this isn't the life i signed up for....it's much better!

Paper Scraps and Cards

2012-01-27T05:23:00.000-08:00

I've been making card kits using up a lot of the 'stash' I have. I buy things to make a card I have in mind...but for some reason I buy enough to make 10 or 15 of the same card!

Kirsten helped me sort out my paper scraps the other day.

These are two of the cards I made for the new kit I have available. The link to check out the kit is on the right (click on 'embellishment kits')

Kyle's Car

2012-01-16T06:24:00.000-08:00

Kyle got a new-to-him car! It's awesome! I'm going to see if I can find the same kind of car when I graduate from the mini-van stage of life!

The girls got new dolly-n-me dresses for Christmas and reluctantly posed for photos in front of the tree before I put the tree away.

I put together some card kits for a class (or just for purchase). Check out my embellishment kit site for details. Link to the site on the right----

Keenan's SLC Christmas

2011-12-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

We missed Keenan at Christmas this year, but he had a nice time in Salt Lake City. Here's some photos he shared with us:

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T06:26:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas here in NC! Kyle was home for Christmas this year and we had a fantastic conversation with Keenan who is in Salt Lake City on his mission. Brandee and Scott enjoyed their first Christmas in their own home (and I hope she posts some photos on her blog soon!! *hint*)

Handmade mittens from mom-mom:

Handmade American Girl Doll Dresses from Grandma:

Kyle's gift to Tim and me (SO COOL!!):

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T13:43:00.001-08:00

From our family to yours, we wish you the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year!

Kirsten says...

2011-12-21T19:56:00.001-08:00

The other day, Kirsten told Tim a story of something that happened about 2 months ago. Tim changed my cell phone ring for his calls to Sugarland's Stuck Like Glue. Here's Kirsten's story:
Daddy, I have something funny to tell you. One time we were in the van and the cell phone rang and mommy started singing with it and then she said "oh my goodness. that's a phone call and you were calling her and she thought it was the song on the radio."
Kirsten started laughing her head off and then said "Ooooh man...that's a whole lot of funny!"

she cracks me up!

Christmas Parade

2011-12-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hayleigh, Kirsten and I went to the Harmony Christmas Parade. We usually go every year, but this is the first year we went just because we wanted to go and not because one (or more!) of the kids is in the marching band!

The weather was perfect and the parade was very nice. Hayleigh, Kirsten and I were in the paper! Here's the article:

Harmony residents broke from their normal routines Sunday to line the streets and cheer on slow-moving floats, antique cars and Santa Claus during the town’s annual Christmas parade.

From beauty queens to football teams, the pride of the town and surrounding communities was on display. Firemen and emergency responders brought the sights and sounds of fire trucks and ambulances to the celebration and the children lining the route.

“It kind of starts the Christmas season,” Candice Watson said. “We come every year.”

Watson brought her two young daughters, Hayleigh and Kirsten, to the parade. The pair gathered candy tossed from float-riders and watched rather calmly while Santa rode past atop a fire truck, but stood transfixed by what came next.

“Is that the horses?” Kirsten asked her mother. “I want to ride Secretariat.”

While Santa may traditionally represent the highlight of most Christmas parades, there was no beating the dozens of horses decorated with bells and wreaths that closed the parade for Hayleigh and Kirsten.

“I don’t know,” Hayleigh said of what fascinated her about the horses. “I just like animals.”

The parade was a spirited affair. Shouts of “Merry Christmas” echoed back-and-forth between cars and spectators all afternoon. Floats serenaded the crowd with carols and candy was tossed freely. One crowd favorite was a man on an old, wooden flatbed truck pretending to enjoy the parade with a bottle of moonshine.

Harmony resident Jody Turner said he thought it was important for the town to continue the tradition of the parade. He had heard about it in years past, but made his first trip this year and said it was well worth it.

“It was bigger than I thought it would be,” Turner said, adding that the parade was a great family event. “I brought my family, my kids, my wife. I’ve got more family back up behind me.”

There were floats from the Boy Scouts, cheer teams, football teams, soccer teams, bands and multiple organizations from the community. Dozens of decades-old cars took up much of the parade’s line-up. A large group of motorcycles was nestled in the middle of the procession.

The Inevitable Self-haircut

2011-12-19T04:12:00.000-08:00

We thought maybe Kirsten was too old to have the desire to be sneaky and cut her own hair. She loves to go to Beth & Company for haircuts...so we thought just maybe she would be the only one of our kids NOT to cut her own hair....WE THOUGHT WRONG! Yikes!

Where in the World is Tim??

2011-12-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

Ethan had his first soccer tournament with his new TCYSA team. It was a beautiful day weather-wise and Ethan played FANTASTIC! Until he got knocked into his goalie and knocked out and injured a tooth....then we got to spend 6 hours in a local ER waiting for the CT Scan results since he was unconscious for a minute.

Instead of bothering Tim at work and trying to find out where he is so I can start dinner, I've been using the Latitude app on my phone. Tim is in some really strange places sometimes!! One time when he was in Charlotte, the phone 'located' him in New York. When I refresh it, it usually puts him in the right place....But this time, I had to get a photo of where it located him! I know Tim drives fast, but not this fast! - he was working in Hickory this particular day, and this is where my phone showed him:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family! We have so much to be thankful for this year. Kyle is home after serving 2 years in the Idaho Boise Mission!

We had it all planned out to be at the airport and be standing there waiting for him....and we almost didn't make it! We had some delays at home and then there was an issue with the airplane. Apparently it flew faster than what was expected so Kyle landed 25 minutes EARLY!! We drove speedy quick to the airport and tried to park in the 'hourly parking' garage - which turned out to be too short for the big van. Oh my goodness what a mess! I had to wait for a car to come in and activate the automatic arm that lets cars through and then HOLD IT UP while Tim backed out. Yeah, that was fun. We went out to the parking lot and Tim dropped us off close to the front of the airport and then went to find a space to park. He got very lucky and was able to park right really close and caught up with us. We were breathless and stressed when we finally got 'into place' at the bottom of the escalator! But...we made it in time and didn't have to wait very long for Kyle to arrive!

KYLE'S HOME!!

Kyle and Tim

Kyle and all of us talking....waiting for his luggage.

Kirsten holding Kyle's hand walking back to the van

A Race and 2 Years Ago

2011-11-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to some friends at the high school, we were all able to go to the NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway! It was a great night - the weather was awesome! The seats were awesome and the noise was awesome! We really enjoyed going!

2 years ago today, Kyle started his mission. In less than a week, he'll be home!We are so EXCITED that he'll be here! We're all going to pick him up at the airport and then head to the stake president's home to have him released. Then we'll be getting some Tony's pizza - Kyle has mentioned Tony's MANY times in emails during the past 2 years.

November 17th

2011-10-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Kyle will be home on November 17th!!!

Counting Down!

2011-10-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but Kyle will be home in a month! We don't know the exact date yet, but it'll be in November! It's been 2 years already!

The kids here at home constantly have conversations about what they want to 'show' Kyle when he gets here. He is going to be one busy guy if he has to see everything they want him to! Movies, video games, farm stuff, people, toys, DVRd shows and games.....the list grows and grows.

Thinking about though, things have changed a little around here since he left. Tim and I are in our bedroom (after spending who knows how long sleeping in different parts of the house while things were being worked on), we have a lot more cattle, we have 3 new ducks, a new cat, new projects to finish.....

Some things are the same --- fence work, soccer, house work....there's lots of things Kyle will be able to help with - stucco and gutters, fencing, cleaning, work.

We're all SO excited he'll be home soon!!

Letters from Keenan

2011-10-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

July 25th, 2011 -
I am doing good. I make investigators feel comfortable cause i just sit and don't say anything and just listen to them. (sorry having a hard time typing i broke all four knuckles in my right hand playing basketball. it hurts so badly. its so swollen). I love working with little kids.

My most favorite thing to do is go to the temple. I feel the spirit so much now; I can't get enough.

And I wear 32x32. Not that apt9; they're a little tight. I bought one pair from walmart 32x32 - perfect. But i have enough black. Yes, I need more socks. Everytime I do laundry I lose a pair. Jeez

And I can't wait to come home and play soccer. Can you find me a good team??

And that's a bummer with Ethan and surgery. The only thing I like at the hospital is the warm blankets. hahahaha

Pioneer day was bigger than fourth of July. Utah is dumb. It was a huge parade and President Monson was in it. pretty kool. they took away our p-day so we could street contact all during the parade.

Blowing Bubbles!

2011-10-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the first time you blew a bubble with your gum? I do! Kirsten was SO excited to have finally figured it out - she held her bubble there and waited while I grabbed my camera to take a pic! And yes, Brandee, those freckles are really there!

My 'Buddy'

2011-10-05T05:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago when we were sorting cattle for market, we 'found' a steer that was bigger than all of the others, so we decided to keep him in the corral and start fattening him up for the freezer. (yes, I know it sounds awful, but where do you think beef comes from??) Anyway, I kept looking at him and thinking that I had seen one that was WAY bigger than him. Tim and I were walking around the pastures one evening and I told him that I had seen a steer that was HUGE and he had the wrong one in the corral. I started looking around and saw this cow with BIG thighs - and said 'he's about as big as that one.' Well, it WAS him! Tim and I opened the corral panel and let the other steer out (much to his relief I imagine!) and put the BIG guy in. Have you ever seen the movie Babe? You know the duck with the eating disorder (Christmas means carnage!)? I think this guy has been 'hiding' for a while and avoiding us. But, we are smarter than the average steer and managed to be the boss of him! ha!

