Cute little ones…

 

This is just outside my kitchen window. I can tap on the glass and all they do is look at me. If I’m noisy or move to fast they run. I have counted about 9 squirrels that we’re feeding this year. This is the first year I haven’t had a cat out there eating them as fast as they come around. A few years ago we had a dog Tuna and a cat Bob that would work together to catch and snack. This year Wilbur chases them but hasn’t caught them and Bobby isn’t interested in them, he wants the birds.

My migraine is finally gone, 8 days of that was more then enough. I had the touch of the flu yesterday (or it may of been my new multi vitamin too but not sure about that). So now I’m feeling human again and ready to have my kiddo’s here and working on some Valentine goodies. Mike is off tomorrow and not positive what’s planned but I’m sure it’ll be a good day. I think we’ll go and see great grandma and all the new baby goats. I think Mark said about 40 of them now. Justin just love the goats. He sits on the hay and they come over and kiss, suck and nudge him and he giggles and loves it all. Hannah wants to pick up all the babies and cuddle them. The goats, well they love the attention. I’ll take some new pictures this week too to share with you.

So that is that for now my friends. Nothing to new, just surviving winter here in the northland. Snow is on it’s way and then cold towards the end of the week. Yippy skippy. UGH!!!

Take care and have a blessed week.

CSN….

I’ve been working with CSN for a gift code and review and today is the last post for this one. But you know what, it is a blast working with CSN. There are so many stores to look at and so much to find and they are always having some blog host a give away or a review or other things.

Mike’s been working in his room. Finally a grown up man’s room. He is wanting to get a 42” flat screen TV with his tax refund and of course will need a TV stand for it. He did find one at one of our local businesses but it’s not exactly what he wanted so I told him about the CSN stores and he found these…Corner TV Stands . There are lots to choose from and he’s really liking them. So just maybe he’ll want one.

If anyone is looking for anything or just wanting to pass some time, check out any of their 200 stores and enjoy.

Take care my friends and have a blessed day.

Recovered…

Well I never got to any crafts this week but I did get Mike’s office chair covered. It was such a disaster from the kids spilling on it so now it’s fresh and clean and a darker color. Not bad for a chair that’s 15 years old.

 

I took out my fabric, thread, sewing machine, scissors and pins. I am going to make something like this…

from here.

The kids and I are going to make these…

from here.

Here is another super easy craft we’ll make too, it’s from here, Martha Stewart crafts.

I love Valentine’s. I love hearts. I made a mobile a couple years ago so we’ll get that hung up and I’m sure we’ll come up with a few more goodies.

Tomorrow I’m taking the kids swimming at the gym. It’s just something we don’t do very often and Mike is off too so we can go and play, I can swim a few laps and we’ll all be ready for a good rest time after lunch.

Take care my friends and have a blessed night sleep and a wonderful weekend.

A blog hop…

It’s been so long since I’ve done a blog hop. I just haven’t had the time to go and visit everyone I wanted to but I so missed meeting and greeting new people too so this Friday I’m joining in with Java and her Never Growing Old blog.

Welcome to the 35th edition of the Follow Friday 40 and Over!!

I hope that you all had a great week and now that it’s Friday the week is just a few hours away and for me that means a work out at the gym and then some skiing with Mike. I’m not sure if we’ll go down to Kathio or just some cross country skiing around here or just maybe he’ll decide to pull me around on his snowmobile. We’ll just see.

Take care my friends. God Bless!!

Just an idea…

And I’m sure some of you have already thoughts of this, but just in case…. you know your old insurance cards, the ones lighter weight then a credit card but still with some bulk to them, they make the greatest pan scrapers. Jim bought me cast iron pans for Christmas and I haven’t remembered or had the funding to buy the special scrapers that you use on them and we just got new insurance cards so I tried them. IT WORKS WONDERFUL!!!!

I haven’t had much to say this week. I’m not feeling tip top, a migraine now for 3 days and a bit hard to function but life goes on, work happens so just plugging along.

I’ll be back later on this week with a new craft and a recovering of a chair. I’ve got to do something, I’m also bored out of my mind. Not work wise or stuff, just nothing extra happening and that’s not me, I love to keep busy but with this headache it’s not happening right now.

I hope you all are having a great week. I’m taking the kids to the library for story time tomorrow and a visit with Kim. She’s been working so hard on crafts and more that I hope I can get inspired to at least start something. Oh I did make this, this weekend. I’m not a pink girl but I think it turned out pretty.

I got a new batch of beads a couple weeks ago from Auntie Beads. Here’s what they look like. I know the lighting is terrible. I have got to make a light box one of these days so that I can really show you what my jewelry looks like.

Okay, it’s supper time. The kids and I made meatloaf, scalloped potatoes and berry crisp for supper and soon Mike and Jim will be here. Take care my friends and I’ll try and have something to share later on. God Bless you all!!!

So how’s your morning?

It’s a bit chilly here and our power is out. So what’s a good northern Minnesota girl to do? Take pictures to share and start up the generator. Really Jim started it up before he left for works so it’s up to me now to keep it running until the power comes back on. The main reason we have a generator is because we use wood heat that pushes hot water through pipes to heat the house, garage, shop and hot water and if that water is not circulating it over heats and busts the pipes and it’s a mess. Our power is out, so is up the road two miles, across the lakes 2 miles and down the road 2 miles so I’m betting the electric company is out working their tails off to get it up and going again. At this temp there is only few hours of time before a house starts to freeze up so if it’s not back soon I’m heading to my parents to drain the pipes and they can come here, the same with our best friends down the road. My grandma lives with my uncle who is just as well set up as we are so I’m not worried about them. And if worse comes to worse my sister and family can come here too until things are working. BUT….our electricity will be back soon, I don’t think it’s ever been out  more then a few hours. Just long enough for us to know about melted pipes from no power.

How’s your day going?

God bless you all. Take care my friends. TGIF!!!

YUMMYYY!!!

I found, but I can’t remember where so if it’s yours please tell me and I’ll put your name on it, a recipe for muffins. They are called Anything Goes. And it’s right, anything goes. They are amazing and maybe it’s the recipe or the combination I used or what but they are yummy. I made from this recipe 12 regular size muffins, 16 mini muffins and a mini loaf of bread. I figured for a normal size muffin, 3 mini muffins or a slice of bread it should be about 75 calories (with my recipe) Not bad for a snack or something sweet and good for you. Anyways, here’s the recipe and a picture.

 

ANYTHING GOES MUFFINS

Wet Stuff first:

1 cup of wet white stuff (cottage cheese, tