Medicine Lodge

Well, it was the first time this summer that I have been able to get away...been working overtime between the DDA's and my mother.  Shane took me to Medicine Lodge, and I think the Lord had been saving all the wild flowers up just for me.  It was beautiful, and the smell was just amazing!

My future home when I retire....stop laughing.

To allow the girls some freedom, Shane would allow Beth to drive the 4wheeler and I would put Grace on my lap and allow her to steer.  Over the blowing wind you could often hear her singing "I'll take you for a ride on my big green rhino.."  One time her tune was interrupted by the comment "Hey! you know what? I drive pretty good with my eyes closed!"  I am utterly convinced that 90% of the time we were careening totally out of control and she was loving every minute of it.  The other 10% I was clutching the steering wheel for dear life and she was trying to figure out how to pry my fingers off...... such a child.

About right here I, Grace and Berry got separated from the rest of the family... I stopped to take a picture not knowing that around the corner there was a fork in the road... I wasn't worried, but apparently I was the only one. I just stopped at the fork and waited for them to come back for me. Have you ever had a tongue lashing from five men?  It's not pretty. So to be brief I will just say they told me to get my nose out from behind the camera and drive!

They mine travertine up here, It looks so pretty to see mountains of it.

...  

This would make a great place for formal family pictures IF you didn't have to get so windblown and dirty to reach it.

Bethany wanted some of the large pine cones from the tree that grew on the cliff.  Dad was her escort.

This is very familiar territory for my guys..they hunt here. They are reminiscing and showing mom where all their great hunts took place.

The entire place was in bloom.. and as you drove across it,  it smelled like strong lilac unless you hit the sage and then...well it smelled like sage.:)

Now....there is a family joke around our house ~whenever someone does something silly you will hear "that will end up on the blog!"  In all fairness, I am not as cruel as I could be, I keep a lot of photo's just for myself. BUT.... so that they can never accuse me of being one sided, here is yours truly with a tiny bit of wisdom.... If you are riding caboose, do NOT apply your lotion in the morning....dust will stick.

How fast they grow

I am having a hard time deciding who is growing faster.

The boy or his dog......

Beaver and mink skulls...

Dan's Bear

The boys and I were busy this weekend cleaning out a few skulls... yeah, I know.  They better talk sweet at my funeral!  They cleaned a bear skull for their Uncle Dan, it turned out nice.

Happy Anniversary !!!

As of yesterday I have been married 19 years.

I wish I could say something poetic and beautiful to express the past 19 year... but truth be told I am speechless~  The ups, the downs. The joys and the sorrows are really too much to put here. But the one thing I can honestly say is that I have grown to know true love, I have grown from a scrawny eighteen year old who didn't have a clue into an old bride who feels loved and cherished daily. I am so thankful for my leader and my protector, I am thankful for God's covenant of marriage.  I am thankful that God has allowed me to experience the kind of marriage that few ever find and one I didn't deserve.....  Happy Anniversary Darling, I can't wait to see what's waiting in the next 19.

P.S. I think you have the cutest dimple....

Would you look....

At what has arrived!

No, sweetie..not the quack grass!  I think quack

grass secretly grows under the snow.

But I am talking about the spring flowers!!!

And the cherry bushes are the happiest

little things. Here's hoping they haven't started too

soon as every one loves cherries.

The bees have been so cranky because they were just starving to death.

But today they were back to their peaceful selves.

 The plums are a little more cautious

about opening themselves up to the world.

And the apples are still shut tight.

And of course we take advantage of the first warm day

to clear up winter's muck...

Before you start to feel too bad for him,

there was a bobcat in there helping too.

It was an exhausting day, but the corral and barn are clean

for the year, and tomorrow we can relax

AFTER we till the garden and rake the back area and 

plant the seeds and clean around the fire pit and get the irrigation water in and........

LOL! talk to you all in the fall.:) 

Ride 'em Cowgirl

How you round up the cows

when you can't find yer hoss....

Our God is an Awesome God...

You may remember last year when David turned 16, I posted about him finding work.  Work is a big issue for us because we don't believe in children wasting their teen years flipping burgers or bagging groceries, we want them to spend their time learning a skill or trade as well as making money.

You can read in May of last year how the Lord sent David a job right out of the blue and he learned how to shape and install seamless rain gutters, then he went to work in the cabinet business with his dad.

Well, Cody turned 16 two days ago and we have been praying very hard for him to find a veterinary assistant  position for this summer.  He was a little worried the economy would cause jobs to be scarce and had asked if it would be alright if after he put in apps at the vets if he could also turn one in to the Eagle Rock Fur...a tannery.  I thought he could probably do both if he wanted to.

Today, we stopped in to drop off a few hides that Cody wanted tanned and just kind of hung around talking with the owner for a few minutes...it became obvious that Cody was NOT going to ask the guy for an application so I decide that we would take our leave.

 The owner followed us out to the car and once again asked Cody if he was the one who had done the skinning and fleshing on these animals?  When Cody answered "yes" The owner proceeded to offer Cody a job working for him...

I just chuckled, I have long since ceased to be surprised at my Father, amazed at His goodness, yes, but surprised? No.

Cody, still plans on turning in apps at the vets, after all, there are life long goals at stake here, but the heat is off. The worry is gone. God provided.  He has a perfect plan. One that, if we will just stay out of the drivers seat, He will fulfill.

And I'd just like to praise Him for that.

