Where is the Johnson Family today?

   Hi All. It has been almost an entire year since I last posted on here. I have decided to do a final post.  I figure most of my previous readers no longer read this blog so, that being said, I feel I need to finalize this part of our family. 
 
   First let me tell you that I used variations of our names when I started this blog. My kids were younger and I felt like I needed to protect them at that time. I want to fill you in on that.

    Jeremiah is actually Jeremy (He always wished he was named Jeremiah)
    SunnyKaye is actually Sonya (Sunny was a nickname from high school and my middle name is Kay)
    Madilynne is actually Paige Madison (She named herself here. She wished her middle name was Madilynne)
    Ryder is actually Nathan Ryder (He chose his middle name)
    Johnson is our real last name

   
    Jeremy and I have been together for 27 years now.  We will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary in December.  Paige has graduated from our homeschool and is attending college.  Nathan is in 11th grade of our homeschool.   

   I have an Instagram account that you are welcome to follow.  I do update that much more often.  IG is easier for me to keep up with.  I am sovojo on there.   Leave a message that you were a Pines reader!  Hope to see you there. 

   I have enjoyed my time on here and maybe one day I'll come back to Pines but for now, I'm going to stop and not have guilt. Thank you for reading our family blog and I have enjoyed this part of our journey.

Blueberry Soda!

   Madi arrived home from work last night with a big smile and announced she had a surprise!  She opened up a grocery bag and pulled out 10 bottles of this:

  

   Best Daughter Ever!!  Love her so much!

It tastes as good as I remember!

 

   You may remember me mentioning this soda in a previous post if not well, I did!  ;-)

Where, oh where has the Johnson Family been?

   Oh boy!  Have we been busy.  Crazy days for us.  I'm not sure when I posted last but we started school for the new year in August.  I was really sad about the thought of starting this year because it is the last year of homeschooling for Madilynne. However, I am enjoying this year because when you have older kids you can really have some good discussions about the topics they are studying. They have some really good thoughts and sometimes challenge my thinking! 



View of VA Beach from our room balcony.

   We have been traveling a lot lately also.  As much as I like getting on the road and being together making memories, I am so glad the traveling is done.  The last trip was to Virginia Beach, Virginia.  I loved the trip even though I am not a huge water fan.  I loved waking up every morning to seeing the ocean, the surfers and dolphins while drinking my tea!  I was really surprised at how well Madi and Ryder got along.  When you have two teens, well, they can kind of get on each others last nerve.  Both kids were awesome to travel with....most of the time!  ;-)  The trip to the beach took us 7 hours to drive to.  That's a long time in the car.   

   We were at the beach while Hurricane Irma was bearing down on FL.  My brother J lives in FL and he hightailed it out to safety in NC.  I am so glad that he was safe and as far I know right now, his home didn't sustain any damage. 

   I have been busy getting the produce from the garden canned for the last month.  Our garden gave a lot of produce but the wildlife around here ate their fair share this year.  I was able to can several batches of salsa and some jars of green beans.  I froze some zucchini and green peppers too. I bought some carrots and my mom helped me can 29 quarts today.  That was a lot of chopping!  Jeremiah grew two nice pumpkins.  He brought them to the front porch to use as fall decorations. 

   Speaking of fall... some of the trees are starting to show their colors!  My dad has a saying that "The colored leaves are the flowers of fall." 

    I think that I will finish with that for the evening.  I hope to post more later! Blessings to you all!

Life With A Teen Boy??

First thing: this was posted with permission given from Ryder.

 

What happens when you have a

 

Teenaged boy and add in

 

A treadmill on high speed and

 

An 8lb weight

 

!

 

!

 

!

 

!

 

!

 

!

 

 

 Ryder truly thought that the weight would just roll down the treadmill.  Well, THAT didn't happen!  HaHa!  Everyone is safe and no harm was done except to the window.

 

 

 

 

 

Busy Week on the Hilltop!

   Oh, the weather outside has been delightful!  We have been enjoying the change to warmer temps.  We have done a lot- and I mean a lot- of running.  The car is getting a work out!  I love it.  It's been busy but we are together and we have a good time talking.  Ok, sometimes the kids majorly disagree on something but overall it's a good thing.  My kiddo's aren't really little anymore (15 and 16 years old) so discussions can sometimes get deep/interesting.  They both seem to have a sweet spot for the 1980's and early 1990's music...  Really??? Who seriously wants to go back? Haha! 

   We have had many pop-in visitors this week.  My dad, my uncle, my mom came with my little nephew C.  Mom and C spent the afternoon with us.  C is 14 months old and he is so much fun.  I love to listen as his little feet pitter patter across the floor. He makes sweet little sounds to communicate and a couple short words like "Mom, Dad, Baby, and Ball".  He loves to wave "Bye" and "Hi".  We also had some friends of Ryder's come and spend a day here too.  The boys were constantly on the go. 

