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?

He Created YOU...

I was standing in the toothbrush isle  the other day because...well, because our toothbrushes  wore out and we need new ones.  When I decided on the ones I wanted I began to pull them off the shelf looking for nine different colors... have you ever tried to find nine different colors in a toothbrush?
Not happening.

But farther on down the line something was happening~ people were starting to take notice. Two ladies were whispering back and forth and then a third stopped to watch as well.  Finally one spoke up "Is that a good buy?"

I turned to face my audience...

"What?"

"Those, if you are stocking up like that they must be a good buy!"

I shrug, not wanting to take the time to explain myself.."Sure, if you need toothbrushes."

but she continues "Are you going to take them all?"

"Nope, I'm done."  and off I walk shaking my head as they empty the shelf.
I should get a commission for that. Or maybe, a bad mark on my report card.

Why is it that we tend to feel like we are missing out.. or feel the need to run with the masses?  I meet mothers everyday that waste precious time comparing themselves, their money, their family to others, afraid that if they don't match up they are in some way inferior...  All I can ask is why? Do you not know that God formed you for a special purpose?  One that nobody else can fill? If you are pleasing Him, why worry about what any other mortal may think?
It is about time we take a stand and be the body God created us to be. To be anything else would be unwise.

OOOowww.

Oooh, I am so sore.  It warmed up to 36 yesterday ( today too but I am too sore to do anything about it)  The boys and I headed out as soon as school was over and began cleaning up around the barn and the hay stack.

I also cut down my willow trees, This fall, Jerling plowed through the electric fence that was protecting them and....well, let's just say my goats ate well this winter. Being willows I suspect they will grow up from the roots next spring but my arms are like jello.. I got all soft and mushy this winter and yesterday is really killing me today. It hurts to even type so this will be short.....don't sigh in relief like that.

This week has been long.. Monday, I got a call from my mom's neighbor... your mom has issues.  Then I rolled into Tuesday and it was my client having issues then Wednesday I started class and on and on.

This morning while I was milking,  Zac came out the back door and said "Momma, I've got some good news and some bad news for you."  I buried my face into my goat, she smelled of a barn that needed cleaning, but I kept my face there because I didn't want to hear the news........ He smiles "The bad news is ...there is no good news.  The good news is...there is no bad news."

I pat the goat as she jumps from the stand.  That was exactly what I want, a completely neutral day.  No good, no bad and since it is a balmy 36* I am going to brew my self a jar of ice tea and celebrate.

OH NO!!

Drat! It has started...

I had to go to town today and ship some of Cody's hides to Montana....while there I decided to go to to the store to take back a pair of Cody's pants that had unraveled at the seam.....while there...do you see where this is going???  It is all Cody's fault!! While there I walked over to the clearance section, or what use to be the clearance section, now it is the GARDEN!!!!section.

As I walked down the isles huffing fertilizer, sniffing the scent of new hoses and caressing the lawn mowers my addiction resurfaces... My mind KNOWS that there is four more months before....before ANY of this will be necessary BUT my soul drowns out my mind in a moment of passion as I spy the SEED RACK and I snatch from it a NEW! Burpee red sweet corn!!

At a dollar fifty for a hand full of kernels, I am certain that they are well worth it. First off it is a hybrid....
I don't buy hybrids... Did I check the growing season...are we long enough? Will a hybrid like that taste good?... I have not a clue, nor a care. The package is pretty and the seeds NEED DIRT!!!  Dashing to the check out counter I make my purchase and my addiction is abated for a single solitary moment. Clutching my trophy I let loose a huge sigh....

Shopping has now become a dangerous thing.....I am certain Shane will be confiscating my debit card.  Have no fear there is a five dollar bill stashed in the bottom of my purse, that is enough for 3 more packages........

if I'm careful.
 

For the last time......

