Summer Fun Photo Contest

5 Min for Mom is having a photo contest. I took this photo on our camping trip and I just love it!

Another Update

So you know my commitment about blogging more, therefore keeping my mother from wondering if we are alive or dead? Oh, you can't tell I've made that commitment? Maybe that's because I am horrible at following through when the weather outside is anything but frightful. (and for those wondering... Yes, my mother keeps up with my life here rather than the phone. Why? Because neither one of us are horribly great at calling anyone, let alone each other!)

Ok, update time...

Strawberry season was late this year. We were able to head out to pick 4 times throughout the season and have lots of strawberries and strawberry jam in our freezer. Expensive, but I'm hoping that it will last until next summer. The kids were excited the first time we went out but quickly remembered that it isn't as fun as they think. We only do a basket a person each time we go so it is not so long picking and I have time to get them in the freezer.

We also had a family reunion of sorts. Knights side all got together at the farm and spent the day enjoying each others company. The family doesn't get together much as a group anymore and it was nice to see everyone. The kids were able to go on a hay ride. J-Bird loves playing with all the boys in the family. Most of them are around his age so he is in heaven not having to hang out with girls. J-Bell and Desti also have girls there own age so they were off exploring the farm on their own.

We also took the kids camping for the first time. We cheated slightly and borrowed my moms "cabin" (a camper set up at a resort). The kids wanted to tent it, so we brought the tent and let them sleep there, while we had the bed. They had a good time and they loved taking the kayaks out to the middle of the lake and jumping off. That was the plan to avoid the leeches (it worked).

I am aiming to start school in a couple weeks so then I will be back on schedule and hopefully blogging more regularly. Between times of cleaning, going to the pool, and kayaking I have been preparing for that.

They're Gone!!!

The girls are at camp for the week. All settled in, their beds made, and thrilled I was leaving the last time I saw them (well... the backs of their heads anyway! lol) We only have the boy. He loves being an only child once in a while.

Sew..Sew...Sew...

I just finished this years swim suits. Camp is next week so I was on a time crunch. I'm done sewing for now. Woo Hoo!!!

Nearly Wordless Wednesday--Great Deals

When you are 9 and 10, and the liquidator is going out of business in your town so everything is 60% off of the usual price for the dollar store type junk items it is impossible to resist buying.

And so my kids have been spending their hard earned money and have purchased lots of things they don't need. Shower caps being one of them.

**Sorry for the quality of the picture. The lighting was wrong but I wanted to capture the moment anyway.**

And then there were 3

Desti's puppy, Gracie, went home last night. A couple weeks before Christmas we received a phone call asking about the puppies and they eventually decided to claim the female puppy. It was a very long wait for Ms. Emma who had been wanting a puppy (she is the girl in the pink outfit at the bottom left)

The family came up last night to take her home. Emma seemed very happy with her puppy and although it is sorta sad to see her go, we still have 3 puppies that wake us up early, make messes, and are not quite potty trained. And I have a feeling Gracie will be spoiled. They even brought her a coat so she wouldn't get too cold outside.

The neatest thing about this, is that they are from Knights home town, and have offered to let us come see her. Desti and Emma have talked about being email pals, and Emma has agreed to send pictures so we can watch Gracie grow up.

One down 3 to go.

More humor in Paradise

I have children that love to be with Knight and I. To a fault. You hate to constantly shoo a child away, but sometimes things need to be said without little ears around.

We do our best to only shoo a child away when it is absolutely necessary. So we will have these big long theoretical discussions between Knight and I while the kids listen, or half listen, or not listen at all, but they always feel the need to add anyway.

For example tonight we were doing our fall chores. Putting plastic on our 100 year old windows, taking the trampoline down for the winter, and cutting some of the bushes back. After all of this, we started a fire to burn the brush we had just cut.

Knight and I were talking about some miscommunication earlier. I had gone with him when he went to sell some out dated product in town, and while we were there he said..."Is there anywhere you would like to go? I have already eaten, but is there anywhere you want to go?" I wanted to go to Shopko and even though I would have liked to grab a bite, I did not want to eat alone while he watched. Later we were talking about how he would not have minded grabbing a bite while we were out. The rest of the conversation went like this--

Me- "I don't like to eat alone when I am with someone. I don't mind eating alone, but when someone is with me I don't want them to just watch me eat."

Knight- "Well, sometimes I just like to be out with you. I might not be hungry but I like being with you. Especially when we are alone."

Desti- "Daddy, you know...sometimes I imagine the garden of Eden......."

Her timing was so funny! We started laughing, and she sat there confused on why. So we listened to how she pictured the garden and started talking about different theories.

If the bible says that "sin entered the world through one man, and through sin - death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned." (Romans 5:12) So we were debating if that meant that NOTHING died, that sharks didn't eat flesh, that lions were vegetarians, or does that mean that no man has died, since man is the only one with a soul that has free will. Knight mentioned he thought that even mosquitoes would not have sucked blood before the fall. Then Desti pipes up again after listening to us.

"You know, one day I felt a mosquito on my leg and before I swat it, I looked down and it was THIS BIG!"

We are so glad they pay such close attention

Desti took some of her birthday money and bought herself a professional style at Cost Cutters. This picture doesn't do it justice, but the picture was taken for a completely different reason.

I spray painted an old bike last weekend, and the kids wanted to ride it, but it was still in pieces. Since I didn't have time to put the bike together yesterday I told them if they wanted to ride it, they would have to figure out how to put it back together. The grease all over Desti's face was proof that they didn't have the easiest time, but they did get it together.

I'm spending a lot of time preparing for school. I am still learning the new curriculum, but since school hasn't started, I am not feeling too much pressure.

That's life here in Paradise

Happy 10th Desti!

Another kid hits the double digits. Knight took the family and a couple of her friends horseback riding yesterday to celebrate. It was about an hour long trail ride. The ranch also has a petting area for other animals, and since Desti is such an animal lover she was in heaven.

I stayed back home and made the stuff for lunch. She didn't want birthday cake, so I made some zucchini bars instead. I also made pizza dough so that each person could make their own pizza. Then they chose to sit around and watch my old home movies. Not movies of them. Movies from when I was a kid. I don't get it, but whatever.

Desti is one of the neatest kids. She loves people, especially little kids. She is content playing with anyone, of any age. She has a big heart. Cares deeply for everyone.

She also thinks outside the box. Teaching her has been a challenge. Not because she's not smart, but because she doesn't think the way I do. My classic example--there was a sheet of animals. She was to find the one that is different from the rest. There were all sorts of animals but mainly there were land animals. And one fish. She circled the kangaroo. When asked about it she explained that that was the only one that can hop. Not a wrong answer, but a different one than expected.

It has been a joy to watch her grow into the young lady she is. I truly hope she continues to grow strong in the Lord, and her love for people and animals stay as pure as it is now.

I am blessed to have her call me Mom.