   Ryder mowed our yard and started mowing at one of the jobs that he carried over from last year.  All the grass is growing and starting to green-up.  I enjoyed getting the first scent of freshly mowed grass.  When my uncle stopped in, he wanted to get a whiff of the fresh smell too!  After a long winter the smells of spring and the birds singing are welcome- except for those who have those spring time allergies.  I'm sorry for you.  Jeremiah has been dealing with those recently and it isn't any fun; it takes away from your enjoyment.

   Madi had a "hankering" for a sandwich from the little creamery we visited with our homeschool group this winter on Thursday. She had to be at work at 1 so it worked out great to go have lunch before her afternoon shift started. I got the same Grilled Chicken Salad that I got before and it was so much better.  They have really improved since they opened last year.  I guess they just had to work out the bumps.  It is real food and not packaged, processed food and the taste is so much better!  They had a couple new farms listed on their sign to let us know where they got their produce and meat. 

   We went to a dinner last night (Friday) to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. Jeremiah had work so he wasn't able to make it. We went to a new restaurant about an hours drive from home.  I wasn't impressed with it.  I ordered a Grilled Chicken and Ranch sandwich (minus the bun) and I was far from impressed.  The chicken breast was too grilled.  It seemed like I was actually eating charcoal sometimes.  It was also grisly and fatty.  I think that is the term I want. Madi said her food was ok, not good but ok. I think it was called a Chicken Cheesesteak. She also ordered some onion rings that were huge and did have a very good flavor to them.   Ryder got a Philly Cheesesteak and he said his was good.  As an appetizer, he ordered some chicken strips and was happy with those.  The two dips that came with the strips were good.  My mother-in-law wasn't overly happy with her food either. I wasn't impressed with the prices either.  I felt that they were high.  No wonder they didn't list the prices on their online menu.  Most people wouldn't want to pay that much.  It worked out to roughly $20 per person without the tip!  If it was "real" food and not premade, packaged food from a chain restaurant I might not bulk as much but not for that.  I don't plan on going back there to eat. Ryder and Madi said they don't want to go there again either.  However, it was time spent with family so I wouldn't take the time back and we also tried out another new restaurant.  It was time well spent even if the food didn't turn out so great.

   Tonight, we are going to go to my in-laws to have Easter dinner with Jerm's family.  I am taking coleslaw and candied carrots.  We will be going to my mom's after church for dinner tomorrow. She has everything covered for dinner at her house. It is also a smaller dinner (9 people) since it will just be our family and my brother's family attending. 

   So I will end my post with that.  I hope you all have a most blessed Easter!

Family Dinner!

   For those of you who have been following the updates on our Christmas present decision to have a family experience instead of gifts; here is the update. Since my brother-in-law is still dealing with the blood clot issue in his leg, we decided to do a family dinner.  We went to a little restaurant that has been around a long time but none of us have eaten there before. 

   We had a very enjoyable evening but since our family is getting bigger we were seated at a long table and it was slightly difficult to converse with everyone.  We had planned on going bowling after dinner but Jeremiah's work schedule changed and we needed to cancel going bowling.  We have decided that we would go bowling another time instead. Yay! I am not sure when we will do that though.

   I will say that the family dinner was much better than doing the family gifts.  We talked and laughed and made memories for ourselves and the kids.  I personally think that these type of evenings are better than having stuff sitting around our house.  I appreciate the creative gifts (honestly) but memories will last a lifetime.  We are all getting older and it is better to spend time together.

   As for the restaurant itself...  It isn't a place that I would recommend going to eat.  It has a casual atmosphere and our family didn't have to worry about noise or anything like that but the food wasn't the best.  I would say that half of the family liked their food and the other half was on the it's only ok side. Madi and my father-in-law ordered the same dish- hot roast beef and fries with gravy-they both said it was lukewarm and didn't taste good. I felt bad for Madi as she has recently started to try eating meat again and received an icky dish.  Boo... I had ordered a chef salad and it was huge and good. Jeremiah and Ryder each ordered a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich and fries and they were in the it's ok group. The portion sizes were giant but the taste just wasn't there.  Quality vs. Quantity-  Quality lost.  Those that ordered steaks and ribs said their orders were good.  My mother-in-law ordered some sort of pasta and shrimp dish and she said it was good also.   

 

Giant Nacho Plate!!



   Jeremiah ordered a plate of nachos and it was giant!  We passed the plate around the table several times and it never seemed to get smaller!  HaHa.  Madi snapped this picture of it (the only picture of the evening-my apologies)  You can see how small her thumb looks.  This was taken after the first pass around!  :-)  There was also an order of cheese sticks, jalapeño peppers and an onion blossom going around the table too. I didn't try any of those but was told they were really tasty. 

 

   Overall, the dinner was a huge success (in my mind) even if the food wasn't great.  The company was and that is all that mattered! Take the time to spend with family and friends if you have the chance and make some memories!

 

   Be blessed! 

The Awful Candy Experience!