This should be the last post on Zachary's arm.  We visited the doctor in Twin Falls on Friday and Zachary is allowed to go with out his brace, according to the doctor,  as long as he is not participating in any "boneheaded" activity.  Zachary gave a sigh and said. "That is going to be hard..."  So I told him to just put the brace on when he felt like being a bonehead. LOL! He will have follow up x-rays in May.

The Lord promises to work everything for our good, and while I admit I have seen very little good while walking this path for the last nine months.  Friday, I realized something that hadn't I consciously thought of   before.  Zachary is an awesome guy.   All my children are great and I love them all dearly.

Zac, however, is truly a middle child and an easy going one at that.  In a family with ten people in it, all competing for mom's time, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle if you don't exert yourself to attract attention.  Zac is content not to attract too much attention. Therefore, he was often on the sidelines.

I realized that we have grown closer to each other over the past year. The days of caring for him in the hospital and later as he slept in my room at home were days that I spent devoting myself to him exclusively. 
I remember the first day as through a medicated haze he said "Mom, if there was ever a good mom, it's not you".. then with a sigh he said " I think I said that wrong...I mean I love ya."

The hours that we have spent in waiting rooms have produced many uninterrupted conversations for me to get to know him better.  He is so funny, and can crack a joke faster than I can blink.  He also has great plans for himself and is ever concerned that his thoughts line up with those of his Saviour.

Now days, he walks up and hugs me out of the blue, he is more attentive to others at home and they are more attentive to him.  The accident ground us to a screeching halt and caused us to appreciate each other as well as each day more....And that is good.

Where are you headed?

Where you finish tomorrow depends on how you start today........

Back 2 School 2

Well, Cody and I are taking online courses at the same time.....as we only have one computer this should prove interesting.  Cody is taking his final class for Veterinarian Assistant in hopes of getting a job after he turns 16. 

I am taking accounting classes to learn how money works... I always though money disappeared but it turns out that is not it's only talent.  Who knew?   As a side note if you have any money laying around that I could practice with,  let me know and I will get you my address.......come on.... you can trust me! LOL!

All the men in my life are in Salt Lake for the Hunting Expo at the Salt Palace.  This morning as I was doing chores I heard birds... It's funny how in the summer birds are just a back ground noise but that first time you hear them after a silent winter they are almost deafening. Made me sigh...

I am done kidding until about mid March.  There are babies everywhere.  I can't wait until Spring, so they can play on the clean grass instead of the dirty snow.

Well, I am going to get some cleaning done while the guys are gone.  Have a beautiful weekend.

Oooohh.......

LOOK! What my hubby brought me for valentines day!! It is the prettiest thing and smells soo good. You cannot see it too well in the picture but the stem/trunk is braided. He was at the hardware store of all places picking up some bolts for a piece of equipment...
Beautiful! Now.....to keep it alive.

How Do I Measure Up......

A good wife is heaven's last best gift to man;
his angel and minister of graces innumerable;
his gem of many virtues; his casket of jewels;
her voice his sweet music;
her smiles his brightest day;
her kiss the guardian of his innocence;
her arms the pale of his safety,
the balm of his health, the balsam of his life;
her industry, his surest wealth; her economy, his safest steward;
her lips, his faithful counselors:
her bosom, the softest pillow of his cares;
and her prayers, the ablest advocates
of heaven's blessings on his head.
~Jeremy Taylor

I want to go back...

No..I really don't.

But do you remember the song? I wanna go back...go back.... and do it all over.....but I can't go back, I know....

Hmmm. now I am showing my age. As if having a 17 yr old son didn't already do that for me!
  

My children and I were playing the Ungame today. Great game. Stirs up a lot of meaningful conversations, we use the Christian version.

Anyway, one of my questions was."If you could go back and live one year over again, what year would it be?" Now, I always try to make my answers deep and meaningful but for this question.... I could not come up with one. My answer was none.