We had a pretty bad drought here in August and didn't mow our yard at all. Then we got some rain, and some more rain, and some more rain and couldn't mow! It was too wet! So, we got the idea that we would block the driveway and let the steer out of the corral so he could eat the thick grass that's in the yard. We (and when I say we, I mean Tyler) ran a strand of electric fence across the opening to the driveway and we let the steer out. During the night, the steer stepped over the strand of fence and walked out to the road - because the grass is so much better along the road of course! In an effort to prove that I really am smarter than a steer, I blocked the driveway with the dump truck. It was getting to be a pain in the neck to drive up there, get out of the van, get in the truck, back it up, drive the van through, get back in the truck and put it across the driveway and then get back in the van! We parked the truck in the barn and Tyler put 2 more strands with clips across the driveway opening and now we just have to move them. Much easier. (unless it is dark and they get tangled and you are afraid of getting shocked...but that's another story!) The UPS guy however, won't move the strands so he just puts our boxes by the fence.

The steer - my 'buddy'- is wandering around the house eating and eating. The kids have knighted him Sir Loin and they mostly remember to watch out for cow poop when they walk to and from the bus.

In the mornings, I go get the dog, open the chicken door, give them some scratch and yell "Hey buddy, want some grain?" Sir Loin actually seems to know what I'm saying and will come over to the barn and quietly wait for his scoop of sweet feed. I'm glad he's a relatively calm steer because my heart beats wildly when I hear his foot steps behind me following me to the feed stall. Some days I can even feel his breath on my neck! He'll head to the butcher when Kyle comes home - about 6 weeks. We figure the grass will be pretty much eaten up by then and the big bag of sweet feed will be gone.

I NEED MOTIVATION!

2011-09-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

Do you see this stack of photos? These are the ones that have been sorted through and put in chronological order to scrapbook. And I don't feel like doing it. I needed some motivation! So, I started a Pinterest. And guess what? Now I spend all of my time pinning things! Lovely things...things I would like to have in my life...and here I sit...pinning and wishing...instead of doing! AARRGGHH!

Soccer so far...

2011-09-22T06:15:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned before, Ethan isn't playing school soccer this fall because of his shoulder surgery (bankhart procedure). Dallin is on the JV team and is having an AMAZING season! In the 6 games the JV has played, Dallin has scored at least 1 goal in 5 of them! He got 2 goals (and a yellow card - but that's another story!) in the 2-1 win over South!

10th Anniversary..still remembering

2011-09-11T04:26:00.001-07:00

NIHS Alumni Game

2011-09-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's photo of Tyler is from the annual NIHS Alumni Soccer Game. It's such a fun game! This year it was Tyler VS Dallin (Ethan can't play because of his shoulder).

And just because I find it interesting that people see such a resemblance between these two kids of mine. I don't know....I'm not seeing it ;)

Happy Birthday Tyler!

2011-09-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Little Girl Under the Table

2011-08-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Tim and the boys put some more cows in the corral. One was a momma who had given birth Saturday night (sadly, the calf was born dead) and another was a teenage boy who needed to be castrated. Tim wanted the momma in the corral so that he didn't have to go and hunt her down to give her the shots from the vet that would help her expel the afterbirth. Castration and afterbirth - sound nasty enough yet??

Going on with the story....apparently the teenager in the corral is still hanging around his momma and she had, well, (forgive me for this!)she had a cow that he was not with her. So she mooed her blasted head off all night. In the house a moo sounds a lot like a cell phone on vibrate to a sleepy person, so I kept wanting to answer my phone! Then at 4:40, my phone really did vibrate to tell me that it needed to be hooked up to the charger. I got up and stole Tim's charger and plugged my phone in. Then I laid there until 6 AM when I had to get up. Not fun. I got up, woke Kirsten up and went back to my room to get dressed to take her to the bus stop. When I came back out to the kitchen, Kirsten was UNDER the table. Has anyone ever watched those spooky movies where the ghostly thing is sitting quietly under the table waiting for you to walk by?? She scared the bejeebers out of me! She said she was under there because she was cold. Well, get yourself a sweatshirt, missy, and don't do that to your mother!

Then I got the boys and girls off to school, Tim and Tyler left for Tyler's tonsillectomy and I went to Walmart - not my favorite place in the world, but I had to get some things for the Relief Society meeting I'm teaching tonight (lunchbox ideas and inexpensive gifts! - way fun!!). While at Walmart, Tim called and said he and Tyler were home and he needed me to be his 'tail person' (he actually said 'tail man', but I'm not a man) while he castrated the cow. My day just got so much better. Walmart and a de-manhood job. woo-hoo!

Got home, unloaded the groceries and asked a completely unconscious Tyler how he felt. Then I couldn't put it off anymore. I went up to the corral. The new corral is very functional and makes working the cows so much less terrifying. (cattle are very big you know!) It didn't take long to put the bull in the head gate. Then I held the tail for dear life. The poor thing buckled when Tim started the 'surgery' and I got dizzy - but I know not to let go of the tail (a cow's kick is a very dangerous thing). They enter the head gate as bulls and leave as steers. That's just the way it goes. Let me state for the record that every farmer should have a tail MAN for this job and NOT his wife. The job was done, the dog had his lunch, and I opted out of eating lunch.

The momma cow was a little easier. She pinned herself in a very awkward position in between to gates, so Tim gave her the shots right there instead of putting her in the head gate. We let the ball-less wonder out of the corral and I left.

Onto something else...a lot of people I know were affected by Hurricane Irene. What a mess it is in some places! Even though we live in North Carolina, we didn't get a single drop of rain from Irene. This is the 'pond' the cows drink from. We seriously need a long, heavy rain on this end of the state.

Some Summer Things

2011-08-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

Snakes in the chicken house??!! Why are there always snakes in the chicken house when no one who can take care of them is home??

The black and white cows seem to always have the cutest babies! Here's Daisy and her new baby:

These crazy ducks love to follow us around. I'm not sure why though. Sometimes they get to quacking and it's impossible to carry on a conversation!

First Day of School!

2011-08-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

Another summer gone....the first day of school is today.

I took Hayleigh and Kirsten to their schools for open house on Tuesday. Hayleigh is now at the middle school and Kirsten is still in elementary. Hayleigh and Kirsten will not attend school with any siblings again. I don't know if that's good or bad!

As the girls and I were walking in to Cool Spring to find out who Kirsten has as her first grade teacher, Hayleigh asked her who she wanted. Kirsten told her the name of the teacher she would like and was SO excited when she found out she has her for first grade!! Kirsten put her fist in the air and shouted 'yes'! Then we went to Kirsten's classroom. She looked around and in a very disappointed voice said, "it's the same people as last year." I had to explain to her that all of the children she was in kindergarten with are now in first grade too!

Hayleigh has been a nervous wreck since she found out she has to change clothes for PE, change rooms for classes and she has to deal with a locker. She brought a map of the school home and traced her daily route several times.

Kirsten was a little upset this morning when she realized that Hayleigh was not going to be on the bus with her, but she got over it. Thank goodness!

Ethan and Dallin are taking the bus in the morning because early morning seminary doesn't start yet. They walked to the end of the driveway with Hayleigh at 7:30.

Happy Birthday Brandee!

2011-08-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

OOPS!

2011-08-20T04:06:00.000-07:00

I totally missed the Happy Birthday posts for my 2 missionaries!

August 15 - Happy 21st Birthday Elder Watson (Kyle!)

August 16 - Happy 20th Birthday Elder Watson (Keenan!)

Things I Hate

2011-07-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've debated putting up this post for a while, but then I figured, what the heck? It's my blog, I can put whatever I want on it!
So, in no particular order, here are some things I hate:
1 - The cows getting out. It really makes me stress.
2 - People talking to me about things I post here or on Facebook. To me it seems that since I posted it, the conversation about it is over. It's out there. It doesn't need to be discussed.
3 - Not knowing the outcome of things...like the scores of games or how a movie or book is going to end. I will read the ending first and if I like it, then I will read the book. It doesn't ruin it for me at all, even though people give me grief about it. I also DVR movies and will fast forward to the end to see if it's worth my time to watch the movie. Sitting at my kids' soccer games and track things can almost make me sick to my stomach...not knowing how it's going to end!
4 - The stupid 'tradition' of buying a 'smash' cake for a first birthday and taking photos of the birthday kid making a mess with it. It's just gross. And sticky and a waste of money.
5 - Dusting. and cleaning windows...nope, not my favorite things.
6 - Not having enough time to put my own house in order because my 'order helper' is helping everyone else.
7 - The days when I feel like everything I do is a waste of time because it's just going to get dirty/messy/dusty/slept in/muddy/whatever again anyway.
8 - When people make a statement and expect me to respond. I wasn't asked a question. If you were comfortable enough to make the statement, you don't need a yes/no/comment from me.
9 - People assuming I'm depressed because I like to be alone. Sometimes I just like my own company. I can read or scrapbook or watch a movie without someone saying "MMMMOOOOMMMMMYYYYY". It's kind of nice actually!
10 - THERE IS SPELL CHECK ON COMPUTERS FOR A REASON. For gosh sake, USE IT!

Okey-dokey. That's enough for now.

Shoulder problems

2011-07-21T07:02:00.001-07:00

Darn it. Ethan was really looking forward to playing soccer this fall for school! But because he caused some damage when he dislocated his shoulder (several times recently), he is going to be having shoulder surgery in August. Before his MRI however, he and Dallin played in the Summer Scrimmages at West high school.