   My mom, Madi and I went to a little store that makes goat cheese. My mom has been there before and she likes the cheese a lot. Madi and I tasted some of the cheese selections.  I have to say that I am not a fan.  Madi liked one of the cheeses but honestly they just tasted "goaty" to me.  I couldn't find an enjoyable taste to them. 

   Mom and Madi each bought a chocolate candy they were selling.  They were made with dark chocolate and looked so good! Mom got a cherry chocolate  drop and Madi got a vanilla chocolate drop.  When we got to the car mom popped her chocolate in, chewed a bit and got the most horrible look on her face.  She promptly opened her door and spit the chocolate out right there in the parking lot!!!!  She said she either spit it out or something else would happen!  She felt bad about it but it was nasty!  Madi decided to try hers carefully.  She took a small bite of it and got a horrible look on her face.  She didn't want to swallow her bite either.  I took a small bite of hers and it was AWFUL!  Truly awful.  I haven't tasted something so bad in a long time.  My mom thought it couldn't have been as bad as the one she had so she took the remaining third of the chocolate.  It exited her mouth also.  Yuck was the defined word to describe that awful chocolate! 

   We discovered that just because they had fancy names and looked beautiful the insides were horrible and left a bad taste in your mouth.  Life learning experience from some chocolate drops... 

I've Been Under the Weather Lately!

   Hi All!  It has been quite a long time since I updated.  As you can probably guess from the title, I have not been feeling well.  I got that blasted stomach bug that was going around our area right after first of the year.  I would guess that it was around the 3rd of January.  I had that awful sickness for 6 days.  Jeremiah and Ryder had it prior to me but it was about a 3 day virus.  I wasn't so fortunate.  Madilynne was able to avoid getting it.  I am happy she didn't experience it.  

    However, this virus was so intense for me that everything- and I mean everything- I ate gave me a terrible upset stomach with lots of pain. Madi and I started keeping a food log about what I was eating and what caused pain.  Well, Madi (aka The Food Warden) has been keeping a tight rein on what I am eating.  I am not a person who has a lot of will power otherwise I would be skinny and super fit so she is helping me make wise food choices!  ;-)  We figured out that anything with eggs, dairy, nuts and wheat were causing me issues.  I made some major changes to my diet and cut all those foods out. It seemed like I only had 5 things I could eat but I was feeling so much better.  I started taking a good probiotic and kept my eating to a minimal. OH HOW I WANTED A PIECE OF CHEESE!!!!  I like cheese almost as much as my tea.  I think not having cheese was the worst possible part of it.

   Madi and I quickly figured out a new eating plan for me focusing on what I could eat and not what I couldn't eat.  That made the process much easier.  I really wanted cheese and something chocolate.  I am not a big chocolate eater so that was surprising to me.  We went for groceries and I got a gluten-free brownie mix at Aldi's. Oh my gosh, it was so good!  The rest of the family even thought it was good.  I got over the chocolate craving and all has been good.  Madi and I have slowly introduced trigger foods back into my diet.  Nuts were the first thing to bring back without any issues. Then I really wanted cheese so I decided that if I only ate one piece of cheese or some shredded cheese on my salads I would be ok.  We tried it and I can only handle a little bit of cheese.  I don't drink any milk or anything like that.  I save the dairy for my cheese!  LOL  Eggs... well eggs are still not something I can eat.  I can handle them baked into something like the brownie but I can't eat them plain, like scrambled or an omelet.  Next is wheat/gluten...that is still a no go. I don't have any major pain if I eat something that I didn't realize has gluten in but my stomach gets upset. 

   I am hoping with a controlled diet, taking probiotics and eating some fermented foods that I will get this under control and get back to eating normally again.  I can say that I do feel better eating a better diet and not so much in the grain/bread/pasta group so that is a good thing!

   As for the rest of life, we went to visit a new creamery that opened recently for lunch.  We met my mom and step-dad, my nephew and his momma there.  Our homeschool group is going to tour the cheese making part of it next week but the idea to meet for lunch came up and we jumped on it.  It was so much fun to eat somewhere new.  I had some yummy food choices so that made it much better.  I got a chicken salad with a delicious ranch dressing.  Oh boy was it good!  The focus of the foods is to eat local, Farm to Table style. They had the local farms listed and I recognized three of the five farms.  I think that it is great that they are supporting our local community farmers.  They also had a gift shop that had some items made locally.  The prices weren't extremely high either.  Usually those kind of places have a high price point but honestly I didn't think it was too bad. I didn't feel like it broke the bank to eat there and we will definitely go back. Examples: my chicken salad was $5.50 and it was a nice sized salad. The Philly Cheese Wrap and homemade chips was $7.50 and the Cheeseburger and homemade chips was also $5.50.  I think I have those prices right.... Not a bad price overall. I can't remember the cost of the drinks though.  Madi ordered some fried cheese curds and they were pricier around $7 for the order but she really liked them.   