Not one? Nope. The reason being that TODAY is my best day. Today is as good as it has ever been. I wouldn't go back and do any of it over. Today I am one day closer to heaven, one day closer to leaving all the cares and troubles that Satan sends my way behind me. Oh, there are many things I wish I would have done differently, even many things I am ashamed of. But I would not go back to revisit them for anything. My trials and failures are what have caused me to grow but the best~ as they say~ is yet to come.

Maybe it's my fast approaching birthday, that causes me to be more sentimental but the gray that now fringes my hair and the laugh lines that crease my eyes are hard earned. Hard earned and yet they stand as a testimony that I am more than a conquer through my Saviour Christ Jesus. Proof that I am pressing toward the mark and little by little making headway. Positive affirmation that if He can save me.......... well, then He can save anybody.

So, I want to hurry to tomorrow,or maybe relish today, but I never want to move backward... I want to see what other great things the Lord has planned. I want to laugh with my children and love with my man.... the pastures He leads me beside are green indeed.

Otter

I was in the kitchen when I heard a whine, growl and I don't know what else... Otter had been carting around a hanger and I was afraid he had hurt himself.....

It begs the question...is he playing with the hanger or is the hanger playing with him?

I really should allow Cody to make him an inside dog...he keeps me so amused.

Today.....

Stunk.

Woke up this morning to-4.....sigh, it was bitter, bitter cold and I didn't cover my baby rabbits. Grumble, Grumble.....stupid woman. I figured I had lost both batches that were already born and who knows how many kindled during the night.

To my surprise babies were wiggly warm under the soft comforter of their mother's fur. Sigh of relief. But then it was chore time and Cody came knocking on the back door. Thinking he was just letting Otter in for breakfast I went to the back door. Two...count them... two dead baby goats. From two different momma's. They had been squished in the corner of the barn. I am guessing that as the night temps dropped the goats crowded closer and closer to keep warm and the two little dears were caught in the mob. So I woke up $150 poorer today. Both were doelings.

Shane called at lunch and our one sided conversation went something along these lines....

Hi baby, I lost 2 @&%$ kids this morning. I am so tired of fighting this #*%$^@(#$^$@ weather in this arm pit of a State. #*$^@()#&@@!! and @#($&#^@*#^# ..........

Seriously if I would have been on T.V. I would have been one continuous bleep.

But this is what I love about my husband, he gives me his sympathy, dusts me off and sends me right back at it.. "Sorry, to hear that Shell, how are you going to prevent it in the future?........... Good, glad to hear you have it figured out. Love ya girl. Bye!"

No matter how much money I cost him. No matter how hard I fall on my face. No matter how my temper shows. He simply dusts me off, gives me a kiss and a pat and sends me off to my next self inflicted disaster.

He believes in me when I want to quit. He loves me unconditionally. He's a great guy. I just wish I didn't give him so many opportunities to prove it....

Where???

..............Is my pellet gun.......................

Anyone up for groundhog jerky?

Have you ever wondered....

Why the Lord moves the way he does? I know, who am I to question? Right? But sometimes I am just amazed.

I thought last year I had a pretty rough year. My son wrecked his dirt bike, leaving me and my "precious time" at the mercy of doctors, surgeons, physical therapists etc.. By any standards the fact that my son walks and talks is nothing more than God's ultimate show of love for me. But was I thankful? Yes, with lip service..but in my heart I had a pity party. Add to that my aging grandparents who are really my parents, an alcoholic mother, pay cuts, ........ and whine, whine, whine.... yes, this year I was singing the blues.

Until one day, a small comment appeared on my blog. From that comment began a friendship and for me a life changing , attitude adjusting experience that I will never forget.

I want you to meet my friend, Cindy.

The Lord took one of Cindy's boys to heaven, last January.

John, was 14.....

Which of your children just popped into your head? Did you jump up and run to hug them? Yeah, me too. See this entire year I've been hugging and hanging on to my children more. I've been praying and thanking God at the end of each day that I was given that day. And my thankfulness, because of Cindy's story, has been more than lip service.