Fourth of July

2011-07-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know today isn't the 4th of July...I wanted to post some pictures of what we did on the 4th...And don't be complaining about me not posting them no later than July 5th. I just didn't get to it! We went to a family friends' place in Hickory and had a BLAST! Even though it thunderstormed a little, at least it wasn't SO DANG HOT you were sweating just sitting still. I hate those days! The kids were able to swim in the Lake (Lake Hickory) and we watched a way better fireworks show than if we would've stayed in Statesville!

Kirsten's face when she jumped in and realized that even with the life jacket on her face still went under the water...

Hayleigh jumping in and floating around. She LOVES water!

Ethan playing with Kirsten in the water - check out those muscles Ethan has! yikes!

Dallin and Ethan playing around

Hayleigh and Kirsten jumping in (once Kirsten got used to the water!)

Kirsten in the water at sunset - love this pinkish color!

Happy Anniversary....

2011-07-15T05:25:00.001-07:00

To Us!

NO eggs!

2011-07-12T15:29:00.001-07:00

During the warmer months we usually have 8-10 eggs a day. Not so this summer....because of this guy (or girl - I really don't care to find out!).

Before this thing moved to our farm, it was the size of an inch worm. After a diet of yummy farm eggs, this is what it looks like!

Porter Rockwell

2011-07-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

Keenan recently went on a missionary field trip in SLC. He and a bunch of other missionaries went to a cemetary where a lot of 'notables' from our church are buried. Tim has always had an interest in Porter Rockwell who served as a bodyguard for both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

Keenan at Porter Rockwell's gravestone

Misty April 1998 - June 29, 2011

2011-06-29T04:37:00.000-07:00

Tyler's Graduation

2011-06-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

Tyler graduated High School on June 11th. Now we have 4 kids out of school and 4 kids in school! His graduation was hot - not quite as hot as Keenan's was last year though. It started 40 minutes late because 3 seniors were stuck in traffic. The traffic was backed up for 3 miles getting into school. It was the largest graduating class North has ever had - which is really awesome!!

Tyler

Mr. Childers, Tyler and Tim

Tyler and Caitlin

Happy Birthday Dallin!!

2011-06-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

Ocracoke Island

2011-06-18T05:06:00.001-07:00

Brandee and Scott left yesterday after having an awesome 2-week visit with us! They took Hayleigh and Kirsten to Ocracoke for a couple of days. The girls were so excited! When Brandee was telling them about it, Kirsten couldn't pronounce "Ocracoke Island". She had several variations - like "cocralion" and "crokaloke". Brandee told them that they would take a ferry to the Island. Kirsten jumped up and down and said "a REAL fairy??" We tried to explain fairy/ferry, but it didn't make sense to my Tinkerbell-loving girl!
Here's some photos from the trip:

Track Awards and GOTR

2011-06-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Tyler had his track awards banquet. Tyler has really enjoyed track for the past 2 years and did REALLY well this year - missing states by only .09 seconds! He got all-conference and outstanding male runner for the 2011 season.

Hayleigh loves running too! She ran another 5K for GOTR (Girls on the Run). Tyler was her 'solemate', and Wesley (Tyler's best friend) ran too!

Prom!

2011-05-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a couple of photos from Tyler's Prom!

An Email Conversation

2011-05-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Keenan

Dallin

A couple of weeks ago, Keenan and I were emailing back and forth. I sent him a photo of my new haircut and he said, "Looks great. I got a hair cut. You would love it."
(some words have been changed so you can understand what they typed)

Me: Yes, but did you get a scalp massage? (I was referring to Beth & Company - it's an amazing place to get a hair cut!)

Keenan: I didn't hear that.

At this point I had to leave to take Dallin to soccer practice, so Dallin took over the email chat....

Dallin: Hey this is Dallin. Mom is driving me to practice and can't type.

Keenan: Hey Barbie Head

Dallin: What's up Fairy Princess?

Keenan: Oh my goodness, shrimp!

Dallin: Alright, enough with the name calling and let's get to business. I have state cup next week. What about you?

Keenan: Baptisms Baptisms Baptisms. Ha. Beat that.

Dallin: I can. How many? I haven't scored yet but I hit the crossbar 8 times this year. In practice everyone says I have the best shot and need to shoot more at games.

Keenan: You do have a good shot, just not as good as mine. And I had 11 baptisms this month and 8 last month.

Dallin: That is awesome - 19 yay! My shot is getting there.

Keenan: Keep working on it. I'm gonna try my best when I get back to play pro.

Dallin: You wish you could even see a pro, but you will, it will be me!! hahaha.

Keenan: Oh my gosh. Whatever you little punk. You're lucky you're home.

Dallin: No, I'm just lucky you're not home. Anyway, you could go pro and play for Man U because they lost to arsenal yesterday.

Keenan: I want to.

Dallin: Ok.

Keenan: Fart head.

Dallin: I know you are, but what am I?

Keenan: That's kindergarten stuff.

Dallin: You should know. You went there twice. I'm at practice now. Bye.

Keenan: You little turd.

Just thought you'd be as amused as we are!

Happy Birthday Ethan!

2011-05-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

16 on the 16th!

Happy, Happy Birthday Son!!

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

Right before Easter I realized that although I did several Easter Egg Hunts for the older 4 kids, I kind of got lazy with the younger 4 and the last one we did was when Dallin was 2 years old! I never did a hunt for the little girls! So, I bought some candy (and laughed as I was putting it in the plastic eggs - it was ALL chocolate!!), and Tim and I hid over 200 plastic eggs in the yard.

Of course, we had a little issue with nature....poison ivy around the back of the big beech tree and a kildeer mom & dad who were having an absolute fit that we were in the yard and walking near their nest.

Kirsten and I colored some Easter eggs too. On the back of the box of food coloring, there were some 'formulas' listed for different colors. One that we picked to try was peach. Kirsten laughed because it looked exactly like the brown eggs some of the chickens lay! So, we dumped that color and made neon yellow instead.

Besides the Easter egg hunt, I realized the other day that Kirsten never got one of those sectional plastic plates and matching cups like the older kids did! I'm turning into such a lazy parent! When the girls and I went to Kohl's, we found some cute plates and cups, so I bought them each a set. I had Hayleigh take the stickers off the back (because if you leave them on and wash them it's such a mess!!). Anyway - look what Hayleigh found on the back of the plate:

When was the last time you heard of someone choking on a plate??

A Disney Kind of Weekend!

2011-05-02T05:59:00.001-07:00

A 'commoner' married her prince and an evil villain is dead!

May 1st Prayer...
Now I lay me down to sleep...
one less terrorist this world does keep...
with all my heart I give my thanks...
to those in uniform regardless of ranks...
you serve our country and serve it well...
with humble hearts your stories tell...
so as I rest my weary eyes...
while freedom rings our flag still flies...
you give your all, do what you must...
with God we live and God we trust....

Amen

Fed Up

2011-04-22T04:11:00.001-07:00

This is a view of our house and beech tree from down near the creek in the pasture. Do you see how green the pasture is? Why does my yard look greener than the pasture to the cows?? Because it's not.

I went outside the other morning and noticed that the cute little flag and pole in my newly prepared flower bed was having problems. I thought that maybe I hadn't put it deep enough in the ground or secured it well enough. We've been having some major wind here in NC!

Upon closer inspection however, I noticed this on the end of the flag pole:

Seriously?? Not only did this cow (one of the terrible three) use my flag pole to scratch himself, he also SUCKED on the flag. I'm so fed up with this cow!

More Farm Life .... in photos!

2011-04-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Farm Life is also about death. A few weeks ago, a cow giving birth had some major problems. She was actually a little young and small to be having a calf...stupid bull...stupid broken fence...but that's another story! After Tim and I were unsuccessful trying to pull the calf out (who was alive, by the way), Tim roped the mom to a tree and roped the calf. We were able to gently pull the calf out.

Look at these eyelashes!

However, the damage to the mom had already been done. After a day of her not getting up and not being able to feed her calf, we brought the 2 of them down to the barn.

The mom was quite content to lay on the ground and eat the hay and drink the water that we brought to her. (talk about a new meaning for ground beef!) Nothing we did would help that mom stand up. We fed the calf some milk replacer a couple of times day..which she sucked down (2 QUARTS at a time!). We ended up calling the vet who came out to check on them. The mom was permanently paralyzed, so we had her put down. The calf also had a broken hip that was very damaged and probably wouldn't heal. The vet said "You never know though. I've been in this job too long to not believe in miracles." So, we fed her and pet her and the kids had a great time playing with her like she was a puppy or something.

However, when the medication from the vet wore off, she went downhill very quickly.
For whatever reason, "Lucky" passed away during the night. Sometimes nature takes care of things in its own way.

The Farm Pedi

2011-04-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

What?? You've never heard of The Farm Pedi?? Well, let me tell you all about how you can get your very own:

First, wake up way too early and get the kids ready for school. Then insist on the 6 year old finishing her cereal in the van at the bus stop so you don't have to drive them to school AGAIN.

Second, look up the road to see if the neighbor is still waiting for the bus (because that means that you haven't missed it!).

Third, as you are looking up the road, notice the 4 cows that look vaguely familiar in the neighbor's front yard.

Fourth, realize that they are YOUR VERY OWN cows, sigh deeply, turn the van off and start walking toward the cows.

Fifth, follow the cows back through the neighbor's property to find out where they got out. Realize that the cows have become very adept at getting out and have been spending hours on the neighbor's property.

Sixth, grab the biggest branch you can carry wishing the whole time that you had your hot stick, and start hollering at the cows to get their sorry butts back in their own pasture.

Seventh, follow them across a creek, and promptly sink up to your knees in a mix of cold water, cow manure and mud.