   Our extended family was supposed to go snow tubing as a family experience instead of Christmas gifts last Saturday.  My brother-in-law developed a blood clot in his calf muscle and as a result can't do anything physical like tubing for several weeks.  We decided to change plans and just go out to dinner.  What good is it to have a family experience and not have the whole family?  Dinner was scheduled and then my B-I-L got sick. He and his wife decided to stay home.  Dinner is now rescheduled for this Saturday!  HaHa  I personally don't mind changing the schedule because my stomach issues are getting better so I have more food choices now.  Jeremiah's family is pretty close so it's not like we won't do something else at a later date.  The restaurant that was chosen is also new to us.  I think only two family members have eaten there before so it will be another fun experience. 

   Well, I will wrap up today's post since this is getting pretty long.  I could have done this post in several different ones but I just wanted to get it typed up.  I hope it wasn't too long for you. Have a blessed day!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

 

1. Are you more task oriented or people oriented? Elaborate.  I am definitely a people oriented person. I don't care much for working by myself and will happily delegate tasks to others.  Now, I will say that once upon a time, I would have rather done the work myself so that it was "done correctly" but I have learned that I can't do that anymore.  It was very wearing on my mental health!

2. December 15 is National Wear Your Pearls Day...do you own/wear pearls? If you're a man answering the question, does your sweetheart own or wear pearls? Everyone share a 'pearl of wisdom' with us here today.   I do not own any pearls. I have a set of small earrings that are fakes. My pearl of wisdom is to enjoy every moment of each day.  I will add more to this in #8, the random thought.

3. Speaking of pearls...oysters? Are you a fan or not a fan? If you answered yes, tell us your favorite way to eat oysters? If you said no, be honest-have you ever tried one or does just the idea of eating an oyster make you gag a little?   Not a fan of oysters and no I have never, ever eaten an oyster and hopefully for the rest of my life I will never have one of those slimy things in my mouth.  For me, it's a texture thing and I will never willingly eat one!

4. Time Magazine has named President-elect Donald Trump Person of the Year. Let's take presidents and presidential candidates out of the mix for a minute. If a political figure had not been chosen who would you name Man or Woman of the Year for 2016?  Honestly, I have no idea.  I guess they want famous people or newsworthy folks and really there are very few of those worthy of being called the "person of the year" to me.  I don't have an answer to this question.

5. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2017 has been announced, and it's a vibrant green aptly named-greenery. Your thoughts? Is this a color currently in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade for the new year? Click here to see the color.   I like the color.  I don't think I have anything in that color anywhere.  It's pretty but I don't think it will show up in my home or in my wardrobe.

6. Today I've had too much________________________.   To do!!  I have cabinets to organize, my kitchen needs some major attention and as usual the laundry is out of control!!  Oh, I also need to get the Christmas cards out! AND what am I doing....blogging!  HaHa!  I will get to it though!

7. Share a favorite lyric from a favorite Christmas carol.   One of my favorite carols is Mary Did You Know? and Silver Bells is a song that makes me think of my grandma.  She used to play it on the organ a lot when I was a little girl. I don't enjoy shopping or going to the city but the song is sweet. I am going to post the lyrics to both songs. I think that Mary Did You Know? is a deep song.  Madi sang this song at our homeschool Christmas Variety Show.

Mary Did You Know?:

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God

Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am

Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know

 

Silver Bells:

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks,
Dressed in holiday style,
In the air there is a feeling,
of Christmas
Children laughing,
People passing
Meeting smile after smile,
And on every street corner you'll hear :

Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
ring- a- ling, hear them ring,
soon it will be Christmas day.

Strings of street lights,
Even stop lights,
Blink a bright red and green
As the shoppers rush,
home with their treasures.

Hear the snow crunch,
See the kids bunch,
This is Santa's big scene,
And above all this bustle
You'll hear :
Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city,
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring,
Soon it will be Christmas day.

 8.  Insert your own random thought here.  In keeping to my answer in #2 about enjoying every moment of every day here's why... This isn't to necessarily be a Debbie Downer but it's what happening in my life in real time....

 

I say to enjoy every moment because we don't know how many days we have with those we love.  In August, Jeremiah's cousin and her hubby lost their little girl in her 7th month of pregnancy.  It was a devastating loss to them and the family.  They have 3 beautiful little girls and she would have made their fourth blessing.  On Thursday of last week my mom called me and said that my cousin and her husband lost their little boy in her 7th month of pregnancy.  He would have been their fourth little boy.  His funeral is tomorrow. 

 

Yesterday, I kept my nephew.  He just turned 10 months old and is a sweet baby boy!  He had two vaccinations on Monday and wasn't a very happy camper.  He was fussy and didn't feel too good along with not sleeping well.  He wasn't easily entertained or his regular happy self yesterday.  I have a metal star hanging on the glass patio door that leads to the playroom from our kitchen.  He liked touching it and playing with the star. There are little fingerprints on the glass now and I will be letting them there.  It seems like just last week that my own kids were leaving little fingerprints on the glass.  They are both bigger than me now.  I will savor those little messy prints for a bit longer.  It won't be but a couple blinks and he will be taller than me!