If ever there was clay being used by the Potter, it would be dear Cindy. I have read her broken posts and seen God's mercy and grace shine through her in a way I cannot explain. The path He chose for her causes me to cringe but She walks it daily...... and her light shines around to those of us who hide and hope that we will never be called to serve in such a way.

Her story is painful but every day she gets up and carries on....I often wonder if I could do the same. I'm pretty certain I could not.

Cindy, graciously, has given me a lemonade award for my blog. She was to give it to blogs that have an attitude of gratitude. Those who take the lemons in life and turn them into lemonade.
I was touched. But she is the ultimate "lemonade maker". I in turn was to give it to ten other blogs....I only follow nine and four of them are hers. Instead I will give it back to her, and encourage you to check out her blogs... I have posted one link and from there you can enter all the others. I promise it will be time well spent. I promise you will be blessed.

www.ctipsanhints.blogspot.com

Thank you Cindy.

2009

If you can see this I finally learned how to post a video!!

Fifteen Minutes

Do you remember the old saying..........I can't either.....
It goes something along the lines of everyone having their 15 minutes of fame? Well, it's been a busy year of fame for my guys.

It started with Shane working on a DIY house in Montana..
"The Ultimate Sportsman's Retreat" built by the owners of the DIY network. I had a hard time picturing the owners as ultimate sportsman. But I guess if it is your show you can call it what ever you want. This show was somewhat of a challenge for me, Shane would come home every night and ask me how it felt to be sleeping with a movie star.....it was all I could do to not take a pin and deflate his head.

For weeks and weeks he was filmed while he kicked cabinets, cut his finger, and got shocked rewiring a sparky's mistake. Yes, it was all there. Oh! and a lot of non mistakes too. Sorry, baby.

We don't have T.V. so I was unable to see it when it first aired but the DVD's were loaned to us last week. Honey, you look awful sexy on the big screen.....


Then it was the boy's turn. Now here! We have the Ultimate Sportsman! They were asked to take Jarrod Scott from "Jarrod Scott Outdoors" along on their trap lines for a local view of trapping. They were so cute! Ahh, they cringe when I use that word.

A trapper wouldn't be a trapper without a trappers hat so I had bought them each one for Christmas. I had to chuckle a little as they stood there in front of the camera with those big old hats and coveralls. Rednecks ~R~ US. Then there is the issue of them being so shy, being on a camera was very painful for them. I couldn't tell at times if they were excited or sick about it.

My favorite part of the whole show, however, is when they catch the biggest coon they have ever caught.... and suddenly the world stops. There is no longer a guy behind a camera, no longer hundreds of people who are going to be watching.....just the moment and Cody and David want to share it with their dad.

Cody begins stuttering... he has had a speech problem from birth, (in fact, there was a time I was told that he would be so profoundly retarded that I should consider an abortion ~but that is another post).

Thousands of dollars and just as many hours of speech therapy can be completely overrode in one split second of excitement, and there was more than a split second here... "Dad, daddy, dad?!" Cody takes a breath "Do you see the size of this coon, dad, daddy,daddy?" Now of course, Shane has not forgotten that the camera is still rolling so he quietly says "Yes, son, he's huge." But that is not good enough, Cody and David want him up there. They want Shane to stand beside them and LOOK at the coon and share their moment.

It touches my heart because there are many teens who wouldn't be caught dead with their parents. And here, the first person my sons think of is their dad. The Lord has blessed us with wonderful relationships with our children. I am ever so grateful. Oh, our family has it's moments, moments of disagreements and tiffs. We'd be a mighty boring lot if we all thought the same. But the friendship, the underlying support that permeates my family leaves me in awe of the Lord's goodness toward me.

In fact there isn't fifteen minutes of it I'd trade for anything in the world.

Wrapping them in love...

Let me share a story...

