New Year's Eve

The countdown is on. Our New Year's Eve has it all... games, songs, sauna, snow banks, and celebratory gunfire.

Blessed New Year, and Blessed Holy Day to you all!

Resolved

I love ringing in the New Year. I love the clean look of a new calendar with only birthdays and holidays carefully and neatly written in with my best pen. I also like to write down my hopes and plans for the upcoming year.

Do you make resolutions for New Year's? I thought everybody did, but Chuck said he never has. His reasoning is why make promises to yourself that you know you probably will not keep? I just read on a Catholic blog that one third of the people who make New Year's resolutions have broken them by February. I can't vouch for how accurate that statistic is, but based on my personal record, it wouldn't surprise me.

I posted resolutions for 2007, and of the three resolutions I made, I kept only one and that one I didn't keep very well. I never did write down resolutions for 2008, possibly because I was sick around New Year's and Mary Mae was still so young that just maintaining normalcy day after day was an accomplishment. (Sometimes I didn't do that so well either, Ha!) But this has not been a stellar year for me. In many ways, I feel like I've backtracked in many ways, and I've developed some personal "habits" that I really do not like. In short, I don't think I am a better person at the end of this year than I was at the beginning. Failure to more forward is essentially the same as going backward.

So, I'm going to make my resolutions, but I'm going to try putting more prayer and thought into them than I usually do. I'm also going to follow advice from a friend about making my goals more specific and measurable, and also making sure they are realistic.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. I think we will be busy most of the day with some housework most of the early part of the day. Since Christmas we've only done the bare necessities, and now it is time to catch up on some laundry and non-essential housework. We will probably spend our afternoon and evening with cooking, eating, games, and shooting each other with NERF or airsoft pellet guns. Okay, that last bit is how the guys will probably spend their evening... I think the girls and I might choose an activity that is a little more subdued. *wink*

God bless!

Bloggers, take note...

This afternoon I picked up Chuck's book, New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton. This is what I opened up to...

If you write for God, you will reach many men and bring them joy.
If you write for men- you may make some money and you may give someone a
little joy and you may make a noise in the world, for a little while.
If you write only for yourself you can read what you yourself have written
and after ten minutes you will be so disgusted you will wish that you were
dead.

Merry Christmas!

Short Update

I have a minute to post a short update while the older kids are playing a game with Chuck and Mary Mae is dozing on my lap.

There's been a lot going on this last week! First, I owe an apology for not getting pictures yet. Bad, bad blogger. :-(

Chuck made it home (after a minor delay) on Thursday afternoon. We've been dealing with all-out winter weather the last two weeks or so, with very cold (often below-zero) temperatures and lots of snow. The word is that our area has already gotten 121" for the season, but I know how these Yoopers exaggerate the snow. Still, we have a good three feet in the yard, and it snows at least a few more inches just about every day. The piles at the end of the driveway, by the garage, are already as tall as me, and we have like four months of snow season left!

The children are all doing well, although we've had a couple small "bugs" to fight off so far this year. Still, nobody has been seriously sick in a long time and I am so thankful for that! I sprained my ankle pretty good about a week ago (which is why Chuck came home a few days earlier than planned, and that's fine by me) but it is well on it's way back to normal. With only 2 days until Christmas, we have a lot to do! We plan to do some baking and decorating; we haven't even cut our tree yet!

This isn't much of an update, I know, but sorry... it is the best I can do right now. The kids are giggling uncontrollably and it sounds like I'm missing out on all the fun.

God bless!

Taking a break

I still intend to get some pictures up here and there, but I'm going to take a break from blogging for a while.

I hope all of you are enjoying a beautiful early winter and a blessed Advent season!

Dear Santa

How are you doing there in the North Pole? Are you getting as much snow there as we are here so far?

I have tried to be a good Mommy this year. Sure, there were times I made mistakes, but I always tried to apologize and improve. So, assuming I am on your "Nice" list, these are my requests.


For Christmas this year, my children would like:

*Toys that are quiet, safe, easy to maintain, do not require batteries, and encourage sharing as well as imagination and active play.
*Books. Good books. The type of books we can snuggle down with as a family and share during read-aloud time.
*Games appropriate for various ages and several players, so long as said games do not have more than approximately one dozen pieces and/or one hundred cards.
*Movies are okay, but remember that we have to be picky. Please check the ratings.
*Clothes, particularly socks and underwear. There is no such thing as too many socks.
*Would a child-size vacuum be too much to ask for? Probably.

Thank you so much, Santa. I look forward to eating "your" cookies and drinking "your" milk again this year.

Love,
Jennifer

Back from break..

I've been meaning to update for a few days now, but always "something" happens and blogging gets put aside for more important events.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving. For the first time in 10 years I didn't have to do all the cooking myself- we spent the evening having dinner with some friends. But, since I already had a turkey, I cooked another dinner on Friday. (Usually I try to remember to avoid serving meat on Fridays, but spending all day keeping my cool in a hot kitchen was penance enough!)

