tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260538331247720502024-02-01T22:24:04.190-08:00Welcome to the Crazy FarmMamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-79973772363245235202017-12-28T12:21:00.001-08:002017-12-28T12:59:12.593-08:00Are you ready to listen?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1 in 36<br />
Do you see that?<br />
Do you comprehend it?<br />
Does it matter to you?<br />
Are you ready to listen?<br />
Are you ready to understand?<br />
Because you don't. You don't understand it, unless you are one of us. Unless you live with it, day in and day out. You don't understand. You think you do, but we can tell you don't. And you need to. You NEED to understand this, because it's going to affect your life too, and your childrens lives. Even if they aren't one in 36, they are getting a world that will be changed by it. <br />
Think about it. 1 in 36. If it was 1 in 36 with chicken pox, people would freak out. If it was 1 in 36 cars recalled, there would be an uproar. 1 in 36 dead...it would be on every news station all day long. But ...crickets. 1 in 36 with autism...and no one says a word.<br />
And I think it's because you. don't. understand.<br />
You think autism is the 4yo who knows every dinosaur and their dining habits. The teen who is a "bit socially awkward". The guy at work who doesn't realize no one cares about his ONE hobby. Those are the faces of autism to you.<br />
Well, it's time to talk. My son has high functioning autism. High functioning. Sounds great, huh? Yeah. Let's talk.<br />
This is the face of high functioning autism.<br />
It's making grilled cheese multiple times a day for weeks because he doesn't eat anything else...for weeks. It's buying cheese in 5lb blocks and being worried you will run out. It's buying bread a dozen at a time because you go through a loaf a day just on him. It's a fridge full of yogurt and a half dozen bags of frozen pineapple because that was his last food, for 3 months...and then one day, he wouldn't touch it. <br />
It's wondering what sleep is, for him or you. It's being glad he's finally old enough that you don't have to stay up with him 24 hours a day for a few days at a time. It's worrying that while you sleep, he will decide to cook his own darn grilled cheese. It's being thrilled if you get 4 hours sleep without him waking you up.<br />
It's meltdowns in the parking lot of the grocery store. It's calling the sheriff on your 12 year old, because you can't get him calmed down and he's becoming dangerous to himself and others. It's taking him to the ground and sitting on him to keep him from hurting you and the staring bystanders. It's sobbing as a kind stranger lays on the ground next to him for 20 minutes trying to help you calm him. It's taking him to the ER where he is restrained and sedated...and it's waiting for the hospital to find a placement in a psychiatric hospital for stabilization. It's visiting him there on Christmas.<br />
It's being thrilled that THIS TIME, the hospital they get him into is only an hour from home, because last year it was 3 hours each way. It's being overjoyed that THIS time, he's only there 4 days, as opposed to 10 last year. It's considering that to be improvement.<br />
It's spending a ton of money on gas to go to therapies and counselors and such. It's not doing fun family activities because he gets overwhelmed so easily...and because you can't afford them. It's always keeping a bit of money hidden for more bread and cheese, or whatever the next food is he eats. It's keeping snacks in the car, because when he's hungry, it's NOW, not "when we get home"...and HE is who the jokes about "hangry" are about. It's worrying about getting together with friends, because he might have a meltdown. It's not HAVING friends...because most people can't handle it. It's being afraid the internet will go down because that's his soothing mechanism.<br />
It's hearing people say things like "he melted down over that? Sounds like an overreaction"..."Just tell him no. He's spoiled"..."you are too hard on him"..."that kid needs a good spanking"..."I would never let MY kid act that way"..."He will eat when he's hungry. No kid will starve themselves"..."You can heal him with this diet/oil/supplement/vitamin/therapy/exercise/meditation/discipline"...<br />
It's knowing that the only people who understand are other autism parents. Even your family, much as they love him...they don't get it. It's being utterly alone much of the time. It's not having a church community because he can't handle the noise. It's not being able to participate in normal "kid" activities like sports, clubs...because he may meltdown. <br />
It's worrying that ...maybe this is it. Maybe your life will always be one meltdown after another...one grilled cheese after another...one hospitalization after another...until he's an adult and it becomes jail...or worse. It's worrying that one day, it will be a phone call telling you he threatened to shoot someone and got shot himself, maybe by a cop...because he had a meltdown and no one knew he had autism.<br />
1 in 36. It's 1 in 36. Seriously. Do you hear us? Do you understand? Do you care?<br />
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MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-468073484676624042016-08-09T21:33:00.001-07:002016-08-09T21:33:24.542-07:00The car guy<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">My husband is a car guy. Driver, fixer, lover...of all things mechanical. I...am not. We have worked out a very good division of labor regarding cars over the years we've been married. Basically, he does the labor, and I do any necessary division, lol! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Ok, actually, my job is to tell him if the car makes any odd noises or does something unusual. </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;"> </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Luckily, I rarely have to do this anymore. Now that he's retired, I drive less. We go almost everywhere together, and even 75% crippled, he's still a better driver. So he usually hears the weird sounds and such.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Praise the Lord, too, because the conversations were usually...well...long. </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">"Honey, the car made a really weird sound today"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">"What kind of sound?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">"Um...like...a...uh...noise"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Sigh. "Ok...where did the noise come from?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">"Well...uh...not inside the car. I know that!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Longer sigh. "Ok...from the engine?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">"Um...probably."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">"OK, what were you doing when it made the sound?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">"Well, one of the girls was telling me about a book she's reading, and I was yelling at the boys to quit burping at each other, and trying to remember if we had sour cream for your tacos tonight...by the way, we are out of sour cream..."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Very long sigh...then with slightly gritted teeth..."I'll listen for the sound while I go get sour cream".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">And amazingly enough, he could always figure it out. I'm so lucky to have him. If I had to tell that story to a mechanic, they'd be busy writing notes on their clipboard. "Got a live one here. Charge her double for the ozzoboznot".</span><br />
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MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-75319805538325470072016-05-11T13:00:00.001-07:002016-05-11T13:00:51.565-07:00Reflections<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">I remember when she was a tiny baby. She was so small and new, and there was so much time. It seemed it would be several lifetimes before she was grown and gone, longer than years...almost forever. And I needed to teach her to sit and walk and talk and...</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">I remember when I had 3 under 8...4 under 10...and life was so busy. There was the cooking, the dishes, the laundry, the cleaning...and all around making sure they did enough pages in this workbook, spent enough time on that curriculum. I had to be sure they learned enough of the right things, you know.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">I remember when I had my first teenager... people telling me how sorry they were...how hard it would be... others telling me how teens were.the easiest bestest things ever. And there I was, stumbling through a minefield carrying fine China and wearing a blindfold. So worried about letting her make mistakes that I never let her make good decisions either.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">And now...forever away is here. She has grown fine wings in spite of me, and is on her own. An adult. ..married...and now to be a mother. And I look back and see that I should thank her.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Now I know that forever passes so quickly, so I snuggle this newest baby of mine extra long. He will learn to sit and stand and walk...but I won't waste time worrying at it. I will enjoy this fleeting forever.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Now I have children at home from almost 16 down to 6 months...and I know it will all get done. If we eat sandwiches some nights and relax...if we pull clothes from the clean laundry for a couple days...if we don't sweep often enough...it's ok. And the workbooks and curriculums don't matter. They will learn the right things at the right times...for them.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Now I know to relax the grip on that teen. Let her make the mistakes. Take off the blindfold. Enjoy watching them become adults, and be a cushion when they need a soft place to fall.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.696px;">Thank you, my firstborn. You got stuck with a newbie, but you taught me well. Maybe your siblings should thank you, too. Good luck on that one!</span>MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-40973849263137351832014-09-17T18:29:00.001-07:002014-09-17T18:29:20.385-07:00Group B Strep...a different storyI shared this on a group I am on for mamas, for a mama making the decision whether or not to treat for being group B strep positive in pregnancy. I left a lot out. So much of the details...they are burned into my memory, but I'm not sure everyone wants them. Some things...change you. Forever. But I just wanted to share it publicly, in case it helps someone.<br />
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Ok. here is our GBS story...it's a little different...<br />I was never GBS+ except with #4, out of 6. I struggled with it. Almost fought the test, as I'd never done it before and thought it was silly. then almost refused the antibiotics. I'd been with a midwife till midway through and had to switch to a obgyn for financial reasons, and was very unhappy about his rules. but the abx were NOT optional, and dh wasn't ok with me refusing them, either. So, I gave in. <br />Less than a month later, dh got sick. Really sick. We spent a month back and forth to drs 2-3x a week. Misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis. it was bad. He lost 40lbs in a month, was in a wheelchair, a dr accused me of overmedicating him (almost suggested munchausens!)...when they finally caught it, he was going septic. Turned out, he had a UTI/kidney/prostate infection that had abcessed into his back/hip/SI joint/thigh bone...and it was Group B Strep. It was bad. He spend 11 days in the hospital, 3 surgeries, came home with a wound vac and a PICC line. They almost amputated his right leg. He was told he'd never walk again, never work again...he did both. Took him 8 months to get back to work, but he did. He fought to keep working for 7 years, but a year and a half ago, went on permanent disability. <br />Group B Strep scares me. I am SO GLAD God put me with an OBGYN who would NOT ALLOW me to skip the abx, because I would have. And if it could do such to my fully grown husband, who was pretty darn healthy (he was diabetic at that time, but completely diet controlled, physical job, active guy...)...what would it have done to my baby.<br />DS1, that baby, does have Autism Spectrum Disorder...specifically Aspergers. Did the antibiotics cause that? I don't know. I will never know probably. But would I change the choice I made for the abx? Never. Is it the right choice for you? I don't know. I really don't. But really pray about it, and talk to your husband, etc. Because it CAN be a huge decision. Dh still has battles with it. he gets UTIs several times a year, and about half are GBS. He is just recovering from one now, and was almost in a wheelchair again for a few days. <br />Hugs, and praying for your decision. I don't share this to scare you, but to tell you honestly what a rough bug it is. If I can prevent one other mama from thinking "Group B Strep? What? Oh, no big deal" the way I did...I will.MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-12934066989851380922014-07-06T14:35:00.001-07:002014-07-06T14:35:33.075-07:00One more step<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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One more step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take