Maybe it was ten years ago.... My grandfather took my boys down to his basement and asked them if there was anything in the pile of odds and ends that they might want. The pile of odds and ends was the last effects of my great-grandmother's belongings. There wasn't much to interest a little boy but Andrew, about age three found a lap blanket and claimed it at his own. For years and years he hauled that thing everywhere.

Fast forward about seven years later and there is now standing before me a young lad of about ten asking me to repair the tattered blanket, or maybe tattered rag would be a better word. Only the front held together, the back was completely shredded and the batting gone.

"Son, you are too old for blankets." I said, appealing to his manly side in hopes of talking him out of it. I tried to explain that the front part would soon wear out and all our efforts would be in vain... But it was to no avail.
So, I told Andrew that he must do all the work by himself. I hand him the scissors and instruct him to cut all the tattered backing off and if he got it done we'd put it back together.....

In my mind the blanket was just not worth saving. I did not want to mess with it. In the process of using my big heavy scissors, Andy cut a few holes in the front side of the quilt as well... I honestly thought he would just give up and I'd be off the hook. But he didn't. Soon a beaming little boy brought me the front half of his blanket, a little worse for wear because of the snipped holes. I told him that I was busy and would not be able to get to it for a while... I put it in my closet and he ran off to play.

A while indeed...

Fast forward again to Christmas time this year. Shane has taken me shopping at a few shops looking for a music stand for Grace to place her harp music on. I didn't find the music stand but a few other trinkets and as I am checking out the clerk asks if I would like to purchase an "earth bag" you know, the cloth bags that replace plastic. She goes on to explain they were 99 cents and every time you brought it back in 2010 for shopping, you would get 10% off your total purchase. There is a sucker born every minute.

I didn't even look at the bag until I was in the truck on my way home. On the side of the bag was printed...You have the right to ditch the kids, and shop until you're sane again..... I was appalled. In my smug, snobish, attitude I quote "a child left to himself, bringeth his mother to shame.." I decided the next time I made it to town I would return the bag and tell them what I thought of their little snappy comment... until then I chucked it in my closet, and guess where it landed?

Yep, right on top of Andy's unfinished quilt. I tried to shut the closet door but there it sat. I tried to whine that I had just been too busy... But it rang hollow. Sure I'm busy, and much of my busy-ness is centered around them. But to not have time to finish a tiny lap quilt? Especially when it was so important to him? My mind raced as I thought of the wonderful old woman who not only stitched this quilt the first time but raised eleven children with more grace and patience than I will ever posses. I was without excuse. On this blog are hundreds of words, on the web thousands of sites, on my shelf many books... truth be told I have plenty of time for what I want to do.... truth be told I had ditched my son.



I was no longer the smug woman looking down her nose at others but looking down my nose at a pile of rags that seemed to ask "If I am not worth it, is he?" Needless to say the quilt is now finished. Years of waiting were finalized as soon as I got the tears out of my eyes.

It was a hard haul. lots and lots of time repairing and restitching. Lots of time for self reflection. True self reflection is often painful for me. I, however, need my vision renewed at times and I am grateful when those opportunities come. I offered the blanket to Andrew with an apology for taking so long. He snatched it out of my hand, thanking me all the while. And he never even used the word "finally."


He came to me a short time later, however, asking why the snip marks were all repaired in black? I smile, and reply " I hope they don't bother you son, but your momma needs to be able to see them okay?" "Sure mom!" and off he ran. I have given myself a visual reminder. And in my closet will forever hang one nasty little lying bag that will never earn me a discount at the store because it is worth far more right where it is at.

Carpet!

The boys are in.....

And this room is ready for it's next hundred years.

Whew! Glad to be done.

A dangerous place indeed....

"It has come to the time where the most dangerous place to be in America is not the inner city, where gangs threaten innocent lives, or in angry prisons, where only the fit survive, but in the womb of a mother who is being told that if she doesn't really want the baby, an abortion is the solution."

