Shells' Angels.......

Have you ever seen such a pack of ruffians?  It is official!! The boys were paid for last years pipe and the final bike is nestled safely in the garage.  They want to put graphics on their bike to make them personal... their name on one side and they couldn't decide what to put on the other.  I threw in my two cents..."Shells' Angels".  You have never heard such a groan.  I think I should have a little input, after all I am the one who had them up and in the field before 5a.m. for the past four summers. But alas, that doesn't seem to matter....



I did want to share a sweet story about the boys though,  then I am sure you'll think they are Shells' angels too.  When I went up to tell them goodnight on the day they bought the last bike, I could hear them jabbering excitedly.  I expected to find when I got up there they would be talking about how they would never touch another pipe and sleep in for the rest of their summers but what I heard both surprised me and warmed my heart....

Me: What's up gentlemen?
Boy: Mom? do you think we could earn enough to buy two of those little Jap 4wheelers in one summer?
Me: I guess so.....why?
Boy:  Could you afford two helmets?
Me: WHY?
Boys all at once:  We were thinking that you and dad are saving money for more land, and so we know you cannot do it .  But we could, if we haul just one more summer, we could get the girls each a little 4wheeler.  But they would have to be purple and pink!  We wouldn't have enough for helmets though.... maybe you could afford those? On and On they went passing and ditching idea's as fast as they presented themselves.

I just sat there and listened, and tried not to cry ( they hate it when mom bawls).  It was so touching, Christ's love in action, all things in common, our goal... " We can have more together than anyone of us could ever have alone."  I sent up a silent prayer to my Saviour in heaven, Dear Lord, please bless their relationship like this forever.....

I don't know if the girls will get the four wheelers, Shane isn't too impressed with the way they are built but to know that the boys would feel it their duty to care and provide for their sisters.... is beautiful to me.

Knight in Shining Armor #1.... BTW~he broke his elbow when he wrecked Andy's blue bike, seen below.

But that is okay, Knight in Shining Armor #2 broke his shoulder while hauling pipe when he tripped on a rock.

We don't even want to talk about what Knight in Shining Armor #3 did.......... on this very bike.

And not to be left out Knight in Shining Armor #4 

beat them all to the punch by breaking his arm 

at the tender age of 5 while learning to ride a peddle bike.....

I tell them I will pay for one arm and one set of braces.

I should just about be finished with my financial responsibility.

Only......Summer is coming, you know........Sigh......

Always a bright side....

So....today Cody walked all the way through my house wearing his trappin' boots!  Needless to say there was a trail of mud.  As I sit on the floor cleaning it up and grumbling,  Drew walks in and says "Geeez Cody!" then with out even taking a breath he spurts out

"Momma, you're lucky he takes big steps!" 

Oh My!

Talk about yer Monday on a Tuesday.  This poor little guy was waiting for breakfast when he decided to find out why Cody was taking so long..... leaning out to take a look~ he fell out and plopped right into the water bucket!
Luckily the boys saw him fall and brought him in right away to get dried off.
Now he is ready to face the day because no matter what happens, the worst is already over!

My Lou

Today we were cleaning  Shane's shop and I reached over and hugged Grace..
 "I love you." I said
"I love you more" was her response.
"Are you sure about that?" I ask  "because I love you a whole bunch!"  
 "Yep," she replies "Cuz if this house was on fire I would chuck you out before me...."

We all had a good laugh then Shane said "Wow, that's a whole lot of love if you'd chuck her first."

Grace answers with " Ah, dad, now you're being sarTastic! "

This Weeks Photo's

Cody is going to make the best dad some day.... here he is taking time to show Grace how to safely shoot her new pink BB gun that she got for Christmas.  They are making use of the heat off the septic tank for the only spot that was not covered snow..LOL

Our first batch of chicks hatched and are sold.  

The result was fair to partly fuzzy.

We took advantage of a sunny afternoon to trim hooves and worm all the adult goats....if you are wondering what kind of mother would allow her children to run around without coats in 40* weather....so am I. My only defense is that as you can see in the picture I was really busy and getting lots of help from Jerling... she wanted to know why I couldn't trim her feet too and kept washing my face with that big old tongue of hers.  Sooo maybe the real question should be ~What kind of woman makes a pet out of a 600 lb animal?

"Little David was a shepherd boy, 

he killed Goliath and then he shouted for joy."  

Or maybe rather he rolled his eyes at mom for calling him little?  

I am glad however, that like his namesake, 

he takes pride in watching over his father's flock.

After a hard day of work Bethany takes a stroll on the river
bottoms to see what treasures winter has left behind.

Psalm 73

  Truely God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.  But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.  Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain ; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.  They are corrupt , and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.  They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.  

Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.  And they say , How doth God know ? and is there knowledge in the most High?  Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.  Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.  For all the day long have I been plagued , and chastened every morning.  If I say , I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.  

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;  Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.  

Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.  How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.  As a dream when one awaketh ; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.  Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.   

Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.  Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

 My flesh and my heart faileth : but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.  For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish : thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.  
 
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

New.

I got a new washing machine today.... oh joy. Two days ago my old one started flooding my laundry room every time I used it.  It was old. It was tired. It was...boy do I know the feeling.  At any rate it kicked it and the repair guy said it would cost more than it was worth to fix it.

I was sitting on the floor cleaning up that never ending mess that I find every time we move an appliance. When Shane walks into the room and asks if I am excited about my new washer.  I raise my eyebrows..excited?

Hmmm...Nope

Washing machines are not cool.  They are mearly a servant helping me do one of my many tasks as I run this home.... not a status symbol in my eyes at all. No, I am not excited.  I would have been more excited if I had been allowed to keep the four hundered dollars in my savings account. 

What I am however, is thankful.  Thankful because once again the Lord provided the money at just the right time for me to have to blow it.  I may not be allowed to save money, that is becoming increasingly obvious but neither am I allowed to run into debt.  And for that I am extremely grateful.

AND because we will now have clean clothes and not be forced to run around naked ~ YOU can be extremely grateful too :)

Dirt!!

Now, honey that is desperate!  When you start taking pictures of dirt there has got to be something wrong in that noggin of yours....  I couldn't help it though... I wish you could smell it... damp dirt!  Ahhhh.  I planted our pepper and tomato plants Saturday. I plant them in open flats because this time of year we do not have enough sunlight in our southern window and they grow long and stringy.

When they are about and inch or so tall I will put dirt in individual pots and replant the seedlings all the way up to their leaves again.  This does two things, one it gives them a large root base to grow from and two it gives them two weeks of extra growth ahead of the sun, by the time they are ready to be replanted the light will be just right for them to grow stocky instead of spindly.  I'll post pictures as we go.

I am so ready for summer,the garden, the weeds, the grass to mow, the sun that soaks right into your bones and makes you feel all lazy like... I am ready!

Right now we are still buried in snow drifts and in some places mud. But the days grow longer.  I went out to my chives, they are up against the house, the snow usually melts quickly there providing me with an early spring treat.... I thought I would make some cheese and add chives to it but my little hens beat me to the tiny new shoots!  Oh well, I cannot hold it against them. They have suffered through the same winter that I have and are simply looking for fresh greens as well.  I love growth...let me rephrase that... I love growth as long as it isn't me that is doing the growing.:)

How are you preparing for spring?