one more step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wherever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wherever God is leading you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe you know where, maybe you can’t see the path ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doesn’t matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take that step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s there ahead of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He always goes ahead of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We’re moving into a house finally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well…sort of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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we found a house to rent, and started getting ready to move in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, paint and stuff...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then the toilet broke and flooded the
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half out and then back in…and Megans car broke down…and money is tight as
always…and Steve is now diagnosed with migraines on top of everything else, and
they cause him to vomit frequently…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
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Every single time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I promise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much more importantly…He promises.</div>
MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-66699515627186524712013-09-21T19:08:00.002-07:002013-09-21T19:08:56.965-07:00a mad passionate love affairI am madly, passionately, insanely in love with the South.<br />
You see, we're new here, so I'm shocked by this. I expected to like it, but not to feel this intense..."rightness", right from the start. Like coming home, where I'd never been before. Like the entire area was saying "there you are, we've been waiting for you", as we drove along.<br />
I love the people. Everyone is so friendly...they wave as you drive by, even if they don't know you. They smile and say "hi" as you pass in the store. They chat everywhere. It's wonderful.<br />
I love the accents. From a light touch, to an unintelligible, thick as syrup drawl, I love it. It's musical. It's beautiful. It's contagious, and the kids are already teasing me about mine. It's only sometimes, but yes, Ah'm developin' it. And I'm thrilled!<br />
I love the weather. I love thunder and lightning, and rain. It's like fireworks, but better. I love that it's random, that unlike CA, where it almost NEVER rains in the summer, here it rains whenever the heck it feels like it. I find it fascinating.<br />
I love the humidity. Yes. I said it. I admit, there have been a few days here and there that have been oppressive, but for the most part, it's just nice. I love that it's not dry all the time. My skin loves it. My lungs love it. It's awesome.<br />
I love the green. Everywhere, green. Trees, bushes, grasses, everywhere. Green...and flowers! Beautiful flowers. It's like spring, all summer long this year. <br />
I love the water. There is just water everywhere. Creeks, rivers, ponds, springs...so much water. I thought northern CA was wet and green... Boy, I knew NOTHING! <br />
I love the religion. It's so different here. There are churches EVERYWHERE, and everyone talks about church. One of the first things people ask, after your name, is where you go to church. Stores have signs about Jesus, clerks tell you to have a blessed day, billboards, bumper stickers...Jesus is EVERYWHERE!<br />
I love the wildlife! We see deer, squirrels, racoons, turtles, birds of all shapes and colors, and the BUTTERFLIES! Amazing.<br />
I'm sure there's more, but my dessert is ready, and I'm tired. Hugs, all! I hope you are as blessed where you live as we are here.MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-13765539534990746372013-09-21T18:49:00.003-07:002013-09-21T18:49:50.439-07:00This is my mission fieldSometimes, it seems like the entire Christian world is all about missions. Uganda. Haiti. Mexico. Romania. Talking about missions. Funding missions. Sending their kids on missions. Going on missions themselves. And I start to feel like...less. Less of a Christian, because I haven't been on a mission. Can't afford a mission, haven't sent my kids on missions. I get jealous of the whole idea. A trip to another country, to help people who NEED me. People who need JESUS. And I could be His hands and feet, and help them.<br />
But I know, this IS my mission field. THIS is where God has placed me, where He has called me. I am to be His hands and feet here, to children. My children (where I fail daily, as I'm sure Jesus never shrieked at someone to "STOP HUMMING OR I'LL TIE YOUR LIPS IN A KNOT"), and to other children around us.<br />
And right now, I KNOW that I am where He wants me. We live in a neighborhood full of children, some of whom seem to REALLY need someone to love on them. And to bake cookies for them. Have snacks after school for them. Hand out lollipops to them. Have a basket of crayons, and a stack of paper on the table for them. And when I see my daughter, out on the lawn fixing bikes for the little guy next door, or another of the kids asking if he can share his toys...I know that this mission field is more for us, than them.MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-88300419466784456822013-09-15T12:06:00.000-07:002013-09-15T12:06:14.830-07:00This is me...I have trouble posting frequently. Maybe you haven't noticed...yeah, right. I have tried, and tried, and I have finally figured out WHY I struggle with it. It's because I'm boring. Yes, you heard me. Boring. Our life...it's not really exciting. Just normal, everyday stuff. And I'm honestly not sure anyone wants to read that much about it.<br />
I have bloggers I follow, and they are all really great. Thought provoking. Inspirational. Motivating. They make me excited to read the next post, but our life...it's really just life, you know?<br />
We're not out changing the world. We're not busy with activities. I'm not the woman everyone wants to be. And my kids aren't the homeschoolers who have graduated college at 7, speak 5 languages fluently and invented somethng that saves lives in Africa. <br />
I'm the mom next door. The one who bakes too many cookies and hands them to any kid in the yard. Exercises sporadically. Spends too much time reading, or playing on my phone, while watching the kids hunt for bugs and fall off their bikes. The one who doesn't get up when her kids fall, even when they're hollering (Hey, there's no blood!). The one who lets them ride around the neighborhood, without following them herself. <br />
My kids are the loud ones. Every neighborhood has some. You know, the ones constantly yelling and laughing and fighting and in general being...kids. They read...even though sometimes I have to argue to get them to. They leave toys all over the yard...and bits of paper...and rarely wear shoes. Their clothes are often stained, and they're dirty, a LOT. They catch bugs and bring them to me, and we identify them (after a girly screech, lol), and sometimes, we keep them a while.<br />
I pin lots of recipes, and craft ideas, and educational stuff. A lot of it is "wouldn't it be great if we...?" Oh, yeah, it would, but my kids don't WANT to learn to sing the presidents in order, or make a paper mache model of the solar system with size and topographical accuracy, or ...any of the things the "good homeschool moms" do. And I probably won't really make those cool rooms for them. The themed ones, with the cool crafty decorating stuff, and it all coordinates.. <br />
So, this is me. And it's the best me you're getting. SO get used to it, and maybe I'll remember to post me a bit more often. But no promises, because I might be busy reading to kids, or baking junk food, or killing zombies with pea shooters...you know, important stuff!MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-44804178800641755492013-07-04T17:07:00.001-07:002013-07-04T17:07:57.574-07:00Settling inSo, it's been a bit, I guess. Things have been crazy, but good. We're at a really nice campground, which we are enjoying greatly. Cheap, lots of room for the kids to run around, a creek to swim in, even a donkey to pet. We need to work on getting into a better routine, and we're working on finding a church home, but...it's going.<br />
The kids enjoyed VBS a lot. And they did the library reading program. Got lots of great prizes. We're working on using those, slowly, lol. Still need to get stuff out of storage, but we've got to wait for dryer weather for that. Really...not much going on. But, I'll try to post more often again. I promise!MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-10857149651361128132013-06-11T13:47:00.001-07:002013-06-11T13:47:25.045-07:00reposting<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Somehow managed to delete this by accident! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Albuquerque, NM</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Memorial Day 2013!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Got to Alb in great time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nice drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaving early works
well, and having the kids eat breakfast in the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will do that again for sure!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Setting up the RV is down to an art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Takes us..under an hour, I think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the kids swam for about a half hour, but
it was too windy and chilly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I did
laundry, and then we decided on a treat…eating out!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to Golden Corral. First time for all
but Steve and Mariah, and WOW, were we thrilled!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was good, and we ate till we were
stuffed, then home to put the kids to bed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next day, we decided on the Albuquerque Bio Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zoo, Aquarium and Botanical Gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it was AWESOME!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bit spendy, but SO worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never even MADE it to the Botanical
Gardens, either, except the part where the train does a loop through, lol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The zoo was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really nice habitats, where you could really
see everything, but the animals looked like they had plenty of room, and stuff
to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running water, like streams, in
every enclosure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of baby
animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giraffe, Orangutang, prairie
dogs, elephant…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reptile house is
big, with LOTS of awesome stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly
venomous, which the kids loved of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wolves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then you ride a train (included if you
buy the combined ticket for all 3 attractions) the 2.5 miles to the
aquarium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, WOW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really great, especially once you get to the
bottom level where they have the shark tank, with the sea turtles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was in awe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lee was the first one around the corner to
see it, and just started yelling “Mommy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sharks, I see sharks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daddy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SHARKS!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was really great.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next day was boring really, lol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Groceries and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stopped at Camping World for some roof patch,
walked through a nice motorhome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
Seneca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe someday…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with that, New Mexico was over!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amarillo, TX</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thursday, we left Albuquerque for Amarillo, TX.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a bad drive, left early with muffins for
breakfast in the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we got into
Amarillo, we saw Cadillac Ranch!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steve
was thrilled, as that was on his bucket list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>SO we parked the RV at the park (not a fancy place, lol, but cheap) and
went to Walmart to get some spray paint then back we went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sprayed cars, lots of pics, great time was
had by all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we decided to splurge
on a burger place I’d heard of but never been…Whataburger!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, very good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed that a lot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sherman Tx</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday, May, 31.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We decided NOT to stay in Amarillo another day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing we wanted to see really, and my good
