Oh, What To Do...What To Do...

Oh, What to do on a hundred degree day? Can't very well stay in our little, sweltering hot, non-air conditioned(miss that so much), box so here is what we did today....

We started the day with family worship and reading the Word....then my dear husband took us out for lunch so I wouldn't have to fix lunch in the hot box....I was so thankful at his thoughtfulness!

I took the picture of the hay bales to show you all what I see every time we go to town...isn't it delightful! I really do love living in the country...just wish our living conditions were "normal"...

We then headed off to a more secluded part of the lake we live near, knowing that our regular spot would be packed and might be hard to keep track of all the children. Just look at the fun we had...it was a great day ending in a fun camp-out for the children!


This made everyone laugh...here little man is working hard on his "shelter"...those of you that know us will understand the "laugh" as we are big on survival and shelter....apparently our littlest has been listening to our conversations in his three years of life...

These huge drift woods made marvelous boats - who needs Walmart for floaters when the Lord provides.

Little man is helping with our neighbors horses...what fun for a youngster his age!

Nightie-night all!!!!!

Great Accompishment..Great Garden..Great Fun

Here is our little man learning the fine art of making chocolate milk....just look at that "I did it" grin! He made chocolate milk for his sister and brother and was so happy to deliver it to them..what a Great Accomplishment!

Enjoying the goodness of fresh chocolate milk...by the way the milk used was less than two hours old...mmmmm nothing beats fresh from the cow milk!

One of the blessings of my husband gardening as much as he does...our daughter has made her very own garden. It's growing wonderfully and she tends it just like her father does...with much care and attention to detail! She is growing beans, melon, tomatoes, peppers, peas, flowers and strawberries...It's a Great Garden!

This is our swimming hole for the summer. It's wonderful and seems to be a "secret"...as it is usually not crowded.

It's really fun when the speed boats whizz by and give us fun waves to splash in...it is a great place to have some much needed great fun!

One thing we, the parents, really like is that we can sit in one spot and see the swimming area and the playground...just with a turn of the head...nice!

A Day In The Life Of Us...

For almost eleven years now we have had some sort of garden. This year our garden is so big that its overwhelming to me. Its pert near an acre of garden...weeds...watering...sun...dirt....and I have been complaining a lot.....we garden most of our days here and the garden isn't just a quick hobby - we all spend several hours pulling weeds and watering - it usually takes us four hours to water only half of the garden....thus I've been really fussing over how much we must spend in this tremendous garden....I have seen my children start to complain and grumble at the garden and realized that I must stop...especially as God's word clearly compares complaining and grumbling to that of practicing witch craft...oh, joy!

So instead of complaining I will list some reasons I love to garden...we are together as a family, we are teaching our children how to grow a garden, we are teaching our children how to work hard, I have a tan, we ate our first pea harvest last night, we will have more than enough produce to share, sell and can...there is my list and here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Yep, I garden barefoot, shorts and a tank-top....and I get covered in the fine...dusty dirt!

Well, I'm off to go help in the garden...have a wonderful day filled with no complaints! Oh, and if you are wondering we have...carrots, beets, cucumbers, peas, four different kinds of potatoes, tomatoes, squash, melons, peppers, bush beans, string beans, corn, fennel, a few herbs, berries...and flowers!

Happy 4th of July

In celebration of some special friends I copied this picture from her blog...so we'd match!

Happy 4th of July to all! We remember those who signed the Declaration of Independence and helped give us our God given freedom...have you read that incredible document? Do you realize that the signers of the Declaration became "criminals" and most of them were hunted down like dogs and killed on sight...just so you, their Posterity, could be free! I challenge you to read the Declaration and memorize it...understand it! The words are foreign to most but it is interesting to note that the Declaration was written in such a way that the simple farmer could read and comprehend it...how far we have come in our understanding...oh, how far! I haven't memorized it but do read it and read it to my children...little by little so we can understand it and not loose our God given right..."for my people perish for lack of knowledge"....

Our celebration started the evening before as we loaded up and drove down to the "Two Rivers Casino" - oh, horrors a Casino...we actually were warned by some locals to not go to the actual Casino but to park along the mountain side...glad we did as we could hear the drunks all the way up on the cliff that we were on...it was a spectacular event - there were boats in the water and loud and enormous fireworks.

On the 4th we went to go see a jousting contest...hmmm my thoughts are these people who put on the jousting could have included the curious audience better and some of them were ummmm quite rude to my 13 year old son...who really didn't need someone being rude to him on this particular day(I'll explain in a moment)...we went home to milk cows and grab some dinner...then it was off again to the little community park...and I mean little...the park is probably no bigger than a small backyard! There was music...could have done without that...and fun on the one slide and four swings...then finally the booming began...it was beautiful and loud! We did sit with people we have been getting to know over the past year here in our little part of the world...but it was bittersweet to us....

The bitter sweetness....we have some very special and dear friends that we have spent many 4th of July's with...and I really have to think of when we didn't spend a 4th with them...it just seems as though it's always been with them...and the last two years we have not been able to spend with them.

For some reason this year seems to be the hardest...I felt so sad and lonely for my dear friend who has a flair of making holidays so special...she always made fun foods, fun activities and it was such a delight to my eyes to watch our children play and enjoy being around one another! I think my oldest son took it the hardest this year as he really missed his best buddies but thankfully the Lord has kept that relationship open and growing.

They are life-time friends....kinds you don't meet everyday...the kinsd you hold on to and cherish as they are so dear and so rare a find....we miss them so greatly...more than I can express!

So our prayer is that the Lord bring us together for other 4th of July's - don't know how or when...but it will be a joyous re-union for sure and that will be something worth blogging about for sure!

P.S....you can visit our friends blog by clicking on the "My Life On A Taffy Pull" picture to the right - you will enjoy it I know!