Hello Again!!

Did you miss me when I was gone?

I missed you.

We had/have some pretty big happenings going on right now, and to be honest, at one time it was all I could do just to get out of bed
or breath
or even function
so my blog took a really sad back burner to everything.

Here I am trying to really quick catch you up on what happened in our lives since September.

We started school really successfully.  We love having neighbours who also homeschool because it sure makes our co-op classes fun!  This has been a great year for school.  Busy, but great.

While navigating school, we also needed to harvest our garden.  We got some super yummy stuff, and even managed to save seeds off things like tomatoes (above), peppers, tomatillos, and squash.

We also had a super yummy fondue with our friends.  Fried food.  Really, what could be better?!

Speaking of food....

DH is the YM president here in our branch, so for an activity he had the YM come out to harvest some chickens, ducks, a goat, and a goose.  All but 2 went in my freezer to feed my family this winter.  Those 2 fed the YM some super yummy tacos.

Then we had another harvest of chicken.  We have had 4 this year.  It feels good to know what my family is eating and to know that the animals are dealt with in a humane manner, and are loved and respected.

Plus home grown meat just tastes better!

We also had the super awesome experience in October to be part of our neighbours baptism.  What a special experience to go through the discussions and baptism with them!  It is amazing to be with them as they learn and grow.

We also acquired a puppy.  She has grown since this photo, but she used to be so little.  She is still just as bad though.  Eating my dresses is sport to her...they blow around so therefore are game!

And because we weren't busy enough, on October 30th we got a phone call for a new baby!!

He is a foster to adopt baby.  We got to bring him home when he was only 4 days old! We are currently fostering him until he either goes back to his mom, or he is adopted by us.  Obviously we love him to pieces and he is such a member of our family already.  We should know more by about May of this year if we get to adopt him or not.

Then the snow blew in.

Drifts as tall as our fence happened (which our dog loved because she could bark at everything from Waaaay up high, and our goats loved because they like to climb!) and we got snowed in for two days before we were finally able to be plowed out!

Although I can't complain because I got DH for the whole time!!  It's not often that you get to take a snow day at work!

I also read some amazing books for our book club.  

Having the temple so close gives me ample opportunity to attend at least once a month.  Reading these books has given me a new perspective and opened my mind to so many beautiful truths that previously I didn't think about.  It is amazing.  I love going, even when it is to do baptisms with my boys.  They constantly amaze me, and their dedication to going on a regular basis is inspiring.

I started taking a wonderful herbal course called "The Taste of Herbs" from Learning Herbs.  I am loving it!  I have also spent quite a bit of time playing with herbals and making new things, like the muscle rub above.

The muscle rub has come in handy after a massive accident that scared and really rocked our little family.  On December 11th, I was driving my 3 oldest to the city 1/2 hour away to attend a ballet.  We lost control on the ice and collided head-on with another truck.

That is my poor little Explorer.  I am so very thankful that I was driving a tank though, because even though we were on the highway, and we were in a head-on collision, we all are OK.

My oldest was flown to the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, AB.  He had fractures in his orbital bone, a brain bleed, a large laceration above his eye, and was being watched for possible brain damage.

I have spent many hours crying, praying, and thanking our Heavenly Father for our blessings.

My oldest was released after 4 days and is so much better.

The most amazing part?  I could literally see the hand of the Lord as he healed right in front of my eyes.  He is still struggling with his brain injury, but it is not serious.  He ended up having concussion like symptoms and is fully aware of how blessed he is to be alive and well.

We all have emotional trauma, but we are all fine.

We came home and had an amazing Christmas together.  It was wonderfully healing to just be together as a family and love and play together.
 

Also for Christmas, my BIL came down from Edmonton.  Everyone who comes from Edmonton, or is going past Red Deer knows that they should buy me donuts from the Donut Mill!  BFF status is secured this way!!

Not only did he remember, he brought me 2 dozen!!

I also got a necklace that gives me permission to be bossy at all times.

What?  You can't see where it says that??

The little portion that says, "be wise" is a joke.  One day a friend of mine told me that she would listen to what I had just said because I was "wise".  Her code for "bossy"!!  Since then it has become a joke to the women I know around here.  A friend found this in Saskatchewan and brought it home for me for Christmas.
Aren't my friend's amazing?!

Life here is good.  We have had a few bumps along the way.

We are still struggling through a pretty major bump.  But we believe that Heavenly Father has a plan for us.  He has something in store that he wants to teach us.  We are trying really hard to learn whatever that is.