friend was having a graduation party for her daughter the next day that we
wanted to get to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long drive, but we
made it all the way to Sherman in about 6 hours. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drive was beautiful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We thought Tx was all desert, but turns out
it’s got some amazing gorgeous green areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Especially fell in love with St Jo, which looks like a movie set town!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set up in record
time, then off to visit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had a wonderful
few days visiting a friend I’d never before met in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to miss her, and her whole
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were lots of fun!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After worrying that it wouldn’t be “the
same”, finally meeting in person, it was better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like being with family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So comfortable, joking and laughing and
relaxing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids got along great,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a wonderful break from our
travels.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday the 2<sup>nd</sup> we decided to go into DFW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids had specially requested a trip to
the McDonalds shaped like a Happy Meal, so that was our lunch destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Funny for looking so odd on the outside, the
inside was fancy shmancy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crystal, wood
seating, nice…very little plastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
the play area was much bigger than we were used to!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids had fun for a bit, then we headed
out to see the cattle drive in Forth Worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Got there in time to walk a bit, see the shops, buy postcards, see the
train…and the cattle drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smaller than
I’d hoped, but still worth seeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
longhorns are gorgeous!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After some shopping and visiting, Tuesday morning was
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hugs and love to my friend and her
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all made friends, even Jack,
who is hard to win over!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Sasha now
wants a piano…and Mariah wants to join Civil Air Patrol after visiting it with
my friends girls…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
West Monroe, LA</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another longer drive, but such gorgeous scenery!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The green, the trees, the vines…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beautiful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I love trees and green, so we are definitely getting into my kind of
environment!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The park here is nice enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would be better if the pool wasn’t out of
commission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They found a crack in it
just this week, so no swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Waaah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially with this
humidity and heat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will adjust, I’m
sure, but it is a HUGE change!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Got here and set up, and just hung out in the trailer in the
a/c for the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just too hot to do
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, after a good nights
sleep, we were off and running!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First was Duck Commander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We all love to watch Duck Dynasty, so getting to take pics here, and get
a shirt for Dad and his collection, was a big deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, none of the stars were there, but we
didn’t really expect them to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next was the farmers market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not huge, but nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got some
delicious peaches, green beans for dinner, and fresh (not roasted)
peanuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very different, but not bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mariah LOVES them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool to try new stuff, you know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And again…those peaches!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last but certainly not least, the Beidenharn Museum!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neat place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First, it’s a coca cola museum, since the Biedenharns were the first to
bottle coca cola.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even sell Coke in
bottles for .05 each during the tour, from an old fashioned vending
machine!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was awesome (though I paid
for the caffeine that night, let me tell you!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During that part of the tour, they explain all about the bottling, how
it came about, how they do it, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Neat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second part of the tour is
the gardens, and then their home, which has been kept as it was decades
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gorgeous, and the ladies doing the
tour had great stories to tell!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then
lastly, Emmy Lou Biedenharn had a Bible collection, which you get to tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Had a leaf from a Gutenburg Bible, lots of old and unique Bibles,
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some other cool stuff, like
ancient greek jugs, Biblical coins…neat stuff.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that, it was time to come home for a late lunch, and
relaxing again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids rode bikes
around and read and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its awesome to be out of the wind finally, so
I can grill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steaks were delicious for
dinner again!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That night, I was up for hours, and was treated to something
new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Southern storm!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lightning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thunder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It went on for hours,
with some rain in there, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gosh, that
was amazing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loved it!</div>
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The next day was Thursday, and it seemed like a good day to
hang out and relax (and do some laundry), since it seemed more storms were
coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None ended up hitting us really,
but the kids rode bikes, played pool, watched a movie and we all generally did
nothing for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After an early
bedtime, it’ll be time to head to Mississippi in the morning!</div>
MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-60852303450222421322013-06-11T13:43:00.002-07:002013-06-11T13:43:41.023-07:00The end of the journey<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Lake Okatibbee, Meridian, Mississippi</div>
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Lake Okatibbee was a whim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In looking at rv parks along our route, I couldn’t find anyplace that
looked awesome, but this looked ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Steve likes lakes a lot, and it had a small water park nearby, so…why
not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, when we got off the freeway,
and the GPS said 25 miles more (the internet said 9 miles off the freeway), I
got nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thought about finding a
different park…was afraid we were getting lost…the roads were narrow, and up
and down and twisty…but we stuck it out, and are SO glad we did!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the best places we stayed!</div>
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First, it’s very treed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s on a lake, in the woods, big spots, lots of room and peace and
quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little swingset, not much to
speak of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the lake is DOWNHILL (more
of a cliff than a hill), at least in the area we were in, which made me
nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was so beautiful and
relaxing.</div>
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it was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Told us lots of stories
about the history of the store and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, due to new govt regulations and insurance, she can’t run
the gristmill much anymore, so we didn’t get to see that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And she was out of hoop cheese, which we’d
wanted to try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she had fresh roasted
peanuts, and soda in glass bottles, and fabulous history to share, so it was
worth it.</div>
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$5 per person, as opposed to $9, lol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it was WONDERFUL!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Steve
and I played in the water, and Jack started to enjoy it, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone slid and splashed and laughed for a
couple hours, and got worn out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Dinner and bed rounded out our day, and we all slept well
before getting up Sunday morning to finish our trip to GA!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Rome, Georgia</div>
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So, we had decided to get to GA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We went straight through Alabama, with some adventures where the freeway
was closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spent all day in the car,
saw some gorgeous scenery, and then…there we were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hugs and love all
around, so glad to see our friends!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
to start learning our new home, and enjoying our new life!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the end of the journey, but the
beginning of another big adventure!</div>
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If you’ve followed this far, thank you for joining us in our
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll try to keep posting as we
settle into our new life, lol, but can’t promise to be very frequent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll do my best!</div>
MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-57351226630780905922013-05-28T17:18:00.005-07:002013-05-28T17:18:33.329-07:00Catching up!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Calico Ghost Town</div>
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So, we left Bakersfield and headed up 58 to something we had
just heard about a couple nights before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Calico Ghost Town, near Yermo, CA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wow, well worth the stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
night at their campground, which was just ok, but the ghost town itself was
great.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got there mid afternoon, and went up to the ghost town as
soon as we were set up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tons of old
buildings, some original to the town, some not, all restored beautifully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tour through a real mine (wish it was
longer, but it was great anyhow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>place to pan “gold” (fools gold of course,
lol).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mystery shack, which, cool
though it was, I’ll probably never do again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got SO sick in there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get
carsick too, badly, so maybe it’s related…?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had sodas in the saloon…some great sodas, in real glass bottles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved my Shirley Temple soda, and Mariahs
Dodge City Sasparilla was a real hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both made with real cane sugar!</div>
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The kids also got to do leather stamping projects in the
saddlery, for only about $2 each for the leather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some of the shops had some great stuff!
