Nov. 20, 2009 - Today I am thankful for...
Today I am thankful for...the legacy my Mama and my Mom left me in the kitchen, as well as several of my sisters teaching me their "secrets" too!
Hugs,
Cynthia Robin
Thursday, November 19, 2009 - What a full week!
Silly me, I had thought since we weren't having family visit for Thanksgiving or Christmas, it would be a slower time for us. Wrong... 
November's calendar is full, and December is filling up fast. It's time to plan my annual cookie swap, so I pulled out the calendar....whew! Busy, busy, busy! But, each year when January rolls around, life always slows down a bit. So, we soak up the extra activity now and will have some slower days later.
Rebecca's trip to Cozumel is coming soon. She's so very excited! We're excited for her return...and she hasn't even left yet!
We sold 4 steers and 2 heifer calves last night!!!! WAHOO!!!! A friend of ours and his friend came to pick out which animals they wanted...and ended up taking all of our young ones. They brought corral panels and loaded them up themselves. It was nice to see our animals go to someone who appreciates the grass fed way we raise our cows, as well as the ease of the sale. We have one cow slated for processing next month...then I believe we are finished with our down-sizing for this year. Next year will bring another dozen or so calves to sell. We need to reduce our input costs....the hay we feed costs too much. With the increased pasture we will have after the logging is finished, we should have enough land for the cows...now to figure out what to plant, how to plant it, and when to plant it. If we could grow enough grasses during each part of the year, we could get away from the feeding of hay...
The Mama cows are not happy that we sold their offspring. But, such is life for a cow. They've been a bit loud all night..and all morning too...
Next week holds dental cleanings for the children and a dental crown appmt for my Honey. Not to mention Thanksgiving! A friend of ours whom we haven't seen in several years is coming to visit for Thanksgiving!! There's also Black Friday shopping to be done next week! I can't believe it's only a week and a day away!
Off to get this day started!
Nov. 18, 2009 - Today I am thankful for...
...the opportunities available to reach out and help others in so many ways.
During the upcoming holiday season, look around you. There are ever so many doors open to help those in need. You may think you're having it rough yourself, but when you begin to look at other's situations, you will find that yours is much more tolerable. God won't allow more to be put on you than what you can handle, with His help. Allow Him to help you through your own difficulties and allow Him to use you to help others through their difficulties, too!
This is a wonderful lesson to teach our children and grandchildren, and easily incorporated into the homeschool setting, as well as with children who attend public schools.
I'd love to hear how you and your family are reaching out to others! Just leave me a note by clicking the comment button under this post and share it with me here.
Have a most blessed day!
Hugs,
Cynthia Robin
Nov. 17, 2009 - Today I am thankful for...
Physical, Emotional, and Mental strength!
Hugs,
Cynthia Robin
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - Happy Birthdays to Martha and Penny
Today is a special day!!!
My MIL and SIL share a birthday today!!!
What an incredible gift, to have a daughter born on your birthday!!!
Wishing you both a very special day!!! Wish we were together to celebrate!!
Love you both!!!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - A small rant on birth certificates....
Okay, so my driver's license needed to be renewed by my birthday.
Course, in that week was Veteran's Day, that was the day I had planned to stop by the office to renew my license. They were obviously closed.
Next day, we ride all the way over to the license office. Only to find that my birth certificate...which is the only birth certificate I have ever had....and was issued by the health department and had sufficed for ID for 39.99999 years of my life...was no longer valid for ID purposes. WHAT??!
I have to have a state issued birth certificate. Who came up with this craziness?? Why is my birth certificate no longer valid?? I looked at my bc versus my children's (issued by the State of FL)...the only thing missing from mine versus theirs? A certificate number! Actually, mine contains more info, such as day and time of birth.
So, I go to the State of NY's website. Something is wrong when NYC has its own website for vital statistics versus the rest of the state. As a former NY'er, I say cut off NYC from NY State and let it be its own state for crying out loud! Anyhow, there is no local vital statistics office that my Mom could visit and get me a copy. There's ONE vital statistics office for the whole state (minus NYC of course) and it's nowhere near my folks. Okay, plan b....order one and have it expedited to me. Nope, ordering takes 5-10 business days, then it will be sent out. WHAT?!
Called the driver's license office to see if there's anything they can do....perhaps put a note on my license that I am waiting for this ridiculous piece of paper or something. Nope...nothing...expired license is an expired license....
I wait....and will have to continue to wait...until my birth certificate finally arrives and I make the trip back to the driver's license office to renew it. This is soooo not cool.
Okay, rant over.....
Nov. 16, 2009 - And end...and a beginning
I always have mixed feelings during this time of the year. I feel a touch of sadness that the warm summer months are coming to an end...and at the same time, I feel excitement that a new season is beginning. The leaves change color, the air becomes crisper, the fresh vegetables in season become a bit hardier, and more layers are added in my wardrobe.
My cooking takes on different aspects in these cooler months, too. I tend to focus more on savory dishes and comfort foods. Yes, we still eat plenty of salads and raw veggies, however, oftentimes I will add meat to the salads and more root vegetables to the veggie trays. Unfortunately, I also bake more during this time of year--sweets that should not be consumed very often. Brownies, cakes, pies, cookies...yes, all of them. However, I am trying to use more whole grains in my baking, and having some success.