Chuck and the neighbor went in together on a cow and it was slaughtered on Monday. They also did the sheep. So on Saturday Chuck and I spent about all day in the neighbor's garage cutting up meat and trimming fat. Wow, what a job! But we have a freezer full of meat to show for it, all good-quality beef for less than a dollar and a half a pound. I also got about 10 pounds of meaty bones to use for soup and other scraps for our (very) happy doggie and kitties. It wasn't a bad job at all, really, but I'm glad we won't do it again until next year. Yeah, it is strange not to have the sheep anymore. That means we are down to just chickens and the pets, as far as animals go. But the sheep just were not paying for themselves in any way.

Chuck headed back to Texas early this morning, and he's on his last plane right now. It should only be about three weeks or so before he will be back home for a long vacation through Christmas and New Year's. Over the next few weeks I'm hoping that the children and I can clean house and do some decluttering. Whever it starts to feel like I can't keep the place clean, I know it is time to go through and get rid of stuff. Just when I think we are making progress in simplicity, I look around and see all the things that we are surrounded by! It is harder, I think, to keep a tidy house when everywhere you turn there are mittens and hats and scarfs and gloves and boots and snowsuits hanging to dry! I gotta say, though, I love these short, cozy days of winter!

I promise to get some pictures up over the next few days! God bless!

A Beautiful Day

Chuck made it home yesterday, and as I am typing he is dazzling the kids with new magic tricks.

It is a beautiful day.

Please Say a Quick Prayer

Chuck is flying home tomorrow: from Abilene to Dallas, from Dallas to Minneapolis, from Minneapolis to Houghton... then driving home from there. (I think that's it...) Please say a prayer for him to travel safely and that they do not loose his luggage in Dallas!

It is going to be quite a shock for him to leave Texas where it is still "t-shirt weather" and come home to about six inches of snow on the ground and sub-freezing temperatures!

Chuck's Pictures!

If you haven't visited in a while, I invite you to head on over to Chuck's website and take a peek at what he's been up to.

I am so proud of how well he is learning his camera... he's in Texas now and has gotten really fantastic pictures while he's there.

For a while he has lifted the security feature so that you can save his pictures to your computer. Of course, you'd be welcome to purchase copies, too! ;-)

Our Forecast..

Tonight- snow showers
Tuesday- snow showers
Wednesday- chance of snow
Thursday- snow showers
Friday- snow showers
Saturday- chance of snow

Gee... do you see the pattern here?

I've caught myself singing or humming Christmas-y music all day long.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! ('Cuz you can't stop it anyway!)

You're my...

..brown eyed girl!

...sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-a-la-te-da...

Happy Birthday to my blog

I've been blogging for two years now!

In that time I've gotten just over nine thousand "hits" and over fourteen thousand page views. I've written 290 posts. I average 21 visitors a day, but some of that is me checking for comments. ;-)

I had a lovely birthday yesterday. We were able to go visit with some friends (three houses in a row!) and we had so much fun.

Today it is just a typical "yucky" November day- grey and cold and wet. Most of the snow we got early in the week has melted away, but not to worry; we have more coming! It's about time for our annual First Hike to the Sledding Hill. This year Mary is about big enough to come out with us (I even found her some itty-bitty snow boots!) so I have no excuse to miss out on the fun!

One other thing I forgot to mention is that our dog, Snickers, died a few days ago. He would have been about 15 years old, and we are very thankful that we were able to give him some love and attention these last two years. I am going to miss our "Old Man". I will especially miss the way he would get so excited to see us sometimes; he would try to bounce around and be playful. Then after a minute of that he would start wheezing and stagger off on his arthritic limbs to rest! The kids asked me if he would be in heaven. I'm not usually all that sentimental about animals, honestly. I don't believe all dogs go to heaven. It seems to me that if you think you have to have your favorite pet with you in heaven to be happy, then you probably have an underdeveloped idea of what heaven is. (How could the utterly mysterious and glorious and awesome presence of God be dimmed because I miss my childhood parakeet?) But, whatever it was that made him him- his "soul"- has certainly gone back to the God who made him.

On that note... have a blessed day!

Happy Birthday to me

I am 32 years old today!

God has given me so many of you, family and friends, to love me, pray for me, and wish me well on this day. I thank Him for each one of you; your love is the best gift of all!

Looks almost like winter out there...

Robert took this picture of the "snow clouds" yesterday before it started to snow.

The reason I say it looks "almost" like winter is because you can still see the ground in a few areas! We have a few more inches in the forecast and then it will warm back up a little (40's) early next week. So, this snow is nothing serious, but rather a sign of winter right around the corner.

God bless!

Food for the Poor

I still remember that visiting priest very clearly, and I still hear almost every word of his sad story although I do not remember his name. We were living in South Carolina at the time, and he was a missionary priest visiting to raise funds and awareness for the group Food for the Poor.

He described the crushing poverty of the families he worked for. He told us about the children who would spend their days climbing around barefoot at the dump, digging through the garbage to find junk they could maybe sell or even food they could take home for their families. His words have stuck with me all these years.