Hard to leave, but it closes at 5, so leave we did.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a good nights sleep, we went back up after
breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rode the train, and went into
the woodworking shop, which was full of some of the best stuff ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wooden toys…iron “bar puzzles”…tons of great
stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really would like Steve to make
me a picnic gear carrier like I saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
eating outside on the patio, it carries 3 bottles (ketchup and the like), paper
plates, a paper towel roll, etc, with a nice handle for easy transport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really loved that!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Then, it was time to go, though I suspect Lee would have
stayed forever if he could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially
in the mine, which was Tonys favorite place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mariah loved the mystery shack (I was the only one to get queasy!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lee loved the leatherworking (may have to get
him some leatherworking stuff eventually).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sasha lovedit all, and Megan really enjoyed the shop selling the leather
jackets and such, for the smell!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Needles, CA</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last stop in CA!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, on the way to Needles, we lost our alternator, about
80 miles west of Needles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Man, there is
NOTHING out there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NOTHING!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the rest stops were closed!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we made it to Needles, to our campground,
and got set up anyhow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got a new
alternator the next day, in Fort Mojave, AZ, and discovered that the prices
were SO MUCH CHEAPER over the border!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Total sticker shock at how
much cheaper, especially the gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did
some grocery shopping, drove through Bullhead City, AZ and Laughlin, NV, and
did a LOT of swimming for a few days.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The kids are really getting into swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mariah swims underwater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lee and Tony jump in and go under, and Sasha
even dunked her head before we left the last day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only one NOT in the water is Jack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’ll put his feet in once in a while, but
that’s it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not interested at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he doesn’t complain about the life vest,
so that’s fine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best of all was the daytrip (afternoon trip? Lol) to Oatman,
AZ. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old gold mining town on old Route
66.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They havea gunfight, which was cute,
at least once a day (twice when the weather isn’t too hot), lots of cute shops
(more Sasparilla, yum!), and best of all, wild burros roaming the
streets!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the shops sell burro feed, so we fed,
and petted, and fell in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of
them tried to steal the bag with Steves new t-shirt, lol!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of great pics there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flagstaff, AZ</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we left Needles about 7pm, after 3 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice place, would go there again, but
preferably when it’s not so stinking hot!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Left at night to drive in the cooler weather to Flagstaff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That heat, plus the climb in elevation, while pulling a large RV can be
tough on the van.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left Needles about 7pm, at 92 degrees
approx.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got to Flagstaff about 1115
pm…at about 44 degrees!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a shock,
lol!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pulled into Camping World for the
night, and went to sleep.</div>
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Morning came, and we got what we needed at Camping World
(would NOT recommend that one!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not thrilled
with them), then off to Walmart for some groceries, Jiffy Lube for an oil
change, and Bashas for produce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice
prices, and those cantelopes look delicious!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Looking forward to dinner!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Winslow, AZ</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, weleft Flagstaff, and after another hour or so drive, we
got to Winslow, AZ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, such a fine
sight to see…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Need to take some pics of
the kids at “Standing on a corner” park downtown before we leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Homolovi State Park found, we parked, hooked
up, had a late lunch and then went to the visitor center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The rangers are VERY friendly and helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought some inexpensive field guides to
Southwestern snakes, insects, poisonous creatures and cactus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lee is obsessed with cacti!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have already identified one of the ones
near the visitor station, as well as the 3.5 foot gopher snake we saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking forward to seeing the ruins tomorrow,
and hoping the wind dies down some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
nasty!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the ruins look awesome, and
I’d hate for the kids to miss that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Saturday morning came, bright and sunshiny early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not much of a morning person, lol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we got up and moving anyhow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After breakfast, we headed out to Homolovi
II, one of the ruins here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow, it was
really spectacular!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something about
holding pottery shards that were made and used by people approximately 1000
years ago…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony was in love with it,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He just kept moving around yelling
“Mama!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pottery! More pottery!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rangers had encouraged us to let the kids
climb, go in and out of the ruins of the house, handle all the pottery shards
they liked…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just don’t take any with
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We gave Tony a quick pat down before
getting in the car, to be safe, lol.</div>
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Next was into town, for a Native American art and dance
festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, we didn’t get to see
any dancing, but the art was fabulous, and there was a newsletter about the
Petrified Forest, which prepared us for what we wanted to do the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After taking the kids home, I ran back to do
some laundry at the Laundromat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
after dinner, we capped off the day with a drive to the Little Painted Desert
state park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a spot where you can
see out into the Little Painted Desert, and as promised, it was spectacular at
sunset!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t see it during the
drive, and you turn into the park…still can’t see it…drive to the parking area
and there it is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made the kids stay in the car, as it’s
rather steep, but they got a good view from where I parked, and I got some
wonderful pics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Sunday was the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not too bad a drive from Winslow, and lots to
see on the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw a motel that’s
all teepees (the kids thought it was the Cozy Cone from Cars, lol!), and lots