 

Enjoy each and every moment you have with those you love.  We only have so many days and I want to savor as many of those as I can.  I will snuggle, hug and kiss my little nephew and pray God's favor on him as I do my own two kids.  I hope that as we enter into this wonderful Christmas season that you embrace those around you and enjoy every moment spent with them....even the ones who try your patience!  Blessing to All! 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

 

1. Let's talk holiday decorating. On a scale of 1-10 where do you fall? (1=Scrooge and 10= Clark Griswold). What's your favorite corner-room-table-space to decorate? Is it done?  I USED to be a Clark Griswold but now...not so much.  When the kids were little, Jeremiah and I went all out decorating.  We did most of the house.  However, as time went on I have drastically changed my decorating habits.  It is just too much extra work for me right now.  I am not into it as I once was.  Each year depends on my energy level and amount of excitement I have for decorating.  I don't think I will do much this year.  The tree is up and so far that's all....

2. Is there a nativity scene in your decorating somewhere? Post a picture or, if it's special to you in some way, tell us why. Or do both-it's Christmas!  I have a beautiful nativity scene.  It is very simple in design but is very fitting.  I do not have it up yet.  I think I will get it out this year, maybe.

3.  Do you live in a social neighborhood? If so are you glad? If not do you wish you did?  Many of my neighbors are my family... We are social for sure. 

4.  As the saying goes, 'there's no time like the present'. How does that ring true in your life right now?  It is ringing true here.  I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the future at the moment.  We are living day by day and enjoying it.  Each day is a gift and I want to savor it.  Today I will be keeping my baby nephew.  He is 9 months old now and I honestly can't believe how fast the time has flown!  It seems that a blink ago he couldn't even roll over and now he is crawling and getting into everything!  I love it and it helps to keep me grounded!  My own babies are teens so I truly miss this wonderful baby stage!

5. Do you dread Mondays? Why or why not?  I am one of those people who dread Mondays.  I think I have always dreaded Mondays.  I am not a schedule person so when Monday rolls around I have to leave the carefree weekends go...

6.  Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus, Amaryllis-which on the list is your favorite holiday plant? Are any of these on display in your home right now?  I will say Christmas Cactus but the Poinsettia is very close...  My Christmas Cactus is in bloom right now.  They are so lovely.  When I decorate, I like to use Poinsettias. 

7. Share a favorite quote from a Christmas movie.  I don't think I actually have a favorite quote but one our family uses is: You'll shoot your eye out with that thing!  from a Christmas Story.  I will assume that it isn't the actual direct quote but close.  I will also state that I am NOT a fan of that movie but it has some really good one liners in it!  :0)

8.  Insert your own random thought here.   Today Jeremiah and I celebrate our 20th Anniversary. We were high school sweethearts who were engaged on Christmas Day then married two years later with a Country Christmas wedding. December 7 is Pearl Harbor Day so many folks don't choose to marry on that day but it was also my Pap's birthday.  We decided that it was ok to chose that date.  We even mentioned Pap's birthday on the wedding program.  He is gone now, actually passed away on Christmas Eve many years ago, but all our grandparents live on in our hearts and memories.  In reference to question #4; live in the present and enjoy every day you are given. Plan for the future, but don't obsess about it; remember the past and learn from it.  We never know how many of days were are blessed with.  Have a blessed day and enjoy it to the fullest.  God is good- all the time!

After re-reading #8, I think I hit random on that!!!!  I am very scattered with my answer!  Have a good day anyhow!  ~smile~

Watermelon!

We harvested our first watermelon this weekend.

 

We have not been able to grow a decent sized watermelon here- ever!

 

 

 Other years when we tried they grew a bit bigger than a softball but none of them have ever reached a full size before.

 

 

It was so juicy!  It reminded me of the watermelons we used to have before the seedless watermelon.  I don't think that the seedless watermelons have much flavor. 

 

I can remember my brothers and I having a seed spitting contest when we were little. I wasn't a very good seed spitter.  My mom used to tell us that we couldn't eat the seeds because it would cause a watermelon plant to grow in our bellies! Haha!  I told Madi and Ryder the same thing when they were little. 

 

 

Ryder and I were taking turns cutting it. He cut through the tough outer layer and I cut it into the smaller sizes. It was heavy and needed to be cut into sizes that I could manage with a sharp knife without cutting myself!

I like to have bite sized pieces in a bowl ready to eat.

 

I think it is such a pretty melon.

 

This bowl holds 4 quarts.  It was overflowing as soon as I finished cutting it.  We ate quite a bit of it immediately and I packed some for Jeremiah's lunch. 

My mom likes to sprinkle a bit of salt on her watermelon when she eats it.  I do this occasionally but not often.  Does anyone else eat watermelon this way or have you heard of doing this? 

Pines Update!