Eighth, thank the cows profusely for letting you get The Farm Pedi today!

There you have it! In just 8 easy steps! The Farm Pedi! It will only cost you one pair of crocs and it will take up your whole morning. Be sure to have other plans, or you just won't get the full effect.

*On a serious note - many, many thanks go to Bryan and his friend Ethan, who were here on their day off of school hunting, but took a break and helped me! I really appreciate it...more than you know.

The View from the Office

2011-04-09T05:21:00.000-07:00

This is what I can see when I sit at my computer: It is a Carolina Jessamine. It smells AMAZING! It's going to have to be moved though. When Tim was up in the ceiling running electricity, he noticed that the plant has invaded the house. Darn it. We're planning to try and move it to a free-standing arbor. If that doesn't work, we'll buy another one (or 2!) for the arbor.

Kirsten got an American Girl Doll for her birthday this year from Tim's mom! Her name is Rebecca. Hayleigh and Kirsten are having tons of fun playing with dolls! Hayleigh has Elizabeth. Kirsten also has a Fancy Nancy doll (also from Tim's mom!). Fancy Nancy is invited to all of the tea parties and activities that Rebecca and Elizabeth have. Hayleigh wanted to have her ears pierced for her birthday! What a conversation we had on the way to Walmart! Hayleigh also had a very loose tooth. This is how the conversation went:
Hayleigh: My tooth is really loose and it hurts. Does it hurt when they pierce your ears?
Me: It hurts for a minute or two, but not much.
Hayleigh: Does it bleed?
Me: Not really.
Hayleigh: No, I meant my tooth. Does it bleed when I wiggle it this way?
Me: I am driving and can't look at you wiggling your tooth right now.
Hayleigh: Will I cry?
Me: It's just a loose tooth. Pull it out and it won't bother you anymore.
Hayleigh: No, I meant when they pierce my ears.
And on and on for the whole 10 minutes to the store! Every time she said something, I would think she was talking about her tooth and she was annoyed because she was talking about her ears getting pierced, or vice-versa! The earrings are in now. Whew.

Happy Birthday Hayleigh!

2011-04-07T03:32:00.000-07:00

Hayleigh and Kirsten were discussing their age progression the other day......Kirsten would say "How old will you be when I am 11?" and Hayleigh would answer "16." Then Kirsten would ask "How old will you be when I am 16?" "21" "when I am 21?" "26"...it went on and on until Kirsten got to "86". Hayleigh said "91" and Kirsten started laughing hysterically. She said "you'll be old and gray and dead!" Hayleigh said "Thanks."

Happy Birthday Kirsten!

2011-03-29T04:17:00.001-07:00

My littlest is 6 today! Wow!

(had to edit this post and tell you what she did last night --- she 'conducted' us singing happy birthday to her! It was so funny!)

This is how it went:

Us: Happy Birthday to you!
Kirsten: STOP! (then she raised her hands over her head and said "cha-cha-cha")
Us: Happy Birthday to you!
Kirsten: STOP! ("cha-cha-cha")
Us: Happy Birthday dear Kirsten!
Kirsten: STOP! ("cha-cha-cha")
Us: Happy Birthday to you!
Kirsten: "cha-cha-cha"

That kid is UNIQUE!

Spring Track!

2011-03-23T13:15:00.001-07:00

Tyler and Ethan are participating in Track at the high school again this spring. They had their first track meet last week and another this week. The girls kind of like going along with me. At least they like the dinner I pack in the cooler!

Tyler - long jump

Tyler - getting ready for the 100

Ethan - waiting for the baton in the 4x1

Ethan - hanging out between events

I made some Easter cards and tags that are for sale. They are posted on my embellishment blog (link at right).

This and that...

2011-03-18T04:21:00.001-07:00

The last coat of poly goes on the floors today! I can't wait to move back upstairs....

For date night tonight, I am going to go watch Scott and Tim coach the high school girls' soccer teams...GO RAIDERS!

Ethan and Dallin have a scout camp out tonight - I'm so glad that the weather is going to be nice tonight - only down to about 55.

Here's a couple more photos of the girls in their Easter dresses:

Keenan!

2011-03-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Keenan left the MTC (missionary training center) on Wednesday last week (March 9th). Here's a great photo of him with the Winns (mission president and wife). Please don't forget to check the link to the right - mamawinn's place - there's lots more photos of Keenan on there. It's so awesome of her to do a blog like that! We're so excited to be able to see what Keenan is doing!

Easter Dresses!

2011-03-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

Lately, Kirsten has been testing some new personality traits that are funny....but not good at all. For example, she REALLY didn't want to go to bed a couple of nights ago. Tim put her on her bed and said good night to her. She sat on top of her bed with her legs and arms crossed for 20 MINUTES and kept telling everyone "I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SLEEP". 20 minutes is a long time for a 5-almost-6 year old to consistently be a brat!

The girls and I went to Kohl's yesterday (love that place!). Kirsten wanted to take about 10 Barbies with us, which I said was fine as long as they stay in the van. We got in the van and Hayleigh told Kirsten to buckle up. Kirsten said she 'couldn't' put on her seat belt. Of course this started a 'MOM GUESS WHAT SHE'S DOING' conversation..... I turned around and said "Kirsten, you need to buckle up to be safe and we are not going anywhere until you put on your seat belt." Kirsten replied, "I can't put it on. My freakin' Barbies are in the way." Seriously hard not laugh...but she still shouldn't be saying stuff like that!!

Anyway, we made it to Kohl's and found a really cute dress that came in BOTH Hayleigh's and Kirsten's sizes!

Last Glimpse of Keenan....

2011-03-08T04:43:00.001-08:00

Here's the last thing we saw of Keenan ----

We've heard from him a couple of times..
He forgot some things that he wanted me to mail to him. He's sad that Kirsten cried when he left (we keep telling him that it's okay --- she knows that he's on his mission!). He wrote that he's been doing well teaching and that he likes laundry day because he can't stand having dirty clothes around.

He leaves the MTC tomorrow for his mission area. In my links on the right, there's a blog called "mama winn's" - that's his Mission President's wife's blog. I hope to see some photos of him on there. But, hopefully not the same as the one above!

Floors!

2011-02-24T14:50:00.001-08:00

The floors look gorgeous! Can't wait to move back upstairs after over a year in the basement!

Keenan in SLC

2011-02-18T05:40:00.000-08:00

Keenan was met at the airport in Salt Lake City by Brandee and then taken right from there to go shopping for a couple of things he still needed for his mission. (pillows, blankets, etc..)

Monday night, he stayed at Scott & Brandee's and then Tuesday he went to school with Brandee. On Tuesday, Brandee took him to a Temple Session at the Salt Lake Temple and then they met up with Scott and went to dinner at The Roof. Isn't this an awesome photo?? Keenan is smiling!!

Keenan is now at the MTC learning all about being a missionary.

Things are a little quieter around here. There's a little more food left after dinner. No drums are being played right now. (can't say I really miss that though!)

I sent Kyle an email the other day that said --

"Wayne Rooney scored the goal of his life in the 2-1 win over Man City. We dvr'd it and locked it so you can watch it when you come home. Dallin had an awesome game last Saturday. They lost 2-0 on set pieces, but Dallin is finally settling in and getting used to this team and playing with more confidence."

This is what I got back from Kyle --

"I was in a restaurant yesterday, and I saw Rooney's goal. I could do that when I was 4. It was beautiful. I get to coach soccer again today. Last time all the kids wanted me to sign their shoes and shirts. I signed like 17. Dallin is going to make it pro."

Okay - for the record - Rooney's goal was beautiful; I don't remember Kyle doing that at age 4; and it's really not a healthy thing to ask Kyle for his autograph. He really doesn't have any self-confidence issues.

Almost that time again!

2011-02-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's almost time to send another son out on his 2 year mission. Keenan will be boarding a plane Monday morning to head to Salt Lake City. Brandee and Scott will be picking him up there and taking him to their place. On Tuesday, Keenan is going to school with Brandee and then they're all going to go to the Roof for a very yummy dinner! Wednesday afternoon, he will report to the MTC. From there, he'll go to his area - Salt Lake City. I can't believe he's already going! We're still waiting for some things to arrive in the mail for him. I imagine I'm going to be forwarding them to the MTC.

I swear it was just last week that we were telling Keenan to go sit on the bench for something or other! It was only days ago that he was dancing around the kitchen because I bought waffles and 'paper-bony' pizza at the store. Didn't he just win the state cup at age 11 getting all 3 assists in their 3-0 win with 3 broken ribs??? How about 2 broken wrists?

Yikes! Time goes by so fast.....

We're all proud of you Keenan!

WOW! What a nice weekend!

2011-01-31T08:39:00.000-08:00

The weather here was awesome! It reached 71 on Sunday as I was driving home from the TFC Friendlies tournament with Dallin.

He had a great weekend of soccer! He's learning a new position - defensive midfield. At least that's where he's playing right now. The team is new, so the coach is still working on developing players' strengths and positioning. I've never seen Dallin in defense.

The drive there is a little under 3 hours, so we listened to Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince. On the way home I was thinking about how some people find it peaceful to sit on their porches and watch the sunset, or take a walk in the woods or on the beach....but as silly as it is, I find it very peaceful driving home from a weekend of soccer listening to an audiobook while the stinky, exhausted soccer player is snoozing in the backseat. Yes, that is probably strange to a lot of people, but to me it's awesome!

This morning as I was cleaning up around the house, I noticed that Kirsten had been creative sometime recently. Check this out:

It amazes me that when my kids graffiti, they write their OWN names! Sillyheads!