of dinosaur statues, as well as the Cholla power plant, which is coal
fired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neat to see.</div>
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The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert were awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, lots of great pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The museum was neat, and just seeing and
touching all those amazing things God made…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even know any other
word but wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is so amazing.</div>
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Tomorrow is Memorial Day, and it's early to rise, pack and go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’ll be quite a drive to Albuquerque, where
I’ll finally have internet, I hope, and can post all this, lol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking forward to wifi…a swimming pool…a
playground…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure what we’ll do, or
if we’ll just hang out and relax for a day or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, it’s another adventure!</div>
MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-70869603155035004162013-05-18T17:50:00.000-07:002013-05-18T18:00:19.727-07:00On the road, week one!So, it's Saturday, the 18th, and we left on Friday the 10th. Didn't have much internet at Yosemite, so haven't posted lately. Let's catch up!<br />
Friday, we wanted to leave around lunchtime, but it took a lot longer to get ready than we expected. Pulled out about 2. The drive to Yosemite should have taken 3 hours...ended up about 5 or so, lol. Never having been there, neither of us expected the steep drive up that would make us crawl, and stop over and over, pulling off to let the van cool. But we made it, and it was WELL worth it! Yosemite was amazing.<br />
We planned to leave there Monday, but ended up extending our stay to Thursday. It was just so gorgeous, and the campground was great, and we had nowhere to be, lol. We did several short hikes, saw the history center, the big trees at Mariposa Grove, all sorts of stuff. It was just wonderful. We took tons and tons of pics, which I still need to figure how to get off the phones, lol. And videos and pics on the video cam, too.<br />
We went actually into Yosemite 4 days, and spent a lot of time relaxing at the campground, too. The kids rode bikes, waded in the river, sorted what they believe to be gold out of the sand on the banks...<br />
Definitely somewhere we plan to return to someday!<br />
Highlights of Yosemite...seeing Steves face as he saw Half Dome. Lee falling in the water after being warned the rocks were slippery (one of those scary at the time, funny now things). Lee and Sasha learning to ride their bikes WELL at the campground, and loving it. The amazing pictures in the Ansel Adams gallery (Steve and I went alone to that, lol!!). Watching the butterflies land on Megans toenail polish down by the river. Jack loved the shuttle buses. Sasha loved the history center, with the old cabins and homesteads. Tony says his favorite part was camping, and Lee loved the tunnel tree in Mariposa Grove (got some great pics!). Mariah says the waterfalls and rivers were here favorite part.<br />
Then, Thursday, we left Yosemite. Again, took it very slowly down the hill, so that we didn't overheat the brakes...or go sliding off an edge, lol. Between that, and the slower speed on the freeways for towing, what mapquest said was a 4 hour drive to Bakersfield turned into 7-8 hours, but we made it here. Not without a casualty, though. Our bike rack on the back bumper overweighted the bumper and bent, so we lost a bike. Have been in Bakersfield since, repairing the bumper and reinforcing it. Should be leaving tomorrow, it seems. But the kids are loving the pool, and today the park had a bounce house set up, so it's been fine.<br />
Hopefully, I will have better internet most of the time now, so I can update better. Sorry for the quick overview, but I've been by the pool all day with the kids, and need to start dinner now while they shower. Keep it rubber side down, everyone!MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-25607609036810833282013-05-01T19:55:00.002-07:002013-05-01T19:55:53.890-07:00Following Him.For the last 2.5 years, we've been blessed with this amazing experience. A farm, 10 acres of green to roam, to grow things, to enjoy. We raised a steer, who is now in the freezer. We raised chickens, for both meat and eggs. Ducks, turkeys, guinea fowl. Goats and sheep, and horses...because what kid doesn't want a horse? And it's been awesome. We've loved it.<br />
So when I tell people we're moving, invariably they ask "Why?" "If you love it, why leave?". Well, because it's time. God said so. He made it very very clear that He has something different planned now, and I have to trust that His plans are greater than mine. <br />
Because I DID have plans. 3 months ago, we were planning where to put the fences, to keep the chickens out of the garden. I was poring over seed catalogs. And I was waiting anxiously for the VBS emails to start! I do love VBS. And then...it became glaringly obvious that Steves health was getting worse. And one day...he said "I can't keep doing this". And I'd been waiting for that for years, and seeing it coming faster and faster for the last months, and yet it was a shock in some ways. Suddenly, this enormous change that we had always talked about as "someday" was "now". "NOW"!! <br />
And so, we're following Him. Clinging to the knowledge that He has gone before us, and laid His plans, and that He has something else awesome planned for us. Because He always has. 2.5 years ago, when it became glaringly obvious that we were going to lose the house, I broke down in tears. "Why, God? We had it so good here!". And He let me mourn, and blessed us with something even better.<br />
And just over 7 years ago, we were told that Steve would probably never walk or work again, and DEFINITELY never have children again. And not only did God let him walk and work again, but He has blessed us with 2 more adorable miracles since then!!<br />
So I know that He will give us His best, which is all I can ever want. And yet, I don't think He minds us mourning, either. Because it's hard to let go of the future in my head, you know? And yet, I'm not losing anything, because I'm winning so much. I'm anxious to get started on this adventure He has for us, and see what awesome gifts He has planned! I have already seen so many...a huge lessening of Steves stress. His ability to really interact with the children again, since he's less stressed, and less exhausted. Friends, old friends and new, coming to lift us and carry us and help us through. <br />
Walk with us through this journey, and we'll see what He has planned, and you can share in the rejoicing, ok? And maybe some mourning along the way.MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-66638298149266076362013-03-07T21:31:00.000-08:002013-03-07T21:31:16.501-08:00Crazy Farm on the moveSo, the Crazy Farm is on the move. For a long time, we've wanted to move out of CA, for various reasons, and now, it's time. So many things, happening all at once. So much to do, so many decisions to make, so many things to handle, all at once...<br />
In many ways, I wish we'd done this years ago, and yet, I know, undoubtedly, it wasn't time until now, just as I know, almost as certainly, that it IS time now. As surely as possible, I am certain that God has said "Go. It's time. Now.". And so we go. And yet...it's not possible to be 100% certain, ever, until later. Until you look in hindsight, you will never know FOR SURE that you are making the right choice, following Him in what He says, and not just guessing. So, it's scary.<br />
And I feel a lot more sympathy for the Israelites, hearing God call them out of Egypt. "Go, God? Now? I mean...I know we're slaves...I know it's not the Promised Land...but, we have food here, and homes, and we know people! I have friends down the street, you know? And the kids friends! Well...maybe...are you SURE, God? Let me think about it..."<br />
It's huge. Walking away from everything and everyone you know. And it's hard. And yet, He doesn't ask us to do the easy. He doesn't ask us to go where we know, where we are safe, where we are comfortable. He asks us to go where it's scary and hard and lonely, because in those places is where we learn to draw near to Him, to lean on Him, to have faith in Him. When we have nothing else, that is when we cling to Him.<br />
God, I want that. I want to be yours, completely. I want to draw so closely to you that I breathe You, not air. So walk with me, through yet another hard thing, and be patient with my fearful heart as You remind me that you have never, will never, can never fail me, even as I fail you hourly. Make me more like you, bit by glorious, painful, terrifying bit.<br />
Thank you, Lord, that you are patient with me, even in these hard places.MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-64261343114276769112013-02-10T14:19:00.004-08:002013-02-10T14:19:47.439-08:00Blogging from the cliff<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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When God leads you to a cliff, He will either teach you to