   This site has been quiet lately and I apologize for that.  We started school on August 1.  I was hesitant about starting early but it has been so hot out that staying inside in the air conditioning has actually been a blessing.  Madilynne has a full class schedule that includes many extras that she is interested in this year and Ryder is keeping things basic-hitting only those subjects that is required by state law and sign language.  They are both doing a good job at getting school done each day.  We started with an 8 am up-and-at-'em game plan.  Those that know my kiddos know that 8 am is early for the night owls!  :-)   They are adjusting pretty nicely to the new schedule.  Do they like 8 am? No, not at all but it sure is nice to get the school done early. 

   Our garden is producing like crazy! It's awesome but keeping me busy.  I have been canning green beans, red beets and experimented with some pickle recipes.  I will pick some green beans tonight and harvest some green peppers too.  We have two watermelons that are getting really big.  I am so excited about that!  We are also getting two cantaloupes.  We never tried to grow them before so getting two of them is really good!

   We have also been doing some baby/child sitting and visiting with friends.  We have spent some extra time in the pool and yesterday we met some friends at a local park to swim and visit.  It was hot but the visiting was well worth it.  I can handle a lot of heat when I am visiting with good friends.  Ok, well I also had a quart jar of lemon ice water! 

****************

 



   Ok, you know it's bad when I couldn't even get this posted three days ago!!  LOL  Before I could finish this posting I was interrupted over and over!  I also ended up processing more green beans and baby sitting my sweet little nephew for a couple hours.  We ended up going to a BBQ (BaByQ) baby shower for Jeremiah's cousin and his wife. 

   It has continued to stay hot and humid here. Today there is a higher chance of thunderstorms.  We are planning on going to Jeremiah's parents for a cook out and swimming this afternoon. His sister is coming up so hopefully the weather will cooperate.  :-)   

   So now since I have a minute I will post this before the next pressing item pops up! I hope everyone is having a great summer. 

Trust

   As I sit here typing this the skies are trying to shine bright.  The clouds keep coming in to cast shadows on the ground.  I don't realize how sneaky those clouds are until the house fills with bright sunlight and I see the sun's full potential lighting up the room. 

   I was trying to decide what to write about today.  It has been a few days since I posted and while I have lots that I want to write about, I just haven't had much time to sit and type it out.  One thing that stands out the most is about a innocent exchange between a dad and his little 4 year old son....

   One evening several weeks ago we met with some friends and family to swim in my in-law's pool.  The kids were having fun as usual and Ryder was jumping-not diving- into the pool from the deck.  The little four year old wanted to jump in also and while he is wearing his floaties he's a bit intimidated by the thought of jumping in. 

   He takes timid steps to the edge and looks to his dad to catch him but he still has that "scared to death" look on his face but the will inside that he really wants to jump like the "big boys".  He jumps in and his dad catches him immediately.  His face doesn't even go under the water.  They repeat this action several more times and then he wants to go under the water. 

   He hasn't put his head under the water once since they got in the pool. 

   He goes for it...he takes off the floaties and stands at the edge.  He looks full into his daddy's face and says that he can't do it, he's scared.  Understanding his fears, his dad says back, "Trust me.  I got you."  He immediately jumps in and sinks his whole body under the water!   His daddy's protective arms are around him the whole time he is in the water.  He pops up out of the water, fear is gone, and excitement takes over.  "Again! Again!" he yells.  He keeps jumping into the water over and over knowing his dad has him each time. 

   I was watching this play out and cheered for him every time he made a leap of faith and came to realize that this situation can be applied to my own life. 

   How many times has God said to me, "Trust me. I got you." and I stand at the edge and say that I'm scared.  I think back through the years at times when He had me. 

When I graduated from high school

My first day of college

 My first day at a new job

 Walking down the isle on my wedding day(thrilled and excited but scared)

 Signing the loan papers for our first home

 Announcing that we were expecting our first baby

 Bringing that baby home from the hospital

Deciding to homeschool

 

"Trust me. I got you."

 

   The list could go on and on. I need to remember that God has my back. He will never leave me; especially in my time of need.  I hope this post will encourage you on your walk today and that it will cheer you on to continue your journey.  Have a blessed day!

 

 

 

  

Color My Walk

 

Summer evenings make for the best time to take a walk. The sun is sitting low in the sky and we usually have a breeze of some sort.

 

 

We went for a walk on Sunday and I thought that it would be fun to take pictures of the flowers that are right beside the road.  This is one of the perks of living on a country road!

 

 

I am having a bit of trouble getting all the pictures I took to download so these pictures will have to do. I also wanted to make them a bit larger but they are coming out blurry! Ack! Oh well, I can't win all the time. :-)

 

 

I personally think that daisies are a "happy" flower. We don't seem to have as many daisies this year.  Last year it appeared that we had more of the perky flower along the road.

 

I was happy at the variety of color. Tiger lilies were in several different groups along the road.