Since then we have been pretty faithful donors to Food for the Poor. Today we received their quarterly mailing and read the story of a 4-year-old boy who came into the nutrition clinic weighing only 12 pounds. That's about half as much as Mary weighs. The pictures were absolutely heartbreaking- so difficult to understand why, in such a rich and beautiful world as ours is, there are people starving to death at the rate of thousands a day. The selfish heart might say it is because there are too many people. I think an open heart would say it is because "I" am not loving them enough.

We have decided to add an Our Father to our meal-time prayer for all those who are hungry. It still doesn't feel like enough, but it is something we can do. Maybe some of you would like to do this, too. Through our "blanket" of prayer I believe we can make a difference for those who have inadequate shelter, and perhaps we can spiritually feed those who have no food.

Thank you, Sweetie!

First, my darling pointed out that I failed to mention that yesterday was not our wedding anniversary. We can't claim credit for being married 15 years yet- it's only been 13 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days. Yesterday was the anniversary of the day he took me to the park and asked me to be his girlfriend. (I am quite certain that he already had marriage in mind, but it was all of two more months before he first brought that up, LOL!)

Second, my darling sent me a bouquet of 15 red roses yesterday. He's such a romantic, and that makes me one very blessed wife.

On a side note, some friends of ours are on the road to the UP and in serious need of prayer for protection. Please say a prayer for them right now! God knows who they are.

God bless!

Happy Anniversary

I'm amazed that Chuck and I have been together for 15 years. It seems so long ago, and yet it doesn't. Anyone who is in love will know what I mean. I looked through our photo albums to find a picture of just us, and this is one of the few that I found.

Aren't we so young and cute!? :-D This was taken at his Grandma's house on Thanksgiving Day in 1995.

My prayer for today... Thank you, Lord, for our marriage and our family! Forgive us for our failings, strengthen us in our weakness, and bless us with Your love for many years to come.

Eggs!

Wow, our girls are suddenly doing great! Last Saturday we got one egg, but the day before that we got none. Now we've gotten exactly three dozen eggs so far this week- 8 on Sunday, 6 on Monday, 10 on Tuesday, and 12 today. It was exciting enough when the kids would go out to check the nests and come back with one or two eggs, but yesterday Robert and Raechel went out and came back with seven!

If you have never been out in the warm fall sun and watched a flock of chickens scratching around in the dirt, clucking contentedly to themselves, then I really cannot describe the simple joy of it.

I printed off a calendar of this month to keep track of our chicken-related expenses and their egg output. But, comparing the quality of these eggs to the organic, free-range, almost-four-dollars-a-dozen eggs... I'd say we're definitely getting our money's worth from these hens.

This morning we had our eggs scrambled in bear grease that our neighbor gave us and I rendered myself. You can't buy satisfaction like that from any grocery store. God is good!

I'm glad it's over

Yesterday, we got exactly what we deserve, Lord help us.

I present to you our President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama as I will always picture him.

It disgusts me to think of the millions of innocent babies who will be slaughtered because of this man's promise to sign FOCA into law. God, have mercy, not that we deserve it.

Quite a Weekend

We had a good weekend, for the most part. And the parts that weren't good were, let's just say, memorable.

After Mass yesterday evening, while we were cooking and getting ready to head out for the All Saint's Day party, the back window to our "new-to-us" car got busted out. There's no reason to explain exactly what happened; those involved have apologized and been forgiven. But, because of the incident we missed the party on Saturday. That was a big disappointment for all of us. And I am, once again, without wheels until it is fixed.

Fact is, I was rather proud of that vehicle. It is so much nicer than the van we had been driving, by far the most "luxurious" car we've ever owned. God sure knows the fastest and surest way of putting me back in my place! Chuck and I had a good opportunity to talk about what happened and how we handled it. The damage to the car is fixable, and the lessons learned will hopefully benefit each of us personally for a long time to come. God is good!

Chuck had to leave for the early-morning flight today. The time he is home always goes too quickly. (Do I say something like that every time?) He will be in Texas, probably from now until they send him home for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving! I can't believe but it is almost time to start planning for the holidays...

God bless!

All Saint's Day

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God... Today we keep the festival of your holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother. Around your throne the saints, our brothers and sisters, sing your praise forever. Their glory fills us with joy, and their communion with us in your Church gives us inspiration and strength as we hasten on our pilgrimage of faith, eager to meet them. With their great company and all the anges we praise your glory as we cry out with one voice: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might!

(from the Preface of All Saints)

All you holy men and women, pray for us!

Answer:

Question of the Day

What do you do when you have two different mechanics tell you that your van is a piece of junk and it would be better to get rid of it?

A Few Pictures

Here is a picture I got of our first snow. There isn't even an inch and it has melted as quickly as it fell, but the first thing I heard this morning was Joseph saying excitedly, "Mom, it snowed!"


Here's a new picture I got for the banner for my weather blog:

Here's a picture of our chickens, Jessie surrounded by his Jessica's...

This is the "nesting condo" our neighbor put together for me. The girls obviously like to sit in it, but they aren't really laying much at all yet. In fact, we've only gotten four eggs so far.