fly, or catch you when you fall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes, I feel like my whole life is one long series of
cliffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where is that bottom?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When do I stop jumping, and rest for a
while?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell me, Lord, don’t I trust you
enough yet?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no “enough”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until it is all, everything, complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is SO hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am I the only one releasing things to Him,
one grasping finger at a time, as He gently pulls them from my grip, promising
He will take better care of everything than I can?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So let me tell you what I’ve learned so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First…He WILL take better care of
everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He IS the beginning and the end of all, and
He loves us more than we can even imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Second…honestly, no matter what you do, that cliff is coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust Him, don’t trust Him…that cliff looms
ahead, growing ever closer, no matter which way you turn, which way you look…it’s
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the only thing at the bottom
of it is Him, waiting for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waiting
for all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jump, spread your arms, and see what
happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight is glorious, and the
landing soft and sweet, every single time.</div>
MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-56042251097553051822012-08-12T17:01:00.002-07:002012-08-12T17:01:26.621-07:00MaybeSo, I was just reading this blog post...<br />
http://kellyclinger.com/2012/08/11/we-cant-handle-the-truth-about-abortion/<br />
Warning, it's heartbreaking, and may be shocking to you. It was to me.<br />
Anyhow, I was thinking about it. And I agree, that we need a revolution. But maybe not the type she meant, or maybe not JUST the type she meant. Maybe, we need a revolution of love.<br />
One of the common objections I hear to outlawing abortion is "What will we do with all those unwanted babies? Will YOU take them?" Yes. Yes, I will. Hand me your unwanted baby. I want him or her. Boy or girl. Black, white, brown, yellow, purple with pink polkadots, I want her. Healthy or not, I want him. Whether you are a stranger, a friend, a relative, an adult, a teen...If you don't want that baby, I do. And so do thousands upon thousands of others. Some of them are childless. Some of them already have large families. But we want that baby, and would consider ourselves blessed to get him or her.<br />
Maybe we need to SHOW it. Does anyone remember the signs people used to put in their windows, to show kids that it was a safe house to go to, if anyone was bothering them? If you saw the sign, you knew you could go there if anyone was following you, bullying you, harassing you, on your way home, etc.<br />
Maybe that's what we need. A sign we can put in our window, on our car, on our purse, wear on our shirts... Something to show that there ARE people who want those "unwanted babies", lots of them. I'd wear it. Would you?<br />
Maybe we need the government to make it easier for those "unwanted babies" to be adopted by the families who want them, instead of easier to get an abortion. Maybe we need to get rid of rules limiting how many kids a family can have and still adopt. Maybe, we need to stand up and say "I want your unwanted baby". <br />
And maybe, we need to help those girls who really want their baby, but don't see a way. Help them afford it, help them learn to mother, help them see that they CAN. Show them that getting pregnant on accident doesn't make the baby a mistake, and that you can't erase a baby like you can a misspelt word in a letter. <br />
Maybe we need to get loud about the fact that life is valuable, and WE VALUE IT! MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-88996410670945926792012-08-04T15:42:00.000-07:002012-08-04T15:42:33.516-07:00Crazy summer daysSo, I haven't been posting much lately again. Been busy with life, the kids, sewing (made myself 3 new skirts, among other things!). And I'm not really sure my life is interesting enough to post about, you know? But, here I am anywho, just waiting for the canner to boil. Have a batch of what we are calling "wildberry" jam (because they grow wild, and we don't know if they are blackberries or boysenberries, lol) to seal. Yum. Kids went out picking. Going to have to send them more often, till the season ends. I would like to have a bunch of jam in the pantry.<br />
Other than that, not much going on today. With the big 4 out picking, I was elected to stay home with the little 2, so I made a quadruple batch of granola, and baked a cinnamon roll cake. Just a nice day of cooking. Made both in the Nesco, since it's too warm to use the oven. Looking forward to cool weather coming, except that I'll miss the fruit.MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-17127595527259708332012-07-11T20:13:00.000-07:002012-07-11T20:13:01.307-07:00Welcome to a crazy day outWell, I suppose I should start by saying that this really isn't THAT out of the ordinary for us. I mean...you can't be crazy only AT the farm, right? And taking 10 kids to the movies and such...something has to go "wrong", right, lol? So, that said...<br />
It started out as a normal Wednesday. Tired, but normal. It's been awful stinkin' hot, and no one slept well last night, and it seemed several people ended up in MY room...in my bed, to be precise, then on the floor when I got tired of snuggling, lol. So, I was tired. But it was Wednesday, and this week, Wednesday was movie and park day!<br />
So we had breakfast, did chores, rush rush rush. Packed a lunch of random stuff tossed in the cooler, because I had forgotten to plan anything for today again. Lots of water bottles, all reusable and filled from our tap, a big ice dohickey...you know, normal stuff. Got out just in time, as always. <br />
Arrive at the theater, and start unloading, and lo and behold, Tony has NO SHOES! He had them ON when he walked out the door. Megan checked. But nothing now. "Tony, where ARE your shoes?" "I took them off at home." Groan. Will they let us in with him shoeless? Almost left, thinking, surely they won't, but decided to risk it. Megan carried Tony, Mariahs friend B carried Jack, and we got in line. "Tickets for 10 to Kung Fu Panda 2, please". And in we went. No problem! WOOHOO!<br />
Movie was great. I'm really glad we were informed that Rango had bad language in it, as that was our original plan, and I'd have been terribly upset by that. So KFP2 was a great choice, and all enjoyed it. Then, off to a special stop. Today, you see, was 7/11. Yes, it's a tradition in our house. We LOVE free Slurpee day. Love Love LOVE! So we stopped at a 7/11 on our way to the park. Free slurpees for all the kids, and a slightly larger and slightly less free one for me. Yum. Cold and refreshing and delicious. <br />Met with Bs mom at the park, to visit and play and trade back. Lucky to snag one of the precious shade spots at this park. Sadly, a lot of the newer parks don't have much shade, so I had a large golfing umbrella with us, in case. I don't like baby Jack in the sun yet. But we got shade, and we enjoyed our random lunch of cheese, crackers, tortilla chips, hard boiled eggs and water, lol. Yum. And our visit with our good friends. Always nice to have time to chit chat.<br />
Then the REAL fun began, lol. We were off to the library (hoping to pass another 7-11 on our way, but no such luck). Following the GPS directions, we headed out....down this road, turn on this one, up and onto the freeway...tra la la.... Now onto this other freeway...up and over the flyway onto the 2nd freeway and BAM, the traffic stops. No big deal, except that the weather is well over 100, and as we are inching along, the van begins to warm up....the gauge begins to climb higher...and higher...and I begin to worry. And pray. And worry some more.<br />
Luckily, we made it to the offramp, and then got to take a scenic tour through downtown Sacramento. See, the GPS wanted me to get back on the freeway, and was kind of...obsessive about it, lol. "In 200 feet, take onramp" NO. "Turn left (to the onramp)". NO. Finally figured out how to get where we were going without her help, and had a nice leisurely drive to the library, lol. Got to drive past Sutters Fort (really need to go there). Got to drive over the beautiful, cool looking river. And in the end, got where we were going. <br />
Library books (30 or so), and then home. Didn't have time to start a "real" dinner, so we had eggs, toast, hash browns and watermelon. And chores, baths and bed.<br />
