house, I will fix you a yummy smoothie

Oct. 6, 2008 - A Civil War Encampment

Here's me shooting a muzzle loader.  I had no idea what this was until literally the day before.  Reid was talking with our neighbor and found out he is a muzzle loader hunter.  I thought he was just joking and that this was another funny term for "gun".  So later that evening he brought up that term again so I asked him "honey, what's a muzzle loader?"  He then informed me this is a type of gun.  You put the gun powder (there might be another name for that, too but I have no idea) in the muzzle and you pack it in.  Then you light something with another something and there you have it!   So lo and behold, we arrive there and find this man shooting one of them things.  I had to try it.


Here's the muzzle loader dude putting the powder stuff into the thingy.


Right after my gun-slinging self was finished decimating the target (yeah, right!), we got a serious torrential rainfall...thunder, lightning, the whole bit.  So we ducked into this nearby teepee to escape the rain.  Miss C looks none to happy to be standing right next to a bearskin.


The rain let up so we ventured out again and found this gold-panning set-up.  It started pouring again but the kids didn't care...they actually struck gold!  After they were done panning, this kind gent used a little syringey thingy to suck up all the gold particles and put it in a little vial for us to take home.


This is Miss C holding her little stash of gold next to a brick of faux gold.  (Ah, the sun is shining again!)


These ladies were "holding down the fort" while their menfolk were scouting out a good place to make their homestead.  (This is the story they told us when we asked what they were doing).  They gave each of the girls an authentic, pioneer plastic cup with a lid from cow named Albertson to shake and make their own butter. 


The next tent they got to make their own candles.  Here they are dipping their candles into wax.


Miss M getting instructions on roping turquoise cattle from Jack Palance (I swear he looked just like him).


This sweet lady was one of my favorite stops.  I have been wanting the girls to see the whole process of spinning wool into yarn.  They DO need to know that people haven't always bought their clothes from Gymboree!


Here is the camp cook, our neighbor.  Doesn't he look dapper in his Union uniform? 

Oct. 3, 2008 - The "Peach Patch"

My neighbor calls me the other day and tells me that a peach orchard, about 30 minutes away, is giving away peaches...FREE.  All that you can pick.  I know.  Crazy.  Apparently, the orchard got a bug and could not sell the rest of the crop (some kind of regulation).  So we went to the orchard with our friends and picked mega peaches.  They are the most beautiful things you've ever seen. 
My friend, Trish, picking peaches.  Notice the Blue Tooth headset - such a city girl!  (Okay, I wasn't much better with my latte in hand)



Here's Tricia's youngest.  We love this little guy!


My Miss C


My Miss M


Here is her second youngest


Her one girl among 5 boys.  Bless her!

Oct. 1, 2008 - Good News in the News

Sep. 30, 2008 - Books I'm Reading

Elisabeth Elliot - fabulous woman of God who has written many a book on the subject of purity and love.  This is really her testimony about waiting for her husband (missionary Jim Elliot).


This caught my eye in the Christian library.  I LOVE Beth Moore's style and if you have ever read anything by her, she writes very conversationally and is a hoot to read (as well as listen to).


Don't you love what the dog did to my front cover?


And, of course...my Bible.  For those of you who want specifics, I am currently reading Psalms, Proverbs, and Luke (reading through the New Testament again). 

Sep. 29, 2008 - Garage Sale Find

I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to use him because he is too short to be used as a regular table.  After placing him in several spots around my home, I found he best fit next to my sofa...perfect height. 

While I quite liked the distressed white on top, I cringed every time I looked at the bright turquoise legs (even brighter than the picture shows).  So Reid (my awesome hubby) took off the paint with paint thinner.  I didn't get a picture of him in his bare-naked state (the table, not Reid) but here he is after I took out my trusty spray paint:

I think he looks rather handsome, don't you?  Here he is next to my sofa:

Sep. 28, 2008 - Sunday Morning

Sep. 26, 2008 - My Hubby

One of our pastors once said to put your spouses name into every place where 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says the word LOVE:

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

These verses are the perfect picture of my awesome hubby. 

Sep. 24, 2008 - Fall Decorating

I painted this mirror an olive color - it was previously gold.  I just wanted something different, ya know?  I kinda like it - especially for fall.  Not sure if I'll keep it like that or not but for now, its okay.  Mr. Topiary and Mr. Scarecrow Man came from Joann's ages ago.  I bought that little planter guy at a garage sale just a couple weeks ago for 10 cents and the hydrangeas I got at Michael's for $5.  Look how little and cute my girls are in that picture!

I took apart a fall wreath-gone-wrong that I got at a garage sale several years ago.  I never liked it enough to use it as-is because it just looked so...well...fake.  So I took off all the fake-ness and re-purposed it (I think that's the new term).  I stuck some of the leaves and berries in my birdcage and the other apples, berries, and such found a home in this little pumpkin pitcher (this was originally filled with a flower arrangement that I got from my Dad last year for my birthday). 