A wonderful friend at church recently taught me how to make scarves. I've been having so much fun with it! I have given several as gifts, made some for the kids and Tim and now I have some to share with you! Here's what I've made:

I also have these posted (with prices) on my embellishement kit site --- link to the right....

I'm not...

2011-01-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

Just to be clear here - I'm NOT pregnant...however, I've been reading lots of blogs lately where the writer is pregnant.

For some strange reason, a lot of woman refer to themselves as prego or preggers.

I'm bewildered as to why anyone would want to say "I'm prego". You're spaghetti sauce??

seriously - what is wrong with saying "I'm pregnant"?? Or even "I'm expecting".

Even worse is when it's called 'preggers'. What the heck? That sounds so nasty and awful. Like chiggers or something.

Honestly, I think I'd like someone to say "I'm with child" before saying either prego or preggers. Geez. Give yourself some respect.

Working, working, and not working

2011-01-24T06:17:00.000-08:00

Tim and the boys finished putting the floor down in the great room. The new front doors are in too! We'll order the windows soon and put windows on both sides of the door.

The doors to the deck from the master bedroom are also in.

What's not working?? The repair on my washing machine is not worth it. A major part is breaking (I can still use it til it just stops working all together). So, we're going to be looking for a new washer. Yay.

What a week!

2011-01-19T09:45:00.001-08:00

So last week it snowed a little. Then it iced a lot. Then it stayed cold. The kids had NO SCHOOL the ENTIRE week. The end.

We're finally back to a schedule TODAY - we had Monday off for MLK day and then yesterday there was a 2 hour delay. Today, it's 55 and beautiful and you'd never know it was crap all last week.

I have so much stuff to catch up on. The floor in the office is covered with piles of photos. I decided to go through the loose photos I had in boxes and sort them into separate piles for the kids' albums. I check the kids' albums to see if the photo is already in it, then I check the family albums. If the photo is already scrapped, I stick it in a box marked "EXTRA PHOTOS" so when the school asks for a photo for some project or whatever, I know where to look. Maybe I'll even stay organized.

Keenan and I have been shopping for the things he needs for his mission. He'll be leaving in less than a month!

Happy Birthday Tim!

2011-01-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

44 wishes for you from me:

I wish that -
1 - you could be independently wealthy and not have to work so hard for us.
2 - the kids would do everything that needs to be done without you having to tell them.
3 - the kitchen was done.
4 - computers wouldn't break.
5 - the fence wouldn't break.
6 - the vans would automatically fill up with fuel that we wouldn't need to go get or pay for.
7 - I would be more organized and not leave unfinished projects all over the place.
8 - I wouldn't leave hair dryers and curling irons and all kinds of other things on the bathroom counter so you wouldn't have to move things to get to your toothpaste.
9 - the boxes and eggshells and packages that get used for cooking would magically find their way to the trashcan instead of sitting on the counter for hours.
10 - you could play guitar for hours instead of work for hours.
11 - you wouldn't whack your fingers with tools.
12 - you wouldn't get any more splinters.
13 - we could go to Disney World whenever we wanted for free.
14 - your Mustang was running.
15 - and that the parts to fix it were free.
16 - your knees wouldn't hurt.
17 - our bedroom was done.
18 - our bathroom was done.
19 - the mortgage was paid off.
20 - the barn was re-done and filled with self-maintained animals.
21 - it rained upside down cranberry cake.
22 - no one would drink your juice before you can.
23 - or eat your food.
24 - you would have a new pair of socks every day for the rest of your life.
25 - sunglasses didn't break.
26 - or get lost, or left at job sites.
27 - people paid on time for jobs that you complete.
28 - cows were always where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there.
29 - and that they would calmly get in the trailer to go to market.
30 - things wouldn't leap into your eyes and get stuck there.
31 - it would feel like 10 hours of sleep even when you only get 2.
32 - oreos and jello would no longer be considered foods.
33 - you could be a blacksmith.
34 - and an FBI agent.
35 - and a pilot.
36 - and a lumberjack.
37 - and an alaskan king crab fisherman.
38 - and that you had all the time in the world to try them all so you could figure out what you want to be when you grow up.
39 - when you got home from work you could have hours left in the day to run on the treadmill, lift weights, read, watch movies, sit in a jacuzzi...
40 - you had a jacuzzi.
41 - North Carolina and Utah were next to each other.
42 - the sun would shine at a nice 85 degrees in a bubble around you while it rained (or snowed) on the fields.
43 - whatever tool you needed showed up on the work table next to you ready to go.
44 - for every silly thing that you have to endure more hair would grow on your head (and not the gray kind!).

I LOVE YOU!

2011

2011-01-03T05:30:00.001-08:00

This year will bring:

Keenan leaving on his mission in 6 weeks. (YIKES!)

Kyle coming home from his mission in November. (yay!)

Tyler graduating high school.

Hayleigh's promotion to middle school.

I hope this year brings:

New front doors installed.

Tim and I back up from the basement to the master bedroom.

A new kitchen.

Stucco, gutters and landscaping.

The pool set up and working.

Guess I better get started!!!

White Christmas!

2010-12-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

It snowed on Christmas Day this year! It was beautiful!

We already took down the tree and put away the Christmas things so Tim and the boys can keep working on the hardwood floors (yay!!)

We opened gifts in age order this year - youngest to oldest. When she opened her very first gift, Kirsten said "yay mom! You got it right this year!". We never know what she's going to say, but it's usually funny!

Keenan is going to Salt Lake City!

2010-12-18T12:25:00.001-08:00

Keenan has been called to serve in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission! He will report to the MTC February 16th, 2011.

KEENAN GOT HIS MISSION CALL

2010-12-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned to see where he's going!!

Winter Morning and other Things

2010-12-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

I love the way the sky looks in the mornings while the girls and I are waiting for the school bus! (at 6:55 AM!)

Hayleigh's 'never ending' volleyball season finally did end. It seemed that just when we thought it was over, there was yet another tournament they signed up for. Hayleigh had a fun time learning how to play volleyball, but she's not sure it's her 'thing'. Not like the running - she loves running - she'll be doing GOTR again in the spring.

I made a cute craft to add to my ledge this Christmas. The white frames are from the Dollar Tree and the stickers are from the Martha Stewart line for Christmas this year.

The kitten has been allowed in the house during the day. Apparently Misty is teaching her some not so good stuff. Like how to sneak up on to the kitchen counter. The kitten fell in the sink and Misty looked at her in disgust, so I'm not sure the kitten thinks it's all that fun to be on the counter. The girls have been calling the kitten 'Oreo'.

Dallin had his first soccer tournament of the season. He played in the CASL college showcase and did really well the first game. The other games were so-so, but since we beat a CASL team 5-1, I didn't really care about winning the other games. We've been participating in the CASL tournament for YEARS. We've never beaten a CASL team. It was awesome! In the past, we've had horrible weather - some years it snowed, some years it was nasty windy rainy crap and everyone would end up sick. This year, the weather was GORGEOUS! In the low 70s! I even took my jacket off (although I did have a winter coat, blanket and umbrella in the van just in case!)

Kirsten made a cute fall tree using fruity pebbles as the leaves! I took a picture of it because I have a funny feeling that storing fruity pebbles in her school memory box is not a good plan.

Decorating

2010-11-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! I get so excited about getting all the Christmas stuff out and decorating. I loved how I did 'the ledge' last year, so I decided to look back in my pictures so I could re-create it. GUESS WHAT? Apparently I didn't take a picture of it. Bummer. I did get a picture of the mantel from last year though.

This year there isn't any mantle to decorate. Darn it.

I finished making the Christmas cards for this year. Now I just need to convince the kids that they ARE getting their pictures taken - standing/sitting near each other - and looking happy about it. Someday they will thank me for those Christmas pictures!

I went to the Southern Christmas Show last week with 2 friends. We had a great time! We met the Gourd Lady (try googling her - she is a riot!) and saw lots of pretty Christmas things. The top photo below is of a miniature fabric store made inside a sewing basket! How cute is that?? The bottom picture is what I would do to my mantel if I had one to decorate this year..... :)

I Went to the Dentist

2010-11-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

I had to go to the dentist this morning. I broke a filling last week. I knew it was going to happen because it just felt weird...kind of loose. Anyway, they numbed me up to grind out the big old crappy silver filling and then put in one of those nice white ones. I have a horrible time with the numbing stuff. It works too well. I can be numb for days and days. I have even gotten dental work without being numb. I figure after having 8 children, the dentist is easy-peasy. The dentist used a different kind of numb-stuff today - it's supposed to last 30-45 minutes. My appointment was at 8 AM. I was numb by 8:20. it is now 10:20 and the left side of my face, including my ear is STILL numb. It really sucks! I started thinking about when I got that big old crappy silver filling way back in the dark ages. My dentist didn't even use gloves - how gross is that?? Does anyone else remember that? That is seriously nasty to think about. The gloves my dentist uses now are even flavored. I've got to say that is a major improvement!

Happy Veteran's Day!

2010-11-11T06:27:00.001-08:00

The kids are 'home' from school today. At the moment, the only one home is Kirsten. She told me this morning "I looked at my clock and it said 7-2-7 and I said 'I gotta get up!' so I did and then I had fruity pebbles and got dressed because my feet were cold and now I'm going to play wii, lots of wii as soon as I find the chapstick." 5 year olds crack me up!