Both Ends of My Rainbow

Okay, I know this picture is five years old..... I know it is because we were building this shed when my dad passed away.  But if I had not had a trauma to mark the date I would think this was much more recent than that.  Time flies much too quickly.....  That however, is not the point of this post.  I found this picture while cleaning some clutter in the basement and was reminded of  the striking contrast between my children.  This is my oldest and my youngest.  I must be like a color copier that ran out of ink... I went from producing "Dark Mexican"  to "Albino" in  a matter of ten years.LOL. 

And I just want to go on record as saying...No matter what Shane tries to make everyone believe....they are all his. LOL.

Every day Prayer

There has been a lot of debate over our Nations "day of prayer."  To be honest...I didn't know there was one. But if I had, I would never have celebrated or supported it anyway.  Why?  The answer is simple, believers are not to join themselves with unbelievers even in prayer and if you need a special day to cause you to pray, you need more help than one day will accomplish anyway.

The badge of Christianity that most people wear today is more foreign, pagan and abominable to the true God than any cult.  Most Americans who claim to worship God are in fact worshiping an idol.  They paint their god as a touchy, lovey, feel good, do what you want and I will bless you no matter...type creation. They see God as a genie in the bottle, one they pull out and rub a little when they are having a tough time.
They send emails about him, create "inspirational" you tube videos or sign their names to "I'm a Christian!" chain letters.

"We must fight for our rights!"... Don't you already have the right to pray every day? Do you REALLY believe that calling a day by a certain title will cause EVERYONE to join in? Should we honestly pray before God and say "today we talk to you, tomorrow however, we're back to the same old grind....".

And to whom is the day of prayer granted?  Do you want your voice mingled with that of a Buddhist?  An Islamic?  Do we really think we impress God.......our god.......their god.......A GOD  with all our pomp and ceremony?  Pleeease..........I won't bow my knee with that. 

I won't listen to a baby murdering, sodomite protecting, blasphemous government calling me to pray, by setting aside ONE day....
Listen to Paul:

Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

For as I passed by and beheld your devotions,

I found an alter with this inscription,

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship,

him declare I unto you.

God that made the world and all things therein,

Seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,

dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

Neither is he worshiped with men's hands,

 As though he needed anything,

seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. 

You see, God does not need us to fight his battles.  In truth, we need God to fight our battles.

My children and I  read the other day in the book of Deuteronomy

"I am the God that stands in your midst."  

We envisioned it as ~ being dressed in battle gear and facing the enemy on the battle field. As the trumpet sounds and we charge out to battle we notice that the enemy suddenly stops...they are no longer looking at us but above us.... their mouths are gaping, they drop their spears and turn to flee.  We, in amazement, turn to see a sight that is awesome, terrible, frightening and beautiful all at once....Our God....standing in our midst.
The battle is won, the glory is God's.

If you've read the book of Revelation, you already know how this story ends...God wins. He wins by his strong and powerful might...not ours.  So what are you called to do?  Point their eye's to HIM.  Let them see His glory shine around you.  Let them see the Creator that is to be feared and reverenced. 

But when it comes to prayer... enter into to your closet, keep it between you and God. And thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

St. Matthew 6:5~7 

30/39

Thirty degrees with 39 mile per hour winds...blew the milk bucket right out from under my goat this morning....

gotta love that.

The Task Ahead of Me 

is Never as Great 

as the Power Behind Me!

Grumble...

I would just like to say that it is snowing again today....and I am NOT going to post pictures.  For those of you sitting down there in your 70* weather, and you know who you are.......LOL. yer on my list and it's not my Christmas one either. LOL

Good Morning

Thought it would be a good way to wake up... so I threw the bums in bed with the girls. Little did I know they would simply snuggle down in and go back to sleep.  I need to recruit some wilder bums if I am to use them for wake up call.

Only in Idaho...

Well, the April showers have stopped for a moment....

My tracks on the way out to go milk

Boys, wanting to sing Christmas carols.

Cupid, is unable to shake that little patch of snow right on top of his head.

Cody and Mocha, Bethany's new dairy doeling. Messing around.

BTW~ He took his final for the third class for Veterinary assistant yesterday and passed with a 97%.  Now to get a resume made up and start visiting the vet offices when he turns 16 next month.

April Showers

Hello....Darlin'

Ladies, I know I am a married woman but I am afraid my heart has wandered!  

Sing it with me....fourteen quarts at a tiiiiiiiiime and it didn't cost me a diiiiiiiime...... LOL!

Well, now that is not actually true.  it cost me $30.  I was on amazon the other day and saw that they had the All American 14 qt. listed for $230.  I have been canning for the past decade with two 7qt cookers at once and I just thought "Hmmm, I wonder if I could get enough out of my two to pay for one?"

So I posted them on Craigs list just to see.  One was at $150 and the other at $50.  My $150 sold right off the bat ~but the other had me sweating and didn't sell the first week.  I kept thinking "Oh Lord, I sold my best one and now I am going to be stuck running small batches all fall on my Presto."  BUT the second week a gal came and snatched it up too.  I took my  $200 and mooched another $30 from my man and well, as they say  "lived happily ever after" .LOL!

I was tempted while on there to get the 19qt.  After all I have one smaller cooker down cellar that I could have sold too. :) But decided that the sheer weight of  cooker, water and 19 full qts of food would just pulverize my little old stove. The poor thing is abused enough, after all I own it.

So anyway, if you pass my house tonight and hear someone inside singing praises in her kitchen....you'll know it's me again the spoiled daughter of the King.

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!