I thought this was a really pretty picture of our kitty, if only I could have held the camera more steady (it's a little blurry). This is Puddles, and he is sitting on the edge of the loft in the garage.

That's all for now. God bless!

Day of Rest

Today we fixed the motor for the garage door opener and cleaned out the sauna top to bottom, including vacuuming out the stove pipe for the wood-burning heater.

We also cooked, cleaned, washed dishes, and took care of laundry that couldn't wait. Some of the boys used scrap wood to make "swords". We also had our regular routines and chores to do.

I laugh to think that earlier I mentioned how nice it is to just be together. I was wrong... working together is definitely the best!

God bless!

He made it

Chuck made it home safe and sound yesterday. We don't have our van back yet, but I was able to borrow a van from our neighbor to go get him. Thank you for your prayers! He was anxious to get home to finish some chores that need doing before the snow comes. Well, it isn't snowing (yet!) but there is enough rain to prevent us from being able to split wood or fix the roof of the garage. But, honestly, I plan to enjoy the fact that he is "stuck" inside. Working all together is wonderful; just hanging out appreciating each other's company is wonderful, too.

I hope you all have a beautiful Sunday. God bless!

Yay!

Chuck is on his way home today! He was down in Houston, working in a place he called "Satan's Basement" so I have to say I'm really relieved he's on his way home in one piece! I guess it is excitement that woke me up at about 6:00 this morning (that's early for me!) and wouldn't let me go back to sleep. Now I am just sitting here in the dark- rather, in the glow of my computer screen, sipping coffee and enjoying the quiet. It won't be time to watch the sun rise for about another hour.

We have a winter storm warning in effect; it could start snowing tonight and last through Tuesday. The forecast says "moderate accumulations possible" so I'm curious to see what that means. We had an October snow storm our first winter here (this will be our third) that dropped a good 6 inches. It looked like a ton of snow to this former-Southerner, but now I realize six inches hardly counts as a storm up here. Also, we live in an area that gets a lot more snow than they get by the lake. So, whatever they get in Ontonagon, we can easily double out here!

Prayers are most appreciated, that Chuck makes it home safely and I figure out a way to go get him. My van is still with the mechanic, but I'm hoping I'll get it back this morning!

God bless you all with a beautiful weekend!

Shearing, Day 2

We sheared Cocoa today and I was so disappointed with how it went that I almost decided not to post about it. But I decided it wouldn't be fair to leave out the negatives of our experiences here. So, I will tell you about our job today. This is Cocoa before we sheared her. She's such a beautiful sheep, and really pretty well mannered even though she is shy.

Now "they" say that you approach the sheep on a certain side, grab hold of the shoulder and the rump and use your leg as you lift to flip the sheep on his or her rear end. They also say that once the sheep's feet are off the ground, he or she will not struggle. THEY LIE and don't believe a word of it! Maybe this is how it works for professional men and their professional helpers (handling docile and trained sheep), but here it was just me and the older kids, and it didn't work that easily at all! We laid out a tarp on a relatively clean spot of their pen, but before the job was a quarter of the way through Cocoa had kicked and struggled her way off the tarp and onto the ground into the straw, wet grass, and "berries" a.k.a. poop... For some reason instead of coming off in one nice fleece, her wool came apart in chunks. I'm not sure if maybe I was pulling it too hard in rolling it back out of the way, or maybe it was just that the quality of her wool wasn't as nice as I thought it would be. Here's a picture of us about done with the first side.

For shearing I used a good, sharp pair of material scissors. These have proven easier for me to handle than the design of the traditional shears which look like the cliched medieval torture device and feel about like that when they are making your hands cramp up! The actual shearing is accomplished by taking small snips with the scissors, cutting the hair one tiny row or section at a time. The hair rolls back away from the skin, usually in one piece although as I mentioned that's not how it worked for me today. It is so luxurious to run your hands over their freshly sheared areas! The lanolin really does wonders for your skin, and the sheep are so very warm and soft! I personally even think they smell good, but I guess that's a matter of opinion. I only cut her once, and almost nicked her another time, which is really pretty good. I feel bad about cutting them, though. It has to be frightening enough to be tackled like that, but then to have your body shaved and get cut in the process just adds injury to insult!

The end result is a bag of about two pounds of wool and a sheep that looks like this:

It's really rather comical, isn't it? Like a wet cat, LOL! She even has a smug little look on her face- I think she is wishing she could have kicked me one more time while she had the chance. Ha, ha! I didn't trim nearly close enough under her neck, so it is hair that's hanging there. It was very difficult for me to see where her hair ended and her skin began in that area! I'd rather leave some wool and not cut them, personally.

Now, you may be wondering why I felt disappointed about the job. Well, first, what you cannot see in the above picture is a small patch on her back that I somehow missed altogether. I tried to cut that off while she was eating her after-shearing treat, but didn't quite get it all. Also, I was really expected the fleece to come away properly and not end up in pieces. I think it will still be usable, but maybe not sale quality like I was hoping for. Oh, well...