It's been very nice here this week - in the 70s in the afternoons. Since it was cold last week - cold enough to sleet/snow for a couple of minutes - and then it warmed up again, it's time for the march of the lady bugs in my house. They come in the front and go across the ceiling and go out the back. Ugh. Did I ever mention that I don't like creatures in my house? I might have said that once or twice before. Anyway, I was talking to a friend yesterday and she said to put bay leaves in the windowsills. So my sills are coated in bay leaves. She said one would work, but I had a lot of bay leaves, so I figured lots would be okay. Here's hoping!

Sleet/snow from last week:

I got my hair cut and colored last week. I really like it! I had to tilt my head to get a better shot of the color - it's reddish - what she called my 'winter color':

My mom made me lots of crocheted flowers over the summer. They are so pretty! The girls and I made some Christmas ornaments with them. I am also going to make them in white with red flowers.

Dallin starts soccer practice next week. I can't believe that he's old enough that his first tournament of the season is the CASL showcase! I remember going the first time with Kyle - it seems like it was last year. Yikes!

Speaking of Kyle, he was just transferred from Meridian, ID, back to Nampa, ID, but to a different part of Nampa. This time next year, we'll be picking him up from the airport because he'll be done his mission already! Wow! We got a letter the other day from a family in the area where Kyle was serving. Here's part of the letter:

"About a month ago my daughter and I were unloading groceries from the back of our truck when Elder Watson and Elder *** rode up on their bikes and offered to help us carry in the food. Of course we accepted.......(skip).............as they were getting ready to leave Elder *** asked if there was anything they could do for us as they were looking for service to do. Elder Watson happened to wrap his hand around one of the posts on our banister and gave it a tug, commenting that our banister did not meet code. We had know for years how dangerous it was........(skip)........He said "I can fix that for you." (DOESN'T THAT SOUND JUST LIKE HIS DAD??) ...........(skip).............. Some of our tools were pretty sad but the Elders made do, never complaining, and working with precision. Elder *** told me up front he didn't know how to do much but he could learn........(skip)...........Elder Watson patiently taught him what to do ....(skip)...........He was so careful in his calculations, figuring and figuring again.................(skip).................What a wonderful son! He not only served us but he is dedicated and focused on being a good missionary..............I wanted you to know how grateful I am for the service of your son. I've seen him several times since the completion of the stairs and he just makes me smile.................(skip)...............I know Elder Watson won't be home for a while but when he does get home I wanted to help contribute to the purchasing of a few things for whatever his future holds. (She enclosed a gift card to Old Navy!)

Here's some photos of the stair project:

The Whole Poopy Cow Story

2010-11-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

"Farm living is the life for me" Who the heck came up with those lyrics?? Seriously?? Did they ever live on an actual farm??

This morning was so much fun (insert a very sarcastic voice here!).

Since it was raining, I stuck the girls in the van to drive them to the end of the driveway to wait for the bus. Picture this: I backed out of the carport, looked down to go from R to D, and looked back up RIGHT IN TO A COW'S FACE! It scared me at first, then it really pissed me off. As I drove up the driveway, I noticed that ALL BUT 2 COWS WERE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FENCE!

I grabbed my cell and called Keenan who was with Tim at church so they could leave from there and go to the jobsite. Keenan apparently sleeps in the van while Tim is teaching seminary, and I woke him up with the panicked phone call. I told him to tell Dad that all of the cows were out and I was going to need help. He told me "I saw cows out this morning when we left and I told Dad and he said not to worry about it; leave them alone." WHAT THE HECK?? It turns out that Tim thought there were only 2 or 3 cows out....not 45.

By this time, the girls were on the bus (which showed up late!) and I drove back down the driveway to the shop to open the door for the kitten. I put the van in park, opened the door and stepped out PUTTING MY FOOT RIGHT INTO A FRESH PILE OF POOP! Fantastic. Now in addition to being upset that Tim wasn't coming home to help, I had poop on my croc. Great.

Well, it gets even better. The cows, noticing that I wasn't blocking the driveway anymore, decided that maybe they could walk up the driveway and go on a search for better pastures. YIKES. So I backed up the van and blocked the driveway. Here's another visual for you. Picture me sitting panicked in the van with all the cows mad that I blocked their exit and to get to the cattle dog, I have to walk through all the pissed off cows. Not happening.

THANK HEAVENS I got a text from Keenan at that moment that said "we're on our way". YAY!!

I very slowly drove the van towards the cows so they wouldn't start running (which NEVER helps) and they very calmly walked toward the spot they used to get out. My mom says that cows will almost always do that - walk right back to the spot where they got out to try to go back in the same way. Guess where they got out? Right through the middle of the barn. Guess what they did? They got into the feed room and somehow carried the metal can full of chicken feed out of the feed room, got the lid off and ate it all. (so now I'm going to be going to Tractor Supply to get feed sometime today. yay.)

Well, wouldn't you know, the cows didn't want to go back through the barn because they wanted to get to the winter hay storage. Bummer. So after I put the can back in the feed room and shut the door,I opened the fence to the bull pasture. I figured it wouldn't hurt to leave the fence open since all the cows were out anyway...it wasn't like any more could escape. Then I got back in the van and 'herded' them towards the pasture. Cows being cows, they went the other way towards the house.

Then Tim and Keenan pulled in - HOORAY!

Keenan started a tractor and moved it to block the opening into the barn where the cows had torn down corral panels. I parked the van and Tim and I walked the cows around the house and back into the pasture. Where they went without any complaints. I know Tim was wondering why I always have issues with putting the cows back in. Isn't it funny how they all behave so well for him??

So, for now, the cows are in instead of out. When Tyler, Ethan and Dallin get home from school, I am supposed to take PSPs, Wii controllers, and laptops until the fence is fixed in the back pasture.

Not so good.....

2010-11-02T03:42:00.000-07:00

The N.C. High School Athletic Association boys soccer state playoffs get under way this week and, stunningly, they do so without North Iredell.

The Raiders, co-champions of the North Piedmont Conference, were disqualified due to an infraction that cost them more than their postseason berth.

North Iredell coach Scott Childers declined to comment on the matter Monday, deflecting questions to the school administration.

“We had to withdraw because of an ineligibility issue,” North Iredell principal Teresa Evans said.

Evans didn’t say who the ineligible player was but noted that the team had to forfeit its games.

The Raiders went 11-4 overall and 9-3 in the conference. They won their last nine games to share the NPC title with Statesville for the second straight season.

Evans said she sent letters home with the players regarding the circumstances.

“It’s awful,” she said. “I’m not very happy.”

Tyler's Senior Night

2010-11-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last week was Tyler's senior night for the high school soccer team. There were 10 seniors and they each got a chance to be in the spotlight. Coach Childers handed out a form for them to fill out and then it was read over the loudspeakers. The boys also got their fleece blankets and the moms got the flowers. The weather was beautiful and it was a great night (especially since we won 4-0 and Tyler scored!). Tyler had an amazing senior soccer season!

Here is Tyler's 'speech':

Name - Tyler Watson
Team # - 34

Sponsored by - Mr. and Mrs. Tim Watson

Teacher who has inspired/encouraged you the most: Mr. Childers
Why did you choose this teacher? Mr. Childers has taught me the most and helped understand a lot about many random things. He is always there if I needed to talk to him and is my favorite teacher!

Most memorable "soccer moment" - All the memories kind of blend together, but I would have to say that just playing in defense and helping our team chase down all the forwards that got through is the most memorable for me. Although dribbling to the goal when I played forward was pretty fun too!

What college do you plan to attend? BYU-Idaho

What do you plan to do after college? Clinical Psychology and run the world on the side!

What thought would you like to tell to your teammates as you graduate this year? Playing with my fellow seniors this year has been the best ever. Even though I have played many more years of club soccer, this season remains my favorite. Also, to my defensive buddies Brad, Jesus, and Deveron: Well done! We've been through a lot together!"

Who would you like to thank for supporting you during your time here at North Iredell High School? I would like to thank God for helping me get through these few years of high school, my parents for teaching me and giving me guidance, and to Mrs. Evans for being the best principal ever!

Days of Fleece!

2010-10-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a tradition for several years to make the seniors on the soccer team those fleece blankets where you have two pieces of fleece and you knot all the sides together. I've been doing mostly red and black, but have done some red and sky blue (black, red and sky "carolina" blue are the school colors). This fall, there ARE 10 SENIORS! WOW! 10 blankets.... Never made that many at one time before. I think I've been knotting fleece in my sleep!

I also make corsages for the seniors' moms to wear on senior night. Senior night is usually the last home game and each senior walks onto the field with their parents (or whoever they choose) while a speech that they have written is read over the loudspeaker. The senior is presented with the blanket by the coach. It's really a neat time!

This year, I didn't do my traditional artificial flower corsage - I made fleece roses! I had some scraps left from the blanket and instead of only thinking 'scarf', I thought FLOWERS! There's been so many different kinds of handmade flowers in blogland recently, I knew I could hunt around and find directions for the picture of the flowers I had in my head.

So - this is what they look like:

Each one has a pin on the back. I think they turned out great!

Senior night was supposed to be last night, but because of the HOLY CRAP IT'S WINDY AND RAINING AGAIN weather we've had (tornado warnings and all!), the game will be tomorrow night even though they have a day off of school tomorrow. I can't wait to hear what Tyler has written as his speech!

Just plain stuff...

2010-10-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted! I was having problems with Internet Explorer and every time I logged on I wanted to throw the computer out in the pasture. We switched to google chrome and things are working out much better!