I tend to spend more time indoors now, too, and this gives me more opportunities to spend in the Word. A passage of scripture has been in my mind quite often here lately, and I thought I'd share it with you...
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
~Isaiah 55:6-11
As some of you know, we have faced a few difficulties here recently. I was laid off from work late in the summer, and have been unable to find a new job yet. Also, my son was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago. However, while these things may look devastating, there is much to praise God for! The bills are paid, and God is continuing to prove Himself to be the Source of all good things in my life. Also, His Word has not returned void in my son. Words of healing have continually been spoken over him since the diagnosis, and when the doctors did their exploratory surgery last week, they found no cancer at all! Hallelujah! Yes, we do serve a mighty God and He continues to bless us in many ways!
I have been working on my newsletter as I find the time, and am hoping to have it out very soon. I hesitate to give a definite time or date, though, but will say I am trying my best to get it out as quickly as possible.
Thank you so much for being faithful and loyal to my blog and my writings. Many of you have walked this journey with me for several years, and many of you are relative newcomers here. I keep all of you in my prayers daily and look forward to hearing about the wonderful things God is doing in your life!
I am going to try to begin posting what I am thankful for each day here as I have been doing on my Facebook profile.
Today I am thankful for....words of encouragement and exhortation from unexpected sources!
Monday, November 16, 2009 - Monday and vacation is over....
It's Monday...a day I usually like....but not today. Today's Monday means vacation is over and Honey had to go back to work. Not cool, not cool at all!
We had a wonderful week. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just really enjoyed being together, all of us....
Today, it's back to work for Honey and back to school for us. A busy week, with quite a few busy weeks ahead.
We'll be having company for Thanksgiving. We had thought we wouldn't...but a friend we haven't seen in several years is coming to visit! How cool is that??
We had a busy weekend....Thomas did a job for a friend and cleaned a piece of equipment. Since we had rented a pressure washer for that job, we used it to clean the house too. It looks so much better!!
Guess I'm not in a chatty, bloggy mood right now....sure do miss my Honey. And I sure miss the extra sleep I have been getting! Thomas came downstairs about an hour ago. Yes, my son, up at 6am!! How cool is that?!
Time to start the day..Natalie and Mary are up now too....just need to rouse the sleeping Miss Rebecca....
Friday, November 13, 2009 - Happy Birthday Baby
Today marks one of the greatest events in world history....the birthdate of my beloved wife. Our children and I are infinitely blessed and continually encouraged by her positive,bright outlook.
As a mother she sees to our children's every need all the while working to form them into independent, self sufficient, confident adults.
As a teacher she works diligently to provide our children with the intellectual tools necessary to navigate whichever path in life they should choose.
On our first post-introduction in-depth conversation I learned that while she possessed all she needed to pursue a truly professional occupational career, her desire was the higher calling of wife/mother done right.
She never disappoints, always satisfies, and often surprises. We are all spoiled I tell you.
As a wife, well folks.... to say that I am satisfied, spoiled and sometimes overwhelmed in every dimension would not begin to adequately describe my life with this woman.
My precious I thank God for you, I ask God to bless you. And I wish you a Happy Birthday!!!! I know I am glad you were born.
Your husband and biggest fan
Toby
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - V*A*C*A*T*I*O*N*!!!
It's vacation time!!!
We LOVE vacation time!!! It means Honey is home with us...no giving him to Home Depot for 10 hours a day...he's just home with us. Oh, how I'd love to win the Publisher's Clearing House giveaway or the lottery. The ultimate dream has always been to have Honey home....dare to dream....
We haven't done anything super special...just done what we normally do, but all together. Today, we went for eye exams for Honey and me. Even that is more fun when Daddy's with us!
This Friday marks a birthday....mine.....I'm not feeling too chipper about it. This is my 40th...and it is not the age I see myself being. But, the alternative is not my first choice, so I'll take it. I know it's just a number. I know 40 is not old. I know, I know, I know. I just also know that me being 40 is so not cool.
This year will be odd for us, holiday wise. Rebecca will be gone with my family to Cozumel for the week of Thanksgiving. Not having her here with us is going to be sooooooo odd. Not sure I like it already!
Also this year will be another first...no family with us for Christmas. That has NEVER happened before...I've never not had some family around me for Christmas. I'm not too sure I'm happy about this...but it is what it is.
While we were eating today, I posed the question....would you rather go away for Christmas for a couple of days....or stay home with gifts and a tree? Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE decorating for Christmas. But, if we didn't have a tree and all that jazz....and didn't buy gifts...we could instead spend that money on a memory making trip. I was promptly and totally voted down. My children want to stay home, want a tree, and yes, even want gifts. Imagine that....
So, home we will stay. No clue where we will put our tree. With our new living room furniture, there's not any room left over. Perhaps if we were successful at selling our piano, we could put the tree where it currently is...and put up bookshelves after Christmas there.
Planning a trip to Nashville with friends next week. Always love going to Nashville!!! :)
I'm ready to turn in....it's been a long day. A fun day...but a day of being gone from home for over 10 hours.... ;)
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