I also found out that I am not in very good shape; I am so sore! On account of that I decided Spot will have to wait another day. Instead of shearing him, we worked on cleaning the garage. Trust me, it was easier!

One other thing I did yesterday evening was put together some scrap lumber to make next boxes for the chickens. I was rather proud of my achievement. My neighbor came over, took a look at it, and offered to put together another one for me. LOL! I should be thankful for these humbling experiences that teach me I'm not all I think I am!

Shearing Time!

The kids and I were busy today shearing the two lambs. Overall, I am pleased with our job! Here's a picture of the lambs with their mama.

Jill (center) was dark grey and black when we started. Imagine our surprise to see all that white underneath! Jack (right) was the same color as Coco (left) before shearing, and you can see how different he looks now! Coco grew a really gorgeous fleece this year, and I'm excited to see how it comes off. The lambs' wool is also beautiful, but unfortunately they had gotten into some burdock! I'm going to have quite a job cleaning their wool, especially Jill's. (You can also see in the picture that our naughty boy, Jack, is out of the fence. We still haven't figured out a way to keep those two little ones behind even three electric wires!)

No post about the sheep is complete without a picture of our Spot. He also will be sheared tomorrow, if I can manage it. Shearing is hard work- I can't imagine how the pros manage to do a large flock! We have only four and I had to break up the job over two days because it was killing my back and legs!

It's nice, though, to check off another job from the "Before Winter Chores" list!

On my camera today...

Raechel had some fun getting video of the chickens; she also got a good portrait of one. Daniel got a (rare) picture of Mary napping- she tired herself out and fell asleep in the floor. We were treated to a gorgeous pair of rainbows this evening. I tried to get pictures of them, but it just wasn't possible to capture their colorful beauty. I did, however, get a pretty good picture of the setting sun.

Bad Vet

Written by Raechel:

Here's a little song for you,

From the old days to the new.

Let me tell you so you won't forget,

You are a terrible vet.

You put bullet holes in the dogs,

You decapitate the hogs.

You bruise the legs of the deer,

Oh, my gosh, I hate it here.

You eat the turkey for dinner,

And you don't feed the animals so they get thinner.

You munch abundantly on chicken legs,

In place of them you give them pegs.

That was a song for you,

I bet you enjoyed it; I did too.

First Egg!

Today I could

loose 30 pounds by drinking tea; eliminate wrinkles with botox; get a long-distance degree; be a lazy Google millionaire; have perfect makeup; find singles in my area; clean my colon; and work from home with no shows, no selling, no calls and no obligation.

All I'd have to do is reply to the SPAM in my inbox.

More chickens

Well, we got ten more hens today, for a total of 22 chickens. We decided to call the rooster Jessie and all the hens will be Jessica. They are so funny to watch! They haven't laid any eggs yet, but we expect it will be a couple of days before they are really settled in to their surroundings.

It's going to be a slow weekend here. My van is back, but still not starting. The mechanic said he never could get it to act up on him, but he replaced a sensor (just had to do something!) and he brought it back today. Well, we were going to take Raechel for an eye exam and it wouldn't start! I'm beginning to wonder if maybe it is just me!? Anyway, it looks like we will be staying close to home for a while longer. I do have Chuck's truck that is okay for short trips; so I can get in to the market.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. God bless!

I know, I know

I remember I said I'd stay out of politics, but I thought this was too funny not to share.

Obama may have at one time been a "blob of tissue"? Who would believe it...

Did you guess?

Hint: cluck, cluck



Still not sure? Here's the answer:

We got chickens today from a neighbor. These are all barred rocks, ten hens and a rooster. The woodshed off the south side of the garage is now a coop. It's good to finally have chickens!

You would never guess...

...what we've been up to today. Just try....

I'll leave you to think about it a minute.

(Pics coming soon...)

The Elections

Like everyone I know, I have been concerned about the outcome of the elections. Of even more concern, in my opinion, is the state of our very culture. I was talking to Chuck about it last night over the phone, as he watched the debate on TV. I told him I'd been "thinking about" (more like "planning") a novena for God to guide the hearts and consciences of all Americans on election day. Today in my e-mail I received a link to this quote from the Little Flower, St. Therese:

"My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice. They can move hearts far better than words."

I have made a personal resolution that I will abstain from further political discussions. This will be very easy for me, in my particular circumstances! I am also planning to begin the Novena for Faithful Citizenship (link is to a pdf file) tomorrow. Beginning tomorrow there is time for two novenas. Talk is cheap, but prayer and sacrifice demonstrate the type of faith that can move mountians!

If you are not familiar with a novena, it is simply nine days of prayer. Why nine days? Because that is how long the Apostles prayed while waiting in Jerusalem after the Ascension of Christ until Pentecost. It is not a magic formula; it is not superstitiously expecting God to grant our wish if we say all the prayers just right. Rather, the nine days demonstrate our sincerety and perseverence in prayer. It also provides time for our hearts to conform to God's will in that particular matter. You don't have to be Catholic to pray a novena!