The boys had a FANTASTIC win last week against a big rival (West Iredell)! The first time we played them this season, JV tied 1-1 (and yes, Dallin got the goal for our team!!), and Varsity lost in overtime 4-3. Big bummer. Last week, the JV won 3-1 (Dallin got a goal!) and the Varsity won 2-1! This article was in the newspaper about last week's game:

NORTH IREDELL UPENDS WEST IREDELL

OLIN - For those that went to sleep on North Iredell after the North Piedmont Conference championship contender's slow start in league play, a word of advice: wake up.

The Raiders have.

Collecting goals from Damon Cartner and Tyler Watson, North Iredell upended league-leading West Iredell on Thursday night, 2-1.

The victory avenged a loss the previous time the teams met in which West Iredell overcame a two-goal deficit to force overtime and then win 4-3.

More importantly for North Iredell (6-4, 4-3 NPC), it was the fourth straight league win for the 2009 co-champion after beginning conference play 0-3.

Trailing 1-0 coming out of halftime, West Iredell looked to equalize in the 47th minute after Casey Boggs narrowly missed giving North Iredell a two-goal cushion.

Kody Sprinkle ran under Tow Yang's long ball. With Watson in tow, Sprinkle could only muster an off-balanced shot on the break and Raiders goalie Travis Laws made one of his five saves.

North Iredell got the insurance goal it was looking for in the 50th minute. Bradley Moore's nifty dribbling into the box drew a hard foul, resulting in a penalty kick. Watson made good on the free look. He booted the ball by West Iredell goalie Eric Ortez and into the top right corner, extending the Raiders' lead to 2-0.

Ze Yang's 35-yard strike broke up the shutout, in the 79th minute, but West Iredell never had a look at a potential game-tying goal.

It marked just the second time in the last nine meetings the Warriors (10-7-1, 6-2-1 NPC) lost to North Iredell. This once cost them their NPC lead with three games remaining in conference play.

Led by the exceptional footwork in the midfield by Tony Mendoza, Asher Caldwell and Edgar Antunez, the Raiders dominated possession and scoring chances.

Shots on goal favored North Iredell 17-6.

Damon Cartner gave North Iredell a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute. He uncorked an uncontested shot from the right side, about 12 yards out, that beat Ortez far post.

The Raiders had an opportunity to pad their lead in the 30th minute. Mendoza's shot rang off the crossbar. Ortez couldn't corral the redirection and Boggs ran onto the loose ball. But Ortez was able to get his body in between Boggs and the shot to prevent North Iredell from taking a two-goal lead.

Sprinkle, who netted three second half goals and the game winner in the overtime in the last meeting, was kept of the score sheet this time.

I decorated 'the ledge' for Halloween. The girls LOVE the jack-o-lantern lights, so I had to figure out a way to put them up. I also made some of those 2x4 pumpkins that are circulating in blogland right now. I think I might add some rub-ons and jazz them up a little (sets of 3 pumpkins are available on my embellishment kit blog - link at right). Another new addition is the glass full of skulls, skeleton hands and spanish moss. I really like that decoration - and it only cost me $4! I got everything for it at the dollar store!

Babies

2010-10-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

We had 2 calves born yesterday! This one is a cutie!

Here's the other one. I couldn't get as close to this one....I just don't trust those darn charolais!

Boo, Eek and Volleyball

2010-10-01T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hayleigh is playing volleyball this fall. She is having a great time, even though she is the smallest on the team. She is learning the game and has done some really good plays!

One of my FAVORITE holidays is coming up - HALLOWEEN!

I love decorating and crafting for Halloween!

I made a couple of things this year that are available for you to purchase:

These blocks say 'boo' on one side and 'eek' on the other. They are $12 (shipping included). The tags are a set of 9 - 3 each of 3 designs. These will be so cute on your goodie bags! They are $5 (shipping included). The Boo sign will stand on its own and has 2 'cute/scary' black spiders! The sign is $6 (shipping included). Please email me or leave a message on my facebook or on here and let me know if you would like anything!

Frustrating

2010-09-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, things just don't work out the way you want. You might not have the money that you need to cover the basic bills; your kids' teams might not win the games that they were 'supposed' to win; you might hurt your back and be miserable; it might not rain enough for your farm animals; or WHATEVER it is that happens.....

I read somewhere that life is 90% what happens and 10% what you do with what happens...

Instead of thinking about what you CAN'T do and what isn't going 'right', think about what you CAN do.

It's all up to you to take that 10% and make it good!

Meet Kittie!

2010-09-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

There's a new animal on the farm! She showed up one morning mewing at Keenan at the shop (okay - seriously, Keenan has had several animals 'show up' .. he's like Dr. Doolittle). Everybody thinks she's a cutie!

Last week the high school soccer team played against Lake Norman. Nasty game - but North played really well! North's JV and Varsity only lost 1-0. North usually loses by several goals (and I won't even get into how bad it's been some years....)
Anyway - the local newspaper (the Rubbish and Landfill) has a reporter who ADORES Lake Norman....like REALLY loves them - he's the 'only one' who can write Lake Norman's sports articles. So, there was this article a couple of days ago in which he started out by saying that this "might ruffle some feathers but" and then a bunch of stupid remarks about how 'Lake Norman paid for it by traveling to North to play soccer and it wasn't worth it' and on and on about how brutal North's players are. I got this picture during the game - Tyler is in RED. Lake Norman is in BLUE. Who looks more brutal???

Basically, I think they (the coach AND the stupid reporter) were upset that it was ONLY 1-0 instead of the normal 6 or 7 to 0. Next year, we'll win.

Kirsten said something funny yesterday:
"when I 'bees' 6, Kyle will come home and I will see what he looks like and when I 'bees' 8, I will get 'bathtized'" In case you aren't fluent in Kirsten-eese, what she said is "When I am 6 years old, my brother Kyle will come home from his mission and I can see him and when I turn 8 years old, I will get baptized."

I did some Christmas shopping today (I KNOW it's only September...) I got Brandee and Scott a GREAT/WONDERFUL/FABULOUS Christmas gift! I don't know if it's worse to have it sitting at our house until I ship it, or if it would be more torture to wrap it and ship it to them now with the instruction that they can't open it til Christmas?? I'll have to think about it.

Never Forget

2010-09-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!

2010-09-04T06:15:00.001-07:00

The Year of the Butterfly

2010-09-03T04:54:00.000-07:00

There have been so many butterflies this year! It's amazing - every time I go outside, I see butterflies. (and I love my new camera!)

Kirsten has had a hard week. She really doesn't like the actual going to school - once she gets to school, she doesn't seem to mind it too much (she had a couple of crying episodes). She likes art and music and PE, but she doesn't like to be at school without Tim or me. I feel so bad for her! It makes me want to keep her home, but in the long run, that would NOT help her. If I didn't LOVE our elementary school, I would probably homeschool her. Our cute little country school is AWESOME! I keep telling myself that she'll get over it....it's been a long week for all of us!

The boys had 2 great games last night! Ethan and Dallin won 1-0! There was a funny part where Ethan (his words) "totally schooled that kid" and then he tripped over the ball and he turned and told everyone that he "totally schooled myself"! It was so great to see him laugh at himself! Ethan has had problems where he expects perfection from himself and then takes his head right out of the game. Dallin had some great moves and had the most beautiful pass.....right past the defenders and through to our attacking player's run! Wish I taped that one!

The Varsity won 4-1! It was amazing! NIHS is a 3A school and we played a school that is beating all of their 4A competition - their last 6 games were wins - we were their first loss of this year. Tyler got a fantastic goal!

For those of you wondering, we are too far inland for Hurricane Earl. We didn't even get rain. We are looking forward to the weather that is coming tomorrow after Earl moves on up the coast. Instead of the 95+ degrees we've been having for the past several weeks, it is supposed to be in the low 80s for a little while. Fall is on its way!

Speaking of fall, I am hoping to have a few more of my 'summer' sandwiches before the tomatoes are gone for the season. To me, there is nothing better to eat in the summer than a garden fresh tomato sandwich. The tomatoes in the store just aren't the same at all.

It really isn't better outside the fence!

2010-08-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Do you see anything wrong in this picture? (other than our driveway REALLY needs new stone)

Can you see it better now?

YES, that is a COW HOOF PRINT! In the middle of the driveway! What the heck?

School

2010-08-26T05:27:00.000-07:00

Kirsten was so excited to go to Open House at school on Monday and find out who her teacher would be! When we took her to her classroom, she found her seat right away, sat down and wanted to stay. We explained to her that we needed to go buy some more school things for her so she couldn't start school right then. Later that night, Kirsten realized that none of us would be staying in her class with her....she cried for about an hour!

We told Kirsten that school is just 7 hours (she likes to count) and that it would go by quickly and then she can come home and play. Wednesday morning, the girls had to be up at 6 AM (hopefully they will start being tired at night instead of excited and go to sleep earlier so I don't have to beg and plead and threaten in the morning!). Hayleigh and Kirsten decided on cereal for breakfast and then packed their stuff up. Kirsten kept reminding everyone that school is 'just 7'.

Tim and I walked the girls up to the end of the driveway to wait for the bus. It was cute to see Kirsten walking - her backpack is not really big, she is just tiny!

The bus finally arrived (a little late) and the girls got on and left - Kirsten had no problem at all getting on the bus. She didn't even turn around and wave, although we did get to wave at her when she sat down - her little head was barely peeking through the window!

I had my first 'stay at home by myself day'. I basically did the normal things I always do - laundry, dishes, cooked dinner, and I got my lesson and activity ready for the class I teach Wednesday nights at church. I found some time to play the new game I downloaded onto my phone - Alchemy (it is VERY addictive!). Tim and Keenan worked in the shop and then went to our favorite place for haircuts - Beth & Company Salon. I walked back up to meet Hayleigh and Kirsten from the bus. I looked at the mail while I waited for them, and then I put it back in the box because Kirsten REALLY wanted to get the mail like the 'bigger' kids always did.