~Chuck Swindoll

Ahhh.......

It's 6:10 p.m. and there are still traces of light in the night sky... my chickens laid three eggs today. Gentle reminders that the days are growing longer. Slowly, ever so slowly but longer none the less. It is freeing in a way, even though there are many days of winter left ~Spring is fluttering in our hearts and we wait expectantly.

Such is the walk of a Christian also. Yes? So many more days, many will be disappointing, some like tonight will be lighter but each one draws us closer to the final one where we can live forever in the eternal Sonshine....that thought too is freeing.

Cindy's tips and hints....

My girlfriend, Cindy, is giving away the cutest bag on her blog to celebrate her 5th birthday blogging... check her out at:

http://www.ctipsanhints.blogspot.com/

22 below

Well, my little "weather for you" icon is a liar!!! it says-15 but it is actually -22. I'm cold, I'm cold and did I mention I am cold? I opened my door this morning and the catch froze in... took me five minutes just to be able to get my door to latch shut again.
The boys are bundled with thick scarves just to stop the frigid air from hurting their lungs while they do chores.
Thankfully we do not have any babies due until Monday...maybe it will break by then. Usually it lasts about two weeks but it has been so cold in December I am praying we are on the tail end instead of the beginning. Please explain global warming to me again........... just one more time????

Well, now that I have that off my chest I feel much better.

Snow!

Well, it finally warmed up enough to snow and snow and snow and snow!

Now, I have to give the credit for these pictures to Shane,
I'm too much of a whanny when it comes to snow and cold.
Run to the barn check the babies and
back to the house is about all I can do.

My poor picnic table.....dreaming of warmer days....

My trap line is around here somewhere!

T & G

Well, as usual I got these in here backward! I cannot grasp how to load pictures. We have put the last piece of Tongue and Groove on!!!! That ledge on the stairwell is for a book shelf!! We NEVER have enough shelf space. Now, to trim the windows, sand, spray the finish and then carpet!!!!

When it's all listed out like that is sounds like a lot left to do..... but after the T & G sitting in our basement for two years, I'd say we are well on our way.

Do you have any idea how much this dinky little door cost?

Try double the price a a full size! Just made me sick.

"Honey, quit taking my picture!"

My Boy

MRI of the screws when they put humpty dumpty together again!

A hungry boy! I fixed him a sandwich and he said

" Ah, this is the first home cooked meal I've had in three days..."

LOL! he must have been desperate.

and one happy momma!

What Chiefers found...

Today was sunny. I thought I'd let Bonita out to enjoy it and just watch her....never think that. If it wasn't for Jerling ( my cow) bellering her head off I would have missed the whole thing. Bonita is a first time momma. Had her baby right in the muckiest spot she could have. Chief was there to protect him though. Have I ever told you how much I love my dogs?

Much cleaner.

Zacky ~D

Please keep Zachary in your prayers for the next few days. He and his dad left this morning for Boise where he will have surgery tomorrow. He has not healed right since his bike accident on Mother's day and a specialized specialist will be reconstructing his arm. This is Zac after the accident.. The arm is twisting and causing him some pain. As in the picture below if you watch him he does everything two handed. His right hand should be the dominate one. He's such a great guy, never complained about it, just simply figured out how to work around it.

But he can't work around it forever. The longer it goes the more deformed it will become. Please pray they will get it right this time and that God will heal him quickly. Also, please pray that his fingers don't lock up. His body produces vast amounts of scar tissue. This scar tissue freezes up all the tendons to his fingers...translated to mean LOTS of physical therapy. And while I'm begging for prayers here I guess I'll add the last one. Boise, is a four to five hour trip, please pray we can have follow up visits with a local doctor.

Away in My Manger....

Alright, I know it is Christmas and I really do have to get back to the family. But... I had to share, they arrived about an hour ago, both girls!!! Mom and babies are doing fine..... I guess we should name them something special like Joy and Noel.

Got to run.