I would encourage everyone to pray between now and the elections. There is not a particular candidate I want to pray into (or even out of) office. I just pray that whatever happens, God will have mercy on our country and allow us to turn back to Him with all our hearts!

God bless!

Doing Laundry

Boy One: "Is this your shirt or mine?"

Boy Two: "It's yours."

Boy One: "How can you tell?"

Boy Two: "See? It's a left-handed shirt!"

School Days

Everyone was hard at work today....

...even our youngest pupil. (I swear I did not pose her like that!)

Prayer to Redeem Lost Time

Oh, my God, source of all mercy! I acknowledge Thy sovereign power. While recalling the wasted years that are past, I believe that Thou, Lord, can in an instant turn this loss to gain. Miserable as I am, yet I firmly believe that Thou can do all things. Please restore to me the time lost, giving me Thy grace, both now and in the future, that I may appear before Thee in "wedding garments". Amen.

Thinking about going anywhere?

Check this out... Cost To Drive.

It underestimated my cost by averaging gas about $.40 per gallon less than it actually is up here... still, it is pretty neat. Our little trip to the library yesterday cost us about $7.74. (I changed their results to reflect our actual gas price, which is currently about $3.69 per gallon, regular.)

It is a good reminder to plan trips ahead and combine errands as much as possible!

Friday, 10-10

We're having more trouble with the van. I thought for sure the kids and I would be stranded at the library this afternoon. But, God is merciful, the van started after a few more tries, and we made it home. We have already arranged to get a new radiator (part should be in on Monday or Tuesday) but now it seems we may have a problem with the feul pump as well. If it doesn't seem too silly, please say a prayer for our van. I really hope that the string of necessary repairs will come to an end, and that we can get a few more years of reliable service out of it!

Meanwhile it is absolutely gorgeous outside. We are definitely in full fall color out there. The view of the ridge and the hills was just breathtaking. Some of the trees are so red they appear to be on fire- others are so brightly golden it almost hurts your eyes to look at them. The weekend is supposed to be perfect. I just love fall! It is truly my favorite time of year.

All is well, God is good, and I love you all...

Oh, by the way...

It's a lemur. And yes, it is kinda freaky. *grin*

How we spent a good part of our morning...

laughing at this....



...and the "dramatic chipmunk".

The Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday, Daniel

When you read this, please pray with me for Daniel. May he be blessed today and in the coming years! Happy Birthday, Pumpkin! (As always, I promise pictures will be up later!)

One of those forwards

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I have the same middle name as my dad, just spelled differently.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
It's been a couple of days, at least.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
It's okay.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Turkey sandwiches are my favorite.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Oh, yeah!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes, I think so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
No, never.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
Last time I checked I still had 'em.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Good grief, no!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
homemade granola

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
chocolate

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
I'm going to say their height, but I probably notice different things about different people.

15. RED OR PINK?
Is this a trick question?

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
my impatience

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
our daughter, Hope.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Sure!

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
black

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
kitcheree (rice and lentils seasoned with curry and red pepper)

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Chuck reading to the boys from the Little Flowers of St. Francis and Mary babbling happily to herself.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Probably blue.

23. FAVOURITE SMELLS?
clean sheets from the clothesline, lavender, cookies

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Kathy C.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Like I'm gonna say no! LOL!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
We don't have any interest in any sports.

27. HAIR COLOR?
brown and grey (I wonder how much longer before it'll be "grey and brown"?)

28. EYE COLOR?
brown

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yes

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Homemade pizza is my favorite; otherwise anything that anybody else has to clean up after.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I hate scary movies, so happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Gone Baby Gone (I can't decide if I liked it or not.)

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
My shirt has blue, red and yellow flowers with green leaves on an ivory background- hopefully it is prettier than it sounds.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
I love summer, but I also get a lot of winter.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Silly question- I love hugs from just about anyone and kisses from a select few.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
brownies with vanilla ice cream

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
nobody

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
anybody

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I'm between books right now...

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I have a plain grey mousepad with the word MEMOREX on it.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
We don't have a TV.

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
silence

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles, I guess.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME???
Washington DC, I guess.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
nope

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Kansas

Well, that was fun. :o)

Life Chain is Tomorrow (10-5)

from the official website:

LIFE CHAIN is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life Americans standing for one hour praying for our nation and for an end of abortion. It is a visual statement of solidarity by the Christian community that abortion kills children and that the Church supports the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception.

If you cannot stand, bring a chair and sit. If you cannot give one hour, give as much time as you have. If you cannot get to the site in your community, offer your prayers at home. If there is no site in your community, prayerfully consider starting one. But please, do what you can.

Back Online

Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised. The phone company sent out a tech support guy (probably young enough to be one of my children...) and he "reset something in the modem" and we are back online.

Man, I'm so spoiled...

October

We've had such a busy month already! (LOL) Chuck bought a little wood-burning cook stove for me, so he has spent the afternoon moving it in. Unless we decide to build another chimney for the kitchen, the stove will stay in the front room. I'm really excited to start learning to cook on it. I can't think of anything that says "Country Comfort" like a beautiful little black stove that warms the home and fills it with delicious smells.

