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!

Everything is big here...except my living space...

Today's post is just fitting as everything around here just seems to be huge...except my living quarters...this nice bull we are borrowing for a "job" that the A-I guy was unable to complete...if you were curious he's done with his job...isn't he amazing...we named him Major while he is here and if you haven't guessed my husband is just in love with him and feeds him a special treat every morning and evening...

Now look at this HUGE grub! Yes, it's a real live grub! My husband found three of them while he was cutting firewood for winter and of course he had to bring them home to the boys...they were thrilled...and well I had to take some pictures of it to share with all of you! I suppose if you were in the woods and very hungry you could put it on a stick and there you have it...instant hot dog...hmmmm I think I'd be a vegetarian at that point!

This is our favorite cow "Ruthie" she's giving you a hello sniff...she's just a sweetie and we all adore here!

Obtaining Righteousness....

Today was especially hard for me. I've been doing good...keeping my spirits alive and well...but today I had really want to be done here and done with this lifestyle...the dirt, two children sick with no place to really keep them secluded...the dirt, the small space, the dirt, the ity-bity tiny space that my husband calls the "kitchen" - which is a joke, the hours of working in the huge garden, not able to have company over, and the list goes on...! I'm frustrated and want to be in my own house on my own land...SO I let everyone know this and how tired of this place I am...I let them all hear me and I aimed my frustration out on my husband mostly and blamed him completely for this decision....eeek!

It felt wonderful to "blow"....at first...as he left to get firewood for the winter...he calmly told me to have a good day...humph!

I went for a walk and was SILENT...and QUIET...hmmmm I felt so much better when I got back and actually felt like I could make it through another day...

Later in the evening I sat down to read my word...I am in the book of James...and this scripture spoke volumes to me...corrected me more like it and I so wanted to share my experience with you...

James 1: 20....For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God

Do you see how profound this scripture was for me? I let my wrath of "man" forth and it certainly did not work the Lord's righteousness in my life or my families today...what a shame that I lost this morning to the wrath of "man".

Oh, friends in the Lord...let us each day try not to let our wrath out...being silent when things are tough and we are afraid, in doing so we will worketh the righteousness of God not the wrath of man...This will be a really hard lesson for me...

Well, that's my two cents for the day...I hope you enjoyed a peek at my heart and what the Lord is doing in my life....ta-ta thanks for stopping by!

Just The Two Of Us...We Can Make It If We Try....

As most of you know our living conditions have changed drastically...we are in a very tight trailer and all in the same space...all the time, thus there has not been any time for my husband and I to be quiet and alone...thus a long awaited get-away!

My creative husband found us a three-star hotel and paid half price for it because he googled "Price-Chopper" - I was so touched by what he did because he did it for me. He wanted his wife of 17 years to feel like a queen and I did...the hotel was gorgeous and overlooked the Spokane Park. Probably one of my favorite things about our get-away is that we walked from our hotel to all of the places you see here...downtown and along the gorgeous park along the falls...it was dreamy!

We both felt like we were given a second honeymoon...something that we both needed! Enjoy the pictures! The first one is of me as we left...whooo-hoooo is what I was thinking...I felt refreshed and excited to have my husband all to my self! I Love Him So Much! The Lord really rekindled our relationship as we were able to stroll along holding hands most of the time...We got a lot of "oh, cute" looks from on-lookers. Bet they thought we were newly married...teee-heee fooled them!

Elvis has left the building...

A perfect beginning to a fabulous date...coffee! We love coffee!

Spokane Clock Tower along the falls trails...beautiful walk.

Yep, thats my husband hanging off of this huge slide...fantastic isn't it! We named this slide after some friends of ours...you know who you are!

Okay, so I fell in love all over again....yes, with my husband but also with this darling cafe! Madeleine's French Cafe - it was the best little
cafe I've ever been too...I loved the decorations as they were very quaint...blues, yellows and can you see it...roosters and baskets and antique furniture....so me! The food was wonderful...so much so that we stopped for dessert and were so impressed we went back for breakfast and were not disappointed! http://madelines-spokane.com/

We did go to a movie, the new Robin Hood, and afterwards we tried something new...a Greek restaurant. We enjoyed a delicious fare of lamb, Greek meets and a delicious spinach entree... It was all so good - especially our breath afterwards! I don't think they have a website but it was called Santorini Greek Restaurant.

If you are ever find yourself in downtown Spokane you must try these two places - you will be delighted...ummmm call me first as I will want to join you!

Bye for now...thanks for stopping by!~

Cave-In

As we enter into summer we wanted to do something fun and memorable for the children. They have worked hard this school year under some not so "roomy" circumstances. They've been through a lot of emotions and heartache but have learned to praise our Lord through it all. They've watched their parents go through some emotional roller coasters as well - it's been an interesting year to say the least - we made it! Thank you to all of you for your prayers and support....the Lord is good and worthy to be praised in all circumstances. Habakkuk 3:17-18 is a verse we have been thinking on throughout the school year and it is clearly what we are learning! "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the stalls and no cattle in the stalls, YET, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior" - Now we still have food and a garden and milk girls providing us with plenty but most of you know what we have endured and what we have lost...and if we as a people of God can grasp this, rejoicing in all things, then we will not be shaken or moved. Oh, Lord that we truly would stand and rejoice in you!

So getting to the pictures...we decided to start our summer break on an adventure! That is my theme for summer "Adventure"...I've got so many ideas running around for summer and hope they all come to pass so I can blog about them...anyway our first summer adventure - cave hunting!

What a fantastic adventure this was. The caves were very interesting and the experience was unforgettable! So the caves were more of a "shelter dug out" from "millions of years" of erosion, water etc..., of course we know that it is a world wide flood that created these magnificent caves which native Indians would use for shelter as they gathered the sage and hunted for wild game in preparation for the winter months ahead....Enjoy the pictures!

Here we stopped at Dry Falls lookout as we were headed home...more proof of a world wide flood or ice age as they claim on the information boards....amazing that so many deny the truth...deny His creation that they so much enjoy!

A pic-nic and fun at Soap Lake. This lake is so neat as it really does look like soap on the edge from the mineral deposits.

Getting so big isn't he!

Good Ole' American Round-Up

This has to be the highlight of us living here...our friends whose boys are part of the round-up crew invited us to come watch the spring round-up! What a fantastic insight into the American Cowboy way of ranching. We were fascinated at the skill this took.

My husband, myself and our oldest son were invited to join in the round-up - we all have a greater respect for those who have been doing this for years.


Yep that's our boy holding down a calf to be branded, castrated and given shots...had to hold on tight!
The boys, one in a white plaid and the other in a darker plaid, are friends of ours - they are gems in our eyes and we really enjoy being around these young men.

No you're not seeing double...that's our son at the rear and yes that's his mom at the front....it was exhilarating to be able to actually hold a calf down...makes me want to learn more about ranching....so much more!

Here our son is with the young man and young gal that have been doing this round-up for many years and they are the ones that encouraged both myself and our son to get in there and help...glad they did!

Watching on the sidelines...look at those great pink boots from the Lord...a good friend of ours found them at the Goodwill in perfect condition!

Thank you to our friend for the thoughtful gift for our daughter who had been saving to purchase pink cowgirl boots!

I really enjoyed watching the cowboys and cowgirls rope up the calves - it was beautiful to me...wish I could do it...maybe someday you'll see me out there roping!

Pretty in Pink.....

Thank you to the Tacoma family for thinking of us and including us in the Spring Round-Up. It was a fantastic day.

Hope you enjoyed a bit of good ole American history...an American art!