So, that's a crazy day OFF the farm, but not too out of the ordinary for us. Lots of blessings, and lots of fun, and we survived to do it again next week. YAY!MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-16615068407403010542012-07-10T20:41:00.000-07:002012-07-10T20:41:08.421-07:00Feelin' hot, hot, hot!!!Well, lately here on the Crazy Farm, it's been hot. VERY hot, since we don't have air conditioner. Yes, I know, we're probably the only people in the free world without it. Yes, I have heard all about it. Anyhow...we haven't any air conditioning. Well, correction, we have a window one in the master bedroom, but we almost never use it, so.that doesn't count.<br />
So, in the interest of self preservation and not boiling in my own sweat, I'm playing a game called "summer cooking". I played it last year, but not as well. It involves cooking as much as possible either on the grill, in the slow cooker, in the nesco, or in the morning so it's cool by the time things start to heat up.<br />
Yesterday, Monday, was the beginning of this session of the game (the weather was nice and cool before that, in the low 90s, lol). So yesterday, I pulled out the slow cooker and the nesco. Made granola in the nesco, and then baked cupcakes from scratch in it Turned out very good, didn't even frost them! Spaghetti sauce in the crockpot, then all I had to do at dinner time was boil some pasta (not too bad, since I just bring the water to a boil, stick the pasta in, stir, and turn off the heat).<br />
Todays round went just as well. Baked ziti in the crockpot, made early in the day, stuck in the fridge, then plugged in about an hour before dinner time. (I have 2 crockpots, btw). Also made 2 batches of chocolate pudding. One with Lactaid for Megan and I, the other regular milk. The regular milk one, I froze in popsicle molds for the kids for snack, which went over well, of course. And a batch of chocolate syrup to round things off, since we were all out. Oh, and a batch of krispie treats in the afternoon, in the microwave.<br />
Tomorrow is movie day, so I'm hoping I get my wits about me quickly in the morning. If so, I'll put a batch of King Ranch Casserole in the crockpot to sit in the fridge till late afternoon. Otherwise...not sure. Maybe some chicken and potatoes? I guess we'll see, lol. <br />
Btw,for anyone interested, the granola, pudding and chocolate syrup recipes all come from the Hillbilly Housewife website. I'm a HUGE fan!MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-77636812558215419762012-07-01T10:07:00.002-07:002012-07-01T10:07:58.659-07:00Bye bye, Bobs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqSRQr_O1gXlS9b_ADbSMt6DfNWLE30BHPOL3ARlLA3Y4ibAqpJNU_TPCLDD8gvdYE-FoATxYTkDUyLgB_IVKuYdOjOCtc7j-S4uRkFPxlczQiFKdc85SJU2_-F_a3iPKYztE66zc4A/s1600/chickens+in+tractor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqSRQr_O1gXlS9b_ADbSMt6DfNWLE30BHPOL3ARlLA3Y4ibAqpJNU_TPCLDD8gvdYE-FoATxYTkDUyLgB_IVKuYdOjOCtc7j-S4uRkFPxlczQiFKdc85SJU2_-F_a3iPKYztE66zc4A/s320/chickens+in+tractor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
so, yesterday was a big day here on the Crazy Farm. Butchering day. 17 Cornish cross chickens to get butchered (the kids called them the Bobs, don't know why). Last year, I did 6, and did them 2 a day over 3 days. This time...I was doing them all at once. <br />
Started out slowly, because I didn't realize how long it would take to get the water hot. Had borrowed a propane burner from a friend. Next time, I'll start the water before breakfast, and be ready to go much earlier. But yesterday, we didn't get started butchering till after almost noon. The above pic is the chickens in their "tractor" (mobile chicken coop), awaiting their fate. <br />
I won't show pics of the butchering process (didn't take any, even), but if you want to see how it's done, there are plenty of blogs online. I like the one Howling Duck Ranch has, with step by step instructions. Helpful. http://howlingduckranch.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/butchering-chickens/<br />
And some of my help wasn't. DH was having a bad day, wasn't able to help. DD1(16) was to watch the little kids, because she can't handle butchering, and DD2(12) to be my big helper, with DD3(8) and DS1(6) assisting. Turned out that DS1 got bored after 2 chickens, and DD2 was moody and cranky, so DD1 volunteered to try to help and switched with DD2. I'm INCREDIBLY proud of DD1, because I know how hard that was for her, but she wanted it done in one day, so she could attend youth group today (and she is there now, mind you). It's a real sign of maturity, IMO, to be able to do things you really don't WANT to do, or don't LIKE to do, just because it needs to be done.<br />
So, 7 hours later, we had this.......<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL4tqE9c3m4HXhNymryBmlXolCNdIt2LqAKn4xXD977BRdGfoUL-ttHm7LL1KKr8n_8eep3B47n6gVLF93O1uskFKTKDailiD2Jw0JoAKoXYyx2SCbwV2wYp3hD2Zw_88S44GELvFsg/s1600/chicken+in+fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL4tqE9c3m4HXhNymryBmlXolCNdIt2LqAKn4xXD977BRdGfoUL-ttHm7LL1KKr8n_8eep3B47n6gVLF93O1uskFKTKDailiD2Jw0JoAKoXYyx2SCbwV2wYp3hD2Zw_88S44GELvFsg/s320/chicken+in+fridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
5 whole chickens (wrapped in unscented garbage bags, yes, because they didn't FIT in the ziplocs!), 12 cut into parts. They'll age till tonight or tomorrow, then into the freezer with them. And a bucket with some giblets to give to a friend who wanted them. 7 hours from first kill to cleaned up and showered. Not too bad, IMO! DD3 was our "clean person", for getting drinks, holding the bags and putting them in the gridge, weighing and writing... <br />
And weights, while I'm thinking of it. <br />
Largest whole chicken was 112oz, or 7lbs, cleaned and bagged (all weights are cleaned and bagged). Smallest was 70oz.<br />
Largest bag of parts (bone in breasts and leg quarters) was 77oz. Smallest bag of parts (boneless breasts and bone in leg quarters) was 36oz. Not too shabby. <br />
I think it's time to order more. But I think I'll schedule a day to go to the processor, lol, since I plan to order 50 next. I'm tired just THINKING about that!<br />
<br />MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-18105662837520542822012-03-07T15:34:00.000-08:002012-03-07T15:34:23.115-08:00So, I'm not the most eloquent person, nor am I the most learned, especially about Bible stuff (working on it, ok?) But this morning, I woke with this on my heart, and felt the need to try. Hopefully, God will do some of the typing on this.<br />
I was thinking last night about a misconception I see online, a lot. People often say "If you praise God for the good things in your life, you have to blame Him for the bad." The thing is, they are missing a few important things in their perception.<br />
First, God is good. God is love. God is holy. He is just, and amazing, and perfect. He is things we, as humans, can't even conceive of. He loves us like we love our kids....but to the nth power. And when your kids misbehave, sometimes you have to let them suffer the consequences of their actions, so they learn how to do right. Well, so does God. Some of the bad things that happen in life are our own fault, and if He doesn't allow us to learn from them...we'll never become better, and more like Him.<br />
Second is that we live in a broken sinful world. When Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and ate the fruit, they broke things. They let sin, death, pain, suffering, all sorts of evil and sad things, into what was a perfect creation, and now we all have to live with that. So when bad things happen, sometimes it's just the end result of that sin, suffering, death, pain, evil and sadness. Sometimes, it's because someone ELSE made a bad choice, and it affects others. Sometimes, it's just....life in a broken world.<br />
You see, it's not like He is sitting in heaven, watching us and going "Oh, that girl there, she gets the 'found a $20' card today"...."That guy there, he's getting the 'flat tire' card...oh, and how about a 'step in a mud puddle on the way to work' card, too!" No, He is standing next to you, saying "reach out and take my hand, and I'll help you through this. If you need support, you can lean on my shoulder, and if you can't walk, I will carry you. All you have to do is turn to me."MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-52189526913433331952012-03-03T21:23:00.000-08:002012-03-03T21:23:19.888-08:00No perfect parents hereSo, on another website I go to, I know this gal. I bet you know one like her. We all know one...the Perfect Parent. You know the type. Her child never had an accident (potty or otherwise). He never backtalks. He always chews with his mouth closed. He slept through the night at 3 days old, napped on schedule from birth (a schedule that fit AROUND her schedule) without being rocked or nursed, weaned on his first birthday without a fuss. Mom never used the tv as a babysitter, heck, they probably don't HAVE tv, and if they do, they only use it for educational programming, and NEVER before age 2. He read at 3 years old, potty trained at 2, has impeccable manners, gets straight A's and his clothes always match. On the rare occasion that he misbehaves, they have a family talk, and it never happens again, because "we used reason with him, and now he understands".<br />
I hate those types.<br />
I know, I shouldn't hate. Ok. I dislike them immensely. Better? But it's ok, because I WAS one. Most perfect parents have one...maybe 2 kids. I rarely meet any with more. And I think I know why. You see, as I said...I WAS a perfect parent. With my first baby, I did everything right. And hence, she was perfect...right?<br />