My internet has been down for three days- I'm only online now because we can use Chuck's cell as a modem. I was on the phone for about an hour with tech support, unplugging various cables for 60 seconds, plugging them back in, and rebooting the computer. After being talked through mysterious codes on a black screen I didn't know I had, they gave me a confirmation number and promised somebody would call. So far, I haven't gotten that call. I'm predicting I won't have my DSL back until at least Monday, if I'm lucky!

Here's a little bit of miscellany in honor of today's feast of the Guardian Angels. It may come in handy for any of you with little ones to rock to sleep. Did you know the words to the traditional prayer to your Guardian Angel fit the tune "Rock-a-bye Baby"? Try it!

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom His love commits me here.
Ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, rule and guide.

Amen, God bless!

Yay!

Well, did you wonder what I've been up to? Chuck made it home safe and sound last night. We have been blessed to attend a mission at our church the last few nights. The children have been doing well and (mostly) having fun with their lessons- that right there keeps all of us happily occupied about half the day. There is less than a week until Daniel's birthday. God is good!

God bless!

Mother's Daily Dose of Humility...

... in three easy steps.

#1- Suddenly notice a particularly large stain on the side of your skirt.

#2- Discover that the stain is, in fact, baby poop.

#3- Realize that the stain almost certainly had to have been placed on your skirt before you wore said skirt to church.

A 'brilliant' plan gone awry...

My stroke of genius for the day was to not allow Mary to nap today until we were on our way to Mass this evening. I figured she would conk out in the van and be too wiped out to even wake up when we got there, finally giving me a Mass of blessed peace and quiet.

Wrong!

She woke up when we were getting her out of the van, and would not go back to sleep despite me sneaking downstairs twice to try to nurse her to sleep. (Yes, *gasp* our little darling is still happy and doing well with her mother's milk.) Thanks to being overtired she was even more "vocal" than normal and resistant to my attempts at restraining her on my lap. So, not only did I not get peace and quiet during Mass, I cheated myself out of her usual nap time at home. There's a mistake I will not repeat next weekend!

Quick Update

We have had a pretty good week, although we seem to be fighting a cold so there's a lot of sniffling and just a bit of complaining going on around here. Everybody is fine, though, we completed the most important of our plans for the week, and now it is the weekend. We have been enjoying absolutely beautiful weather. Since it is getting dark earlier, the children are able to enjoy one of their favorite activities- running around outside after dark! Mary is toddling around a little more every day. She can now make it across the room fairly easily, and I see her walking probably more than she crawls. Earlier today she somehow managed to get a small piece of paper stuck to the bottom of her bare foot. I enjoyed the comedy as she tried to figure out exactly what to do about it. She finally plopped down on her bottom and took the paper off, examined it for just a second, then dropped it and stood back up.

Chuck is still working nights in Pennsylvania. We will all be really glad when this job is over!

I guess that's about all the update for now. I pray that everyone has a safe and blessed weekend!

Another Sign of the Season

They were heading due south, and then turned SW right over our house. The kids were very excited to see them... Geese!
We were dismayed to hear a gunshot from the hunting camp next door! Thankfully, he missed; he may not have even been seriously trying to shoot one. The children are well aware of what hunting is all about, but to admire these beauties and their song and then witness one of them shot down may have been traumatic...

We are blessed with another beautiful early fall day. God bless!

On my desktop...

I took this picture either yesterday or the day before, from the back yard.

Carnivore Baby

video credit goes to Raechel

Sounding Out

Just in case Danielle Bean ever visits my blog this message is for her: Thank you for this article! It made my morning brighter and my "drudgery" lighter.

God bless!

Mary's First Year

Here she was at just a few hours old...

First smiles, at about 2 months old...
Where did her hair go!? About 5 months old...

Mary and her Little Lamb are now world-famous! about 9 months old...
And here she is, one year old. Happy birthday to you, baby girl. I thank God every day for the smiles and joy you bring to our family.

Happy Birthday, Mary Mae!

Today we are celebrating Mary's first birthday!

I'll put pictures up soon... in the meantime, please pray for God's blessings on our little girl, today and always!

God bless!

Post-It Fun

Onward Christian Soldier

Thomas, to the would-be "robber": Halt, in the name of the Lord!

Mama's Old Sweater

I have a love/hate relationship with this old sweater of mine. I originally got it on clearance from Wal-Mart about six years ago. It used to be a lovely green, but the years have not been kind. The color in this picture is actually flattering, believe it or not. It is a terrible style for me. I refuse to admit it is anything other than the sweater itself that makes me look so frumpy when I wear it. Yet I love it because I live in it so many months out of the year. It is warm and cuddly, and always right there within easy reach.

When I noticed a large hole in it under the arm I was almost relieved. "Oh, good, now I can get another sweater." But, my tightwad conscience got the better of me, and this evening I pulled out my sewing basket to mend my sweater. Five minutes and about 50 whip-stitches later my sweater is as good as new. Well, as good as "old", anyway.