So there you have it...close to $0 spent (okay it was $5.10 but in my book that's close to $0). 

Sep. 23, 2008 - Can You Believe It?!

You'll have to look harder....

What's that I see?  Oh, its a car!  Its my car! 

Oh, and Reid wanted me to include this picture since it captured the true masculinity behind the madness.

Sep. 22, 2008 - A Fun Project

I found this lamp at a garage sale last month when my Mom was visiting.  I think I bought it for a buck or two.

Sep. 21, 2008 - Sunday Morning

   I am surrounded by fierce lions
      who greedily devour human prey—
   whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
      and whose tongues cut like swords.

   Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
      May your glory shine over all the earth.

   My enemies have set a trap for me.
      I am weary from distress.
   They have dug a deep pit in my path,
      but they themselves have fallen into it.
                         Interlude

   My heart is confident in you, O God;
      my heart is confident.
      No wonder I can sing your praises!
   Wake up, my heart!
      Wake up, O lyre and harp!
      I will wake the dawn with my song.
   I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
      I will sing your praises among the nations.
    For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
      Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

    Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
      May your glory shine over all the earth.

Sep. 20, 2008 - The Storm

I got a good chuckle this morning (to myself, of course, because I'm the only one up in the early morn).  Last night we started to have a doozy of a thunder storm.  Now, around here, sometimes it is accompanied by rain and sometimes not.  Last night it was just lightning - way off in the distance - but we had ourselves a fun light show to watch at around 10:00. 

This morning it was still going strong but with TONS of rain.  Now, back in Seattle this is no big deal.  But here...well, it has rained ONE time since we moved here....in JUNE!  So, I was singing praises to the Lord this morning for the rain.  I know, I'm goofy but I miss it believe it or not. 

But my chuckle came when I looked out the window and the driving rain and I see our automatic sprinklers going off.  How necessary are those today?  The picture is really blurry but that is because it was so windy and I really don't have that great of a camera but...you get the jist.

Just as a side note:  everyone around here has automatic sprinklers, lest you think that we are living in the lap of luxury.  It is pretty much a necessity given how little it rains, especially in the summer.

Sep. 19, 2008 - I Heart Cats

I know, strange title for someone who basically will DIE if I even touch a cat.  But I really love cats.  I grew up with a cat...Licorice was her name (bet you can't guess her color).  Turns out that after I left home as a young adult, I came back home to live with my Mom and bro (like the responsible citizen that I was) and developed this nasty allergy to my beloved kitty.  My eyes would itch and turn all red. As I have gotten older, I pretty much can't even be in the same room with a cat because I have this asthmatic attack where I feel like I can't even breathe. 

Why am I telling you all of this?  Our next door neighbors have several cute kittens and while I am all for being neighborly, I pretty much want to keep breathing.  But they love our house and hang out right next to the door, waiting for the chance to slip in. 

Look how cute .....

He totally wants to come in!  Look, he's reaching for the doorknob!

I have no idea what I'm going to do about this problem.  I can hardly go outside without the kitty playing sneak attack on me.  Our dog isn't exactly helpful either....he just sort of stares out at the kitty.  Oh well, maybe the sweet kitty will at least do his fare share and catch some mice for us.

Sep. 15, 2008 - Michaela's Ride

 

Aug. 27, 2008 - Meet Benji

We've been pining for a dog for quite some time.  Now that we are moved into our new home, we decided its time.  I called around to several different animal shelters and even foster homes (did you know that such a thing exists for dogs?), asking if they have any dogs that don't shed.  Apparently, this is a sought-after quality in a dog because none of them had any dogs that fit the bill.  I left my name and number with a couple of them, asking them to contact me if they got any in.  Lo and behold, not a couple of hours later, we got a call from a Humane Society letting us know that they had a 1-2 year old Shitzu/Llasa Apso (they weren't exactly sure).  We went down there that day and met "Walter".  He immediately climbed into the girls laps and wanted to snuggle.  We knew that this was the dog for us!  When Animal Control found him, his long hair was completely unkempt and matted down so they had to shave it but they were able to salvage his facial and ear hair. 

The girls had been looking at dogs online and spotted one with the name Benji and they loved it so that is what we named him.  I think it suits him, don't you?

Jul. 7, 2008 - Fun Day with Grammy Pat

Jul. 6, 2008 - 4th of July

Grammy Pat came to visit us!  We were so excited to see her when we picked her up at the airport on the 4th.  She came back to the house and relaxed for a bit and then we went out to see our new home.  The sellers and the realtors were not around so we just poked around the outside of the house and looked in windows.  Remember my cute, little house?

That night, the girls swam and we had a lovely 4th of July dinner that Grammy Gayle had prepared.  Afterwards, we went to the old, historic Boise Train Depot. 


What a beautiful setting....green grass that looks out over the city,

ponds with koi fish,

and even and old steam locomotive

We had the most awesome view of the fireworks once they started. 
More views of the park and the city...

Not sure about Camille...

Oh, here she is!...

The fireworks are about to begin!