 

 

There were a lot of these bright yellow blossoms along the road.  They were scattered and not in big bunches but it made for a nice splash of color for our walk.

 

Ryder found several patches of wild strawberries along the fields that he stopped and picked.  Wild strawberries are very small in size- about the size of a pea- but they are very sweet. 

Wind chimes

   Several posts back, I answered some questions for the Liebster Award. Here is one of those questions is here with my answer: 

5. Would you hang windchimes on your porch? Would I? Yes. Do I? No.  At one time I had a small set hanging.  The set that I currently have was given to me when my aunt passed away several years ago. I do not want them to be ruined so they hang in the corner of our playroom by a siding glass door.  When the wind is strong it will ring them.  Each chime has a verse of "Amazing Grace" on it. 

 

 

I wanted to expand on my answer.

 

   Many years ago when we moved to the farm, I had a cheap wind chime set hanging on the front porch.  It didn't take long for it to be ruined from the wind that whips along the front of the house.  This particular set has too much emotional attachment for me to be destroyed. 

 

   My dad's side of the family is small.  My grandfather passed away in 1970's and my grandma passed in 2005 so that left my Aunt C and Uncle K ("Unc", Dad's brother). Several years ago Aunt C went to the beach with her sister and best friend as they did every year.  (She LOVED the beach and was the first person to take me to see the ocean in my teen years.) When they arrived at their hotel room Aunt C said she didn't feel too well and  that she was going to go to bed.  My aunt never woke up. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon in September when Unc called and told me that she had passed away very unexpectedly in her sleep.  It shocked me to the core as she was ONLY 50 years old, thin and appeared to be in good physical shape!  Not someone you would look at and think would die young.

 

 

   This set of chimes was given to me from Aunt C's mother and sister.  They weren't here to help Unc handle the funeral arrangements as they live 1.5 hours away. I walked through the process with him and it helped to have something to do with my time and a way to grieve myself. I think it helped him to know that he had us to lean on also. My aunt and uncle did not have any children; it's only my two brothers and me in this generation.  

 

   I don't write this post to make you sad.  I loved Aunt C dearly and she is in a much happier, better place- heaven.  I tell you this story because when I see my lovely set of wind chimes hanging in the corner of the playroom I think of her and I am reminded of how loving and sweet she was to us. Her love of sports, especially football and tennis and how she hated green beans!  I can remember the sound of her laugh. Many good memories come to mind when I see or hear those chimes. 

 

   I also remember that our time on this Earth is limited and we would do well to spend our time well. We do not know when we will breathe our last breath or spend time with loved ones.  Make the most of each day you have been given. Make memories with those you care most about. 

 

Live (Galatians 5:22) 

Laugh (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

Love (1 Corinthians 13:4)

 

   Each chime has a verse to "Amazing Grace" written on it. 

 

~Amazing Grace~ 

John Newton (1725-1807)

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

 



Sunday on the Lake

   Sunday was a lovely day for us.  Madilynne was a helper last week for Vacation Bible School (VBS) at a small, local church.  She loves to help at VBS and has been a helper for the last several years. After the week is complete the church dedicates the following Sunday to the VBS and the kids get to show what they have learned and to recognize the people that organize VBS and the helpers.  It is always a fun service.

 The weather was beautiful on Sunday afternoon and Jeremiah and Ryder couldn't think of a better way to spend the day than on the lake. We loaded up some snacks and took the boat out.  Madilynne and I usually spend the time reading or talking too much ;-) and the boys fish and join in on our chatting! 

 

We always have a great time together on the lake. Ryder caught several fish that he released to swim again.  I don't think that Jeremiah caught many/any because he was busy keeping the boat a safe distance from the shore but in a good range for Ryder to fish.

 

 

 

It was a bit windy in the open waters so Jeremiah took us into some of the coves and it wasn't very choppy.

 

 

This picture was just for fun... I don't normally take "feet pictures"! HaHa!

 

I am blessed that our family gets to spend time like this together.  I hope that you get to spend some quality time with your loved ones. What are some of your favorite ways to get spend quality time together?

Be blessed today!

 

First Day of School 2015

   Today started our new homeschool year.  We started homeschooling Madilynne when she was 3 years old.  She loved doing arts and crafts and learning her numbers and letters. She was so excited every day to start school. Fast forward quite a few years and she is still just as enthused to start school.  Ryder isn't quite as happy about starting school but he said the sooner he starts the sooner he is finished. Good outlook!  We had originally planned to start school two weeks ago but a family friend needed some help watching their granddaughter so we fill in for them when we can. She will be starting school again when our local public school starts back up, Sept 1, but we will keep her when we can until then.

   We had planned that our day would go smoothly with maybe the occasional bump.  Well, it didn't go quite as planned and you know what? It was all good.  We had some unexpected visitors stop by to drop off some stuff and they stayed to visit for a bit since we haven't seen them for awhile.  I also had to conquer Mt. Laundry.  I was able to tackle some of it but not all of it- tomorrow is another day.  I had started soaking some beans last night so I could make refried beans today.  That took extra time too.  All in all our first day of school was a success.  We finished our work and had an enjoyable day.  The weather was sunshiny and bright and just made the house a happy place to be today.   It also helps when you have two great kids and I am so happy that we home educate.