In the grand scheme of things, repairing an old sweater rather than replacing it hardly seems to make much difference. But it is satisfying to give new life to something old, to live by the old adage and "wear it out" rather than just buying a new (or used) one. I guess my old sweater and I are not ready to part ways just yet. Here's to another six years!

I can always tell...

...when my computer time is up.

Back to School

I put it off as long as I responsibly could; the children and I went back to our "school" routine today. It went well, but even on the best of days I am still outnumbered six-to-one, each of those six often requesting my undivided attention. Just when I settle on the couch to snuggle and read with Joseph, that's when two or three other children need help or redirection RIGHT NOW.

Homeschooling is not always easy, and there are certainly days when I wonder if I can do it another year- even another minute. But then I think of the school bus that whizzes by at 7:30 in the morning and doesn't show back up until 4:30 in the afternoon. I can't imagine how stressful it would be on the kids to "work" a nine-hour day, five days a week, 36 weeks a year. So one answer to the "why do you homeschool" question is that I value those 1,620 hours a year too much. Their childhood is so precious and fleeting, and I don't want to miss out on so much of it.

This evening when it was almost time to call the children in for evening chores, our neighbor came by with the exciting news that he had got his bear. He's been baiting for a month, waiting all week, and today the hunt was successful. He wanted to know if Robert and Daniel could come out with him to see it and help bring it in. What a pity if I would have had to say "no" because of homework or an early "school night" curfew! Why do we homeschool? Because it gives us the freedom to take advantage of every possible opportunity for real life learning. Any child can see a bear in a zoo, but not many get to see a bear that close and watch it be field dressed! (This is where living in the country and homesteading is an added benefit- science gets up close and personal!)

A significant part of the older children's schedule involves service for one another in the form of chores or spending time with their younger siblings. It is thrilling to me, as a parent, to see the genuine joy and excitement on their faces as they help Mary take her first wobbling steps. I love to hear them playing with each other, saying such things as "please" and "thank you" and "you can go first" and "I'll help you". Sure, there are not-so-nice moments, too. But even these present valuable opportunities to practice repentance and forgiveness- two essential building blocks of any relationship. This is a third reason why we homeschool; there is no question as to whether or not family comes first for them.

I am so grateful to God for blessing us with the ability to homeschool. It is truly a gift! (Somebody remind me of this post in March when burn-out sets in! *grin*)

Mary's Milestone

Not even quite a year old yet, but Mary is officially a toddler!

If you've wondered...

what it is looking like in the grand ol' UP these days, check out the picture I got for my Weather Log.

And you thought September was the end of summer! Up here, it is the beginning of fall...

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The message of the cross is folly to those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 NJB

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Wood, and a new favorite hymn

We have still been busy with splitting wood from the huge pile that was left behind the garage. So far, this pile has yielded about a cord of wood (full cord, not face) and we're only about halfway done. There were limbs left behind by the previous owners- some are gigantic and many of them are knobby or from the "crotch" of the tree making them pretty heavy and tough. We were hoping to get the pile done before Chuck leaves on Friday, making tomorrow our last work day. However, with rain in the forecast, we've maybe done as much as we can do for now. Chuck will be heading to Pennsylvania after spending almost two weeks working at home.

I would like to share the words for my newest favorite hymn. Just as I Am, written by Charlotte Elliott in 1835. Isn't this how we have to approach Christ? It isn't like we can get all our spritual ducks in a row and then go before Him. We cannot wait until we are perfectly loving and charitable and patient and good, and then grow closer to Him. He knows we are weak and broken. He calls us to Himself anyway, because He wants to strengthen and heal us. "It is not we who chose him, but he who chose us." Anyway, I hope the words of this hymn give you some comfort and joy.

God bless!

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, tho' tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind-
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find-
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

It's a start...

It isn't much, but here are a few pictures I took on Saturday afternoon and evening. First we have The Darling all ready for church. She is only forced into shoes once a week for church (or less- she has gone to many a Mass barefoot!) and boy, does it drive her nuts! (Notice in the second picture how she won't put both feet down!)


We ate pizza for supper, and here you see my kitchen helpers. We make them three at a time: two for the meal and one to save to eat cold the next day. Cold pizza makes a great snack! Well, the kids like it, at least. I much prefer pizza fresh and hot from the oven!

We had a wonderful day today. We went for a hike on a trail down to some falls on the Baltimore River here in Ontonagon County. The trail is about a mile and a half, medium difficulty I'd guess. We got soaked by a good rain on the way back. I'm always impressed with how the younger boys handle hikes like that. They double the distance, since they pretty much take two or three steps for every one of mine. That doesn't even take into consideration the fact that they tend to run ahead, then double back, only to run ahead again.

Right now all six kids are in the living room with Chuck while he tells one of his crazy stories. He takes names and ideas from just about every book, fairy tale, story, song, movie, even commercial that you could think of, with a good dose of "inside" family jokes that only we would understand. It's been one of those days that makes my heart swell with appreciation for this family we have been given.

God bless!