I am going to try really hard this year to make this blog something of a journal of the bumps and learning opportunities along the way.  Posting recipes, book reviews, happenings, and blessings we receive this year.  Please bear with me as I fumble along this year, and please feel free to come along with me!

Cheers

Family

 I just found out that a dear friend and substitute Grandma died this morning.  She was an amazing woman who taught me and loved me well.  She needed to pass on to our Heavenly Father's embrace so this is not a sad occasion, rather a joyous one as she returns to loved ones and our loving Heavenly Father.

This however made me think of what our definition of family is.

Does it look like this?

Minus the perms I am sure, but we all have these little gems in our albums and memories.  (I am the tall one in the back!)

Or maybe it looks like this...

Little more recent, little more just our own little family, no extended ones in the photo with us, but still in the extended picture.

But as I was thinking about that, I realized it would leave something very important and life changing out of the picture if that is all I counted as family.

It would discount the life changing friends I made in college (some of whom I keep close to my heart in memory and some I keep close through maintained life changing contact)

 It would discount the women who changed my life forever and still do almost on a daily basis.

It would also discount the people whom I have met and love dearly, but are not related by blood.  (even if we are so distantly related that we tell our kids we are cousins!!)

It would also discount those whom I have never met, but feel such a close kinship to that I truly feel like we are sisters.

 

Since that process of mind boggling thought (for me anyway! :D), I have come to the conclusion that we are blessed with many types of family!

I have women here that have loved and accepted me right into their families and I can't think of a time I didn't know them.  I truly think of them as sisters and am baffled and amazed that others don't know them like I do or want to be with them all the time like I do.

I have people that I have maintained through time that are brothers and sisters to me just as much as my own blood brothers and sisters.  Some who my family have accepted and adopted into their lives, and some they haven't.  

I have people that I love dearly that have departed, that have no blood relation to me, that I rejoice in the knowledge that I will see again and get to greet in the great family reunion above.

As I have reflected on this, I realize that we are truly blessed in this life to make some connections with people that we meet.  To call them truly, and honestly, Brother and Sister.  

I am blessed to have such a family and I thank my Heavenly Father for them each and every day.

Cheers

City Girl Gets Excited

So I had a strange conversation with myself the other day...

Suffice it to say, I have discovered that I am still a city girl, playing at the farm girl role.  I really like playing though, so you get to hear about my adventures this week!

My Muscovy duck hatched out some babies last night!

She was really unimpressed that this city girl kept looking in on her though and attacked me a couple times.

Her babies are adorable (as most ducklings are!) but her beak is super sharp!  This was the best photo I could get so far as she kept biting me and my phone as I tried to at least snap something I could text to my peeps.

I learned that DH is so much more patient than I am.

He kept at the bottle feeding thing with our poor baby goat long after I gave up.

Turns out that the shots the vet had me giving her (yes, I actually was not only giving my goats shots...I was doing it myself!!  Yay city girl!) were actually making her worse.  So, we stopped them and she blossomed!

She is a beautiful little goat now.  Getting along as if she never were struggling at all.

Her and her brother are playing, jumping, running like little maniacs.  It is a wonderful sight to see!  I love it.

We went to a friend's house the other day to dig some trees (she often asks us to come dig suckers and whatnot.  It is awesome!) and she had bought a new peach tree.

I am waiting to see if she can make it grow because if it does...Jaime's gonna get one!  It looks awesome.  If you are in a cold climate (zone 4 or so) check it out here, you might want to invest in one too.

Also, when I went out to collect eggs from our very old chickens (they are almost 4 years old) I found this:

Yup, you see that right.  It is a super tiny egg.  About the size of a large marble actually.

Old hens don't lay stuff like that!

I went out to chat with them and they didn't lay anymore though.

We cracked it open.  I was sure it would be all white, or maybe empty, but it was complete with a tiny yolk and white.  It was pretty fun to see.  Much like this video only in reverse...quite a bit! (and another...appears his hen didn't listen when he told her to stop! :D)

Hope your week is awesome and full of adventure!
Cheers

Well Lookie Here...

...see what happened in my barn on Tuesday...

My sweet little Ali had two little babies!!

This is Pete, he was the first out and almost double the size of his sister!  He is a stinker and quite playful.  We will keep him for a year or so, and breed him to our others and our neighbours goats.  Then sell him before he becomes stinky as a "proven" buck.