I asked Kirsten how her day was and she said that she drank all her juice at lunch. I said "you must have been thirsty! Did you get a water bottle for your classroom?" She said, "No, their have a water fountain and their have a bathroom." Hopefully, 'their' will have a great English program too!
Early morning seminary starts next week, so hopefully we will get back in the 'groove' of school and have things on a schedule and I might have all the stupid papers the kids bring home all filled out by then too! I ought to know by now to just fill one out and make copies, but that would actually need some common sense which I think I lost somewhere around the 4th kid.

Happy Birthday Brandee!

2010-08-22T05:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary and Soccer (and a skink)

2010-08-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Brandee and Scott! 2 years today!

I really HATE skinks (known also as blue-tailed lizards)!
If you look very closely under the dolly, you will see a tailess skink. ACK! Apparently he/she/it already discarded it or maybe the cat caught that part of it. GROSS! Thank goodness Tyler was home and helped to try and get it out. I caught the whole fiasco in pictures:

(notice how brave Kirsten is sitting on the chair watching from a distance - hahaha! - AND YES, I KNOW THAT I AM THE BIGGEST CHICKEN STANDING ON THE STAIRS WAY FAR AWAY TAKING THE PICTURES, BUT WE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT THAT!)

The skink wasn't located and removed at this time though.....several hours later, I noticed the cat staring at the basket full of dollhouse furniture. Tim was home at that time, so I asked him politely (begged and whined actually!) if he could take the basket outside and dump it and see if the skink was in it. Sure enough, it was and it is now FREE to grow a new tail and STAY outside (if it knows what's good for it!).

I really LOVE soccer! Last Friday night was the annual NIHS Alumni Soccer Game. Keenan played on the Alumni side for the first time and scored 3 goals! Alumni won 5-0.

Saturday was the annual Soccer Jamboree at West High School. It was hot, but the sun wasn't out, so it wasn't as bad as it has been in past years. The games were awesome - we won 2 and lost one. Dallin was subbed on halfway through the first game and received a great pass from Ethan and scored within 3 minutes of coming on! So cool!

Wednesday night, we went up to the high school for our first season games. It was INCREDIBLY HOT! Ethan and Dallin (JV) played first and beat South 2-0 - Dallin got both assists!

Tyler (Varsity) didn't start his game because of dropping a board that was being used as scaffolding on his foot - ouch! He managed to find an ankle wrap and play for a lot of the game though. The varsity won 8-1! It was a great game!

End of Summer......

2010-08-19T06:40:00.001-07:00

The girls went backpack shopping last week and guess what Kirsten chose??

How stinkin' cute is this backpack??

I guess it's official - starting next week, my nest will be empty during the school year! Kirsten is so excited to start school! We went to her pediatrician for her kindergarten physical and 3 shots. When we were walking to the van to drive home, she said "THAT REALLY HURT! This is the best day ever! I'm going to school!".

Kyle mailed us all letters last week. We read Kirsten's to her and she got a very mad look on her face! We asked her what was wrong and she said "Kyle didn't write 'dear my most awesome little sister' in there!".

Tim and the boys worked with the cattle yesterday. Specifically the male cattle. Specifically a certain part of the male cattle. Which is no longer on the cattle.

(watching them very closely - think they look a little wary??)

Anyway......I'm planning to work on some more embellishment kits soon. Check the link to the right to go to my embellishment kit site. I will be adding some fall cards, tags and some Halloween things soon too. For those of you who plan ahead, I will be making some Christmas card and tag samples that will be available in whatever quantity you need.

Happy 19th Birthday Keenan!

2010-08-16T03:55:00.000-07:00

Happy 20th Birthday Kyle!

2010-08-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Wishing!

2010-08-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

There are some days (a lot lately, actually!) that I wish this darn renovation/addition was DONE! I'm so tired of moving things and then moving them again and then moving them yet again. AND THE DUST! Holy Crap! Drywall sanding leaves dust EVERYWHERE. Everything feels dusty. The primer is on the ceiling and some walls - and GEEZ! it's white and bright in here! It also makes it glaringly obvious that this place is a 'big ole' mess!

Today, Keenan is working on taking out the subfloor in the great room. We did half the room last year and all of us learned right away not to trip over the uneven floor. Now we'll probably look silly for a couple of days 'stepping up' when we don't have to.

Then it will change again when we put the wood floors in.

Next week sometime Keenan will be having surgery to remove his gallbladder. He feels pretty lousy right now - and it makes him miserable. We're all hoping that the surgery will be a great success and he'll feel better and be HAPPY!

You tell 'em girl!

2010-08-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight at dinner, Hayleigh and Dallin found something to argue about - not just during the meal, but for a while after too. The boys have soccer tryouts tonight at the high school and they are required to bring their own water bottles. Water is provided, but because of MRSA, they each need to bring their own bottles. Anyway, Dallin apparently REALLY wanted to use Hayleigh's new hot pink Girls on the Run water bottle. Hayleigh insisted that he NOT use it and find something else to use. Dallin insisted that it was just a water bottle and that it can be washed so she needed to 'chill out'. After about 45 minutes of this argument, Kirsten said to Hayleigh, "You really want your 'bottle water' back, right? Then I will fight him!".

This month is going to be really tough here. After spending a small fortune on new tires for the little van (because of a nail in one tire and a brick hitting the other one - don't ask), and Dallin's required soccer uniform and tournament fees, and paying for Tyler's lost/stolen calculator from last year and Kyle's mission payment and food......... Anyone wishing to send donations, I take prayers, cash, checks and paypal.........

BUGS!!

2010-07-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

yep - this is a picture of the bugs flying around over the pasture. It's gross, isn't it?

This is a picture of the snake that was watching me walk around (BAREFOOT!) taking pictures. I decided the rest of my pictures were going to be taken from the porch (after checking for skinks, of course!).

Poor Little Birdie!

2010-07-17T10:47:00.001-07:00

Tim found a baby bird in the carport yesterday. Apparently the mama bird had decided that he was old enough to leave the nest and he was on his own. Hayleigh and Kirsten were fascinated with him and held him and followed him around while he was trying to learn to fly. I think they exhausted the poor thing! He flew up into a tree (not very high) and fell asleep!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-07-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Today is our anniversary - 22 years!!

I'm so thankful that I'm married to the most awesome guy in the world!

Soccer is one HOT sport!

2010-07-14T06:05:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, Keenan, Tyler and some friends played in a 3v3 tournament here in Statesville. (We didn't do well at all....but that's another story!)

Tyler also played in some scrimmages for the high school soccer team.

Down on the Farm

2010-07-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

This new calf is a brat! It never stays close to its mother and we can hear her calling it and then it moos back, but it never walks to her - it waits til she goes to it! I'm thinking that is a little high maintenance!

Our motley crew of chickens is getting braver every day. They are wandering towards the house and checking out the barn.

One of the chickens is very small. She doesn't seem to mind being held. The girls named her "chipmunk" because when we first got her, she was a little brown ball with a stripe down her back. She looks more like a pigeon now, but the name is stuck!

The peaches are awesome this year! A friend of ours picked up a few bushels for me when he went to South Carolina (thanks Scott!) and I spent 2 days canning. In addition to making a fresh peach cobbler and eating lots of cut up peaches sprinkled with sugar, I canned 28 quarts of peaches. I made and canned peach butter and peach pie filling too - they both smelled so good! And while I was at it, I made some zucchini relish and canned that too! I had the canner outside on the deck on the gas grill burner, so the house didn't heat up too much....but I sure did make a sticky mess with the peaches! Everything in the kitchen was sticky.

The South

2010-07-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

There are many things that I love about living in the South - the mild winters, the LONG motorcycle riding season, the BLUE-BLUE-BLUE sky, the farms....

but there is one thing I hate about the South - the plethora of nature that finds its way into my house.

Specifically this little guy - the Skink. The smell, the slitheryness, the way they lose their tails when they get scared or feel threatened. AND ESPECIALLY THE WAY THEY GET IN MY HOUSE!!!

There was a live one of these AND a dead one downstairs today. The dog won't even eat them, so you know there is something not right about them (our dog eats just about ANYTHING - even cow poop, but not skinks!). I have a lot of run-ins with these guys too - there was one a couple of weeks ago in my clothespin basket and one in the bathroom the week before that...and sometimes they get in my crocs if I leave them outside. I have learned to look before I touch anything!

Peaches!

2010-07-06T05:33:00.001-07:00

The peaches this year are so yummy! A dear friend of ours picked up 3 bushels for me when he went to South Carolina. I'm going to be canning peaches for the next 2 days ---- they are going to be so good this winter!

(I just wish the air conditioning was working - canning is a hot job!)

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” -Elmer Davis

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves” – Abraham Lincon

“We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls.” – Robert J. McCracken

Family Fun Day

2010-06-21T12:09:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, we went to Carowinds for the day (after watching the USA soccer game of course! and DON'T even ask how we feel about the ref's decision to pull back the USA's 3rd goal! We were ROBBED!).

Anyway - it was VERY hot on Friday.....Holy Crap it was HOT!

Here's Tim and the girls on the carousel:

We ended up in the waterpark area, because DANG, it was hot!

Kirsten had to wear a life jacket for one of the waterpark tube rides. We strapped her in and she said "Does this make me look fat?". At 5 years old???!!? silly girl!

Happy Birthday Dallin!

2010-06-18T05:17:00.001-07:00

(Dallin and his 8th grade diploma - he's high school bound!)