Funny thing is, I now have 6 kids, and I know I am NOT a perfect parent, and PTL for that! You see, when I was "perfect", I thought that I was in control. If I parented perfectly, she would turn out perfectly. I never considered HER personality in that. I now have 6 kids, all different, and I know that it's not me. It's really NOT about me. Each has their own personality. Their own good and bad points. Their quirks, their flaws, their gifts. Strengths and weaknesses. They are all, gasp, human. And I love them that way. Each is individual, the way God made them, and while my parenting affects them, it doesn't MAKE them.<br />
And let me tell you, it takes a lot of the pressure off when you understand all this. Because I'm NOT perfect, and if I have to be, then we are ALL in trouble. But knowing that it's not all about me makes me a much better parent, because I can enjoy them in all their imperfections, without having to figure out what I did wrong and how to fix it. <br />
And if God can love ME, as flawed as I am...well then, they are safe, because they are certainly better than I am, already. And if that is the only thing I teach them, that we don't have to be perfect to be loved, by Him and by humans, then I think maybe, I've done it right after all.<br />
My kids have accidents. They backtalk. They sleep in our bed till they are 2-4 years old, and nurse about as long. They misbehave, much more frequently than I'd like. They watch too much tv, have no real schedule, and sometimes, the outfits they choose to wear make me cringe. And they are wonderful loving children, full of life and joy and the love of Christ. We snuggle, we read, we laugh, we make a mess, and I wouldn't have it any other way.MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-66643921974309168512012-01-20T21:41:00.000-08:002012-01-20T21:41:33.755-08:00popping in for a minuteWell, as usual, I'm neglecting the blog. Poor blog. But I've been getting so much done around here that by evening, my brain is done. SO, if this sounds like the ramblings of an idiot...it probably is.<br />
I came up with a new assignment/tracking sheet type thing for the kids. Megan has one, for a week at a time. The other kids have one for all 3 of them, for a day at a time. It's got a chart, and lists everything I *want* to do in a day, and I fill in as we get to them. We're actually getting a lot done every day, but not everything ever, lol.<br />
Some highlights of our week...<br />
*we studied biomes in science. We are using Exploring Creation through Zoology:Flying Creatures of the 5th day. And for the first time in the 6 years since I bought it, we're actually USING it. We usually start, then get distracted. Tomorrow, hopefully, I can get more pages set up in their notebooks for both this and "little house in the big woods" (more on that later). Anyhow, so we studied biomes...which reminded me that I have 11 episodes recorded of "Planet Earth". So, we watched one last night. The Great Plains. LOVED it. even Lee managed to sit and watch it all, and that's pretty impressive for him by evening. tonight, we watched the Ice Worlds episode, since Lee LOVES penguins. Another hit. Looking forward to an ocean one next, I think. Or maybe caves... But it seemed to tie into the biomes/habitats stuff quite we..<br />
*for language arts, besides all the other stuff (both girls have spelling workbooks, grammar workbooks, required reading), we are making a big parts of speech poster. The girls know them, so it's review for them. Lee is just learning them. They are all enjoying that, too. Next week, we'll start with sentences. Will move the girls up to paragraphs pretty quickly, but the review never hurts. And we'll add in more parts of speech. Need a new poster, as we filled our first up. Did nouns (including a section on pronouns and one on proper nouns), verbs (including a list of all the helping verbs), adjectives and adverbs. Next poster will have conjunctions, prepositions....what else.... And, as usual, Sasha aced her spelling test, so got to skip the weekly assignments. <br />
*math...Mariah struggles here some. She's still working on multiplication, but it's finally clicked. she really clicked this week on multiplication with carrying (they call it regrouping now). We've been moving slowly here, because she NEEDS to get this block to add on the block called division, kwim? Sasha is about ready to start multiplication. And Lee jumped from Primer to Alpha (we use Math U See) and I'm testing him to see where to start. So far, he blew away test 1 and 2...<br />
*history, we are using a few things. We are reading Story of the World vol 3 a few times a week. Enjoying that. Then we are also reading Little House in the Big Woods, and using the project pack from HandsofaChild.com for that. Instead of using file folders, I'm using a bare book (from treetoppublishing.com, I think). LOVE those! Worth every penny. I also have the Prairie Primer, so will add in stuff from there. And I have the little House cookbook, so will probably do some of that. <br />
*Bible. Our #1 priority. we are using Step Into the Bible by Ruth Graham first. We read the step of the day, and work on the memory verse. Even Tony recites it, though he hasn't memorized it yet. He's trying. And he answers questions about the reading, which is adorable. Then, we are using a catechism, and memorizing that. Something new for me, but I love it. And again, it's so cute to see the kids, especially the boys, reciting their answers. I really love hearing "God" in Tonys little voice, when he's asked "Who is the first and the best of beings?" They also work on copywork with their memory verses, with another bare book. We use a LOT of bare books.<br />
*family read aloud currently is Peter and the Starcatchers. interesting book. First time reading it for me, too.<br />
i know there's more, but I'm wandering off mentally, so that'll do. Just a little peek into our week. Enjoy your week, and I'll be back soon, I hope!MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26053833124772050.post-57092504538029958572012-01-09T21:23:00.000-08:002012-01-09T21:23:49.666-08:00Pretzel barkso, today I decided to make a batch of pretzel bark, at Megans request. Not that I didn't want it too, lol, just hadn't thought of it. Yum, it's good stuff. Thought I'd take some pics and post the instructions in case anyone wants to try it. It's awfully easy, but you do need a candy thermometer and some basic candy know how.<br />
First, you set up a cookie sheet with a single layer of pretzels. Mine were unsalted (ick!) so I sprinkled some kosher salt around. Could use sea salt, but all I have is Kosher, lol.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmbnfOXRecQYEfaOJ2SrozEE2zBs_r2VyhpYdsi-9SBgP_8WAoF5uBhgsFx4eIpuVp9205627rTTZsQy_3a2YKDK7Zgz3j-3gpBm8shVydLKmnCIQ1DcwXOHrmSLPJdrTjrxN4DkAvA/s1600/pretzel+bark1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmbnfOXRecQYEfaOJ2SrozEE2zBs_r2VyhpYdsi-9SBgP_8WAoF5uBhgsFx4eIpuVp9205627rTTZsQy_3a2YKDK7Zgz3j-3gpBm8shVydLKmnCIQ1DcwXOHrmSLPJdrTjrxN4DkAvA/s320/pretzel+bark1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
then melt 1 cup of butter in a pot. Add one cup brown sugar, packed well. Stir till it gets to light crack (290 thereabouts, better a couple degrees high than low).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rIpeVXlhzTr1qg83gj8RwDXoV1dZW9quq78lOTqLVT97U0tf8OVZBN2CFWbXA9IxJ3YrD5UplA7j8JfVUP5Xhs0nnKvnrGgx9AFwGtFuVaX-xN-KYfkP2jrVmaMVPyGZueU1Oo2FgA/s1600/pretzel+bark+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rIpeVXlhzTr1qg83gj8RwDXoV1dZW9quq78lOTqLVT97U0tf8OVZBN2CFWbXA9IxJ3YrD5UplA7j8JfVUP5Xhs0nnKvnrGgx9AFwGtFuVaX-xN-KYfkP2jrVmaMVPyGZueU1Oo2FgA/s320/pretzel+bark+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
pour it over the pretzels, moving the pot around so as to get it all over, as much as you can. it will start to cool and set up quickly. Fast, sprinkle on 1 cup chocolate chips, trying to get it pretty well spread around on there. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0c-VCHgeK92Jn2-TavJ-QwFCvc59ZZfaVoMyg43PLubdKL3d-pQDpemH4JlX4LfO4KD85_f8w51d0nAJ9lee5oarBhcC-7DAKEfJ3lm8sD1r_VANel1AIVSimd-MQxbHqEfVrKMAWtA/s1600/pretzel+bark+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0c-VCHgeK92Jn2-TavJ-QwFCvc59ZZfaVoMyg43PLubdKL3d-pQDpemH4JlX4LfO4KD85_f8w51d0nAJ9lee5oarBhcC-7DAKEfJ3lm8sD1r_VANel1AIVSimd-MQxbHqEfVrKMAWtA/s320/pretzel+bark+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The heat from the toffee will melt the chocolate. Then spread it around with a rubber spatula, and sprinkle on some salt. Stick it in the fridge to cool and harden and munch away. Better a day or two later, though. Yum!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvBP0neFBS7qZf7wMueCzy8Dmhsic3X6OWY7TTpw1quqeRGvkfB3zQr0FhIGQmrfUMWhZb4_tfWG3p0TZqs170zytAt66OEqWhX31sXSb4EszsSps_ELegUiH-Ye_y2AtgVQEPnnacg/s1600/pretzel+bark+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvBP0neFBS7qZf7wMueCzy8Dmhsic3X6OWY7TTpw1quqeRGvkfB3zQr0FhIGQmrfUMWhZb4_tfWG3p0TZqs170zytAt66OEqWhX31sXSb4EszsSps_ELegUiH-Ye_y2AtgVQEPnnacg/s320/pretzel+bark+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>MamatoManyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305141221312228201noreply@blogger.com0