This is Reet.  (short for a couple things, but most of all Rita)  She was born missing part of her cerebellum   The vet said that she was retarded (his words) and would never recover but be able to do the things that goats need to do.  He gave us shots for vitamins and penicillin (she may be aspirating slightly into her lungs) to give her.  So far most of her symptoms have vanished!  I hope it was something like oxygen deprivation coming out or something not the missing cerebellum. She is a beautiful little doe and I would love to keep her to breed if her problems do not pass on to kids.

 Ali did really good and is such a good mom (after having her kids taken away for a night) and is doing so good.  She was a pro.  Which is good because I couldn't help her and all my help was somewhere else!

I will be getting better pics later, but for now, this is the best that my Ali would let me get.  :)  I am sure you will all get tired of me posting about my goats, but they are so much fun for me!

Cheers

Some Reasons Why I Love Them

We have had a string of bad luck with our vehicles lately.  Our tranny blew on one, my alternator went on another, and DH work car has a fuel problem.

Lucky me, I married a super smart man who can fix things!

He can also drive a tractor.

Is it so wrong that I actually find this sexy?!

"Hey Mom, I put clothespins on my mouth!"

Why yes you did.  Yes you did.

I love to walk in a room and see this sight.  What a joy to see my children learn and read.

Apparently when you don't have sunglasses, you make your own out of grass so you can lay out in the sun on a beautiful day!  We call this one "Captain Dork Knob" when this happens, as he has an incredible sense of humor!

Having a family that I love is such a blessing.

Cheers

I'm Not 16 Anymore...

2006

As I sat in Sacrament meeting this morning, I looked down my row.  I saw each one of my boys and realized they were each reaching a pretty major (church) milestone this year.

My baby turns 8 and gets baptized.

My middle son turns 12 and receives the priesthood.

My oldest turns 14 and is ordained to the office of a teacher.

All pretty big things in a boys life, and their parents life.  How can this be when I feel like I am still 16 in some ways?!

Then as I reflected back to the time when I actually was that age, I realized that although my basic testimony still is the same:

I know I am a daughter of God.
He loves me.
He wants me to be happy.
I know that if I pray, I will be granted audience with Him.  But only if I pray.
I need to make that choice and effort.
I know that the Holy Ghost will help me and identify to me the most correct choice in my life.
I also know that my family can be together forever, if we but live worthy of that blessing.
I know that I will see those who have gone on before, and that when I return to heaven, it will be a glorious reunion.
I know that I am blessed with knowledge.  Each thing I learn can be taken back with me.

Things that are basic in so many ways, but I know that I have also gained so much more in my understanding of these basic principles.

I have tested those principles and used them often.  I have also expanded my knowledge in so many ways.

I am so very thankful I am not 16 anymore!  :)  As I look at my life, and although my children make me feel old, I am so grateful for the opportunities and knowledge I have acquired as I have grown.  What a great and glorious blessing!

What a blessing it is to be alive!

The Story of Dug

Once upon a time there was a dog.

She was named KD.

Her female owner decided that she needed some things, and the male owner was in town already so she thought that she would text him.

The text went like this: "would you be so kind as to pick up a dug brush and some dog treats?"

The female owner re-read it after it sent and figured the male owner would know what it meant and maybe get a giggle over it, so didn't send a change.

The male owner came home with both and nothing was said for a week or so.

Then the female owner decided KD needed a slightly more sheltering place to lay at night.  The male owner agreed.

While they were carrying straw bales up some stairs, KD got super excited and started winding around the owners legs.  The owners didn't like this much as it tends to trip the big two legged people.

The male owner yelled, "Get down Dug!"

The female owner was a little astonished (and slightly amused) that he still remembered that.  Each time the female owner went out, she called KD Dug.  (because the female owner is awesome like that!)

KD was kind of confused, but she didn't answer to KD very well and the female owner kept calling her Dug.  Soon she began thinking her name was Dug.

After a few days of this (almost a week) the little owners pointed out that there is a dog named Doug...

Fitting really.

Mormon Musings - General Conference is a Gift

A gift I got in the mail the other day

We just finished a most wonderful weekend of inspirational talks, uplifting messages, and the blessing of listening to the Prophet.

How blessed are we?!

I was reflecting on the fact that it also falls on the same weekend as our Thanksgiving here in Canada.  What a true blessing to think about the things I am thankful for, as I listen to the messages that were presented to us.