   I hope you had a great day today too.  Tomorrow will be another busy day of schooling, cleaning and canning.  I will post about our canning adventures sometime soon.

  

Blackberries and Huckleberries

   The kids and I went berry picking recently.  Madilynne wasn't excited to go pick at first but once we started picking, her whole attitude changed for the better.  She really enjoyed picking.  Ryder was ready to jump into picking as soon as I mentioned it.  I think his belly and taste buds were a factor in that.

 

   The blackberries and huckleberries are ripe and ready to pick in our area.  If you aren't familiar with huckleberries they are small, dark blue berries that are really sweet.  I thought I would share some pictures of the berries we actually brought home and what was left since we ate most of them right off the bushes!

When we brought them home, Ryder started to eat them by the handful.  I am happy that he enjoys the berries as they are very nutritious.  These are all the berries I had left to freeze

 

This picture shows the huckleberries.  They are roughly the size of a pea and look similar to a blueberry. I think they are awesome frozen!

 

These are the frozen blackberries.  If Ryder doesn't finish them off they will be delicious in a smoothie. 

 

We stayed on the look out at all times because bears like blackberries and huckleberries also.  We saw some bear paw prints but no bears! We were kind enough to leave many berries for the bears, deer and turkeys to nibble on too!  I think they would thank us- if they could!

Day at the Lake

   This weekend was a beautiful- sunny and comfortably warm with no/low humidity.  Our family went to a local lake to meet my brother's girlfriend's parents.  Did you follow that?  Her parents are so sweet. We had a delicious lunch before going down to the lake to ride the boat.  I am not a big fan of boat rides but I have gone before and it has been fine. This time was not the day that all would be fine.  I am not sure if age is becoming more of a factor or the lake was just too choppy but I couldn't handle it.  It was just too much for my stomach.  I tried to use a motion sickness remedy but it didn't work. I had to go back to the dock.

   Jeremiah was able to stay and enjoy watching the kids try to water ski for the first time, they weren't successful, but had fun trying. They also rode on a raft that was pulled behind the boat.  I am so glad they got to spend the afternoon on the lake.  Madilynne and Ryder both enjoy swimming so when they came back to get more drinking water, they jumped off the dock and swam around in the lake.  I spent the afternoon watching the boats go by with my mom and step-dad.  We had a good time too- on solid ground! My mom gets worse motion sickness than me.

   I hope everyone is enjoying these last few weeks before fall. The temperatures will cool down and school will start soon.  Enjoy each day and the blessings found in them!

Childhood Memory -Lady the Milk Cow

   I was taking a stroll down memory lane trying to remember different parts of my childhood that my kids aren't going to experience.  There are differences but there are also similarities like raising chickens and having a large yard to play in.  I had a good childhood but we weren't exactly in the higher income spectrum...
 
We weren't "poor" but extra income wasn't there.
 
Our needs were met but we didn't live a life of extras.
 
   I know that my parents did the best they could but vacations for us weren't like they were for my childhood friends. Dinner was made from scratch and eating out at a restaurant was almost unheard of (!) however it was all good! I had a great childhood with a balanced mix of work and play and knew that I was loved- THAT is what is important.
   We lived on what I would call a "farm-ette"...I don't think that is even a word. :-) My parents raised or grew a lot of our food.  We had a huge garden, grape arbor and fruit trees so my mom canned, juiced, jellied or froze much of the produce. We also raised much of our meat. We were a family of 5 (my parents, my two brothers and me) and as many of you know, kids seem to drink a lot of milk. Since we already had several other animals my dad felt that it would be a good idea to get a milk cow.
   He came home one day with a small, gentle, brown cow. Her name was Lady and she was a Jersey. She wasn't easily spooked and that was good with 3 kids in and out of the small barn.  She would look at us with her big, brown eyes like she knew her milk was helping us to grow healthy and strong. I was probably about 7 or 8 years old and could help a bit with the milking but my dad usually did it while I was helping mom with my little brothers.  I can remember him bringing the big milk pail into the kitchen and mom had a stainless steel filter/strainer that he would dump the milk into. I can remember standing on a chair watching the creamy liquid slowly flow through into another container. 
   Mom would take the milk and put it in the fridge. After it cooled and separated she would skim the cream off the top with a spoon that she had bent into a ladle. She used the cream to make butter!  Oh my! was that good on a piece of homemade bread fresh out of the oven! 
   I make bread and I have even made butter so Madilynne and Ryder have experienced that.  We currently have cows on the farm but we don't milk them.  They are here to keep the grass down and fertilize it as they go.  I am not exactly sure how long we had Lady or what ever happened to her but I do remember her being a big part of our food supply for a while.