I wanted to share a couple things that really stood out to me this conference session. (from my notes)

• A testimony is a gift from God to his children - Elder David A. Bednar
• Are we as well versed in our beliefs as we are in our other pursuits? - Ann M Dibb
• It takes more than faithful church attendance to raise faithful children. - Quentin L Cook
• How much time is spent on the internet and other trivial things? - Deiter F Uchtdorf
• Take an inventory of your life and look specifically at the blessings you have received. - President Thomas S. Monson
• First observe, then serve. - Linda K Burton
• God is close to us, and is aware of us, and will never hide from us. - Henry B Eyring
• "What I need are disciples and I need them forever.  I need someone who loves me." (loosely paraphrased as to what Jesus might say) - Jeffrey R Holland
• The more we act on inspiration, the more the Lord will entrust to us. - President Thomas S Monson
• We are called upon to leave our "nets" and follow Him. - Robert D Hales
• Faith and Reason are both essential.  If one seems to be contradictory, do not discard one; much like you would not discard an airplane wing during flight.  - Marcus B Nash
• Making a covenant to follow Christ is a life long process and commitment. - Daniel L Johnson

And just as a final thought...

As I was looking back through my notes specific to previous conferences, I noticed something interesting in the Prophets closing remarks.  Each time he closes the conference, he mentions that our Heavenly Father is aware of us and is mindful of our struggles.  Sometimes it is worded slightly different, but the message is always the same.

Interesting, no?!

I find it so comforting to know that our Heavenly Father is aware of me.  He knows me.  He knows of MY struggles and wants me to feel of His comfort and love.

I have felt that love, and know that this is true.

How blessed we are to have this general conference.  How blessed we are to hear a Prophet's voice and to be able to hear the things that our Heavenly Father wants us to hear.  What an incredible blessing!

If you missed it, or you want to download the talks, or just review (I am loading the mp3's on my iPod) this is where to find them.

I would love to hear about the things you found the most profound.  What touched you the most this time?  What truths stuck out to you the very most? 

Cheers

Back to School

One of my very favorite things to do with my boys each year is our Back-To-School photo shoot.

 

I think they love it too.

 

This year I have been a little stressed with the preparation to moving.  (the bank, the lawyer, finding a place...etc!)  I totally forgot to do our beginning of the year shoot.

 

Bad mom!

 

So, being the great kids they are, they reminded me.  More than once!

 

My KC is 13.  He has passed his Grandma in height, one of his Aunties, and is closing on another of his Aunties!  I am a little worried that he will pass his 6' tall Momma soon.  I give him two years, but still...crazy talk!  He is a whiz in the kitchen and loves to play his piano.  If I can't find him, I can pretty much guarantee his nose is stuck in a book somewhere. 

My GQ is developing his own style.  He thinks that he is a little "GQ" when he gets dressed and loves to look his very preppy best all the time.  His hero is his Uncle Keegs and is super excited to move just because we will be closer to him!  He is my loving little man and would happily cuddle all day long!  Just don't tell anyone though because at 11 that is pretty uncool.

MH is a very old 7.  He thinks he is just as old as his brothers and thinks it is very unfair that he can't just do everything they do.  He is still my baby though and I am milking it for all it is worth!  We explore the natural world by running, playing and getting dirty.  That is the best part of being a boy!

What are your favorite traditions?  What things do you do each year that you or your kids enjoy the most?

Cheers

Mormon Musings

For over 150 years we have been counseled to be prepared. 

 

It's not a new concept.  We have been told many times, by many prophets, and many different ways.

 

My question to you today is how do you prepare?  And what do you prepare for?

 

DH and I watched "Doomsday Preppers" so we know there are many things people are preparing for...but our preparedness can take so many different forms.

 

Do you have a pantry type place you store extra food?  Just a bit, but you have it on hand for "just in case".

How about a bunch of buckets under your stairs.  Filled with wheat and beans and other things you don't know how to use.  (or do you?  Is that part of your preparedness?  Learning how to use your food storage and make it yummy?)

How about a shelf or two or twenty full of food?

Do you think it means you acquire the skills you need to can?  Do you have the glass jars and snaps and lids, with equipment and know how to use it?

Or is it acquiring the skills to make things like soap by hand?  Or cheese or other simple things you could make?

Does it mean you have books on a wide variety of subjects, or even just a few?

Do you think you need land to be as self-sufficient as you can be?  Raising your own animals and gardens and being "off-grid"?

Is it having a bunch of guns, bows, knives and the know-how to use them?  Do you store the ammo, arrows and tools to care for each of them as well?

What does preparedness look like to you?  Do you think it is just storing the food we are counseled to store?  Or does it encompass more?  Does it become a life style and make you a different person?

I would love to hear from you about how or why you do the things you do to prepare.  How does your family make it work for you?  What types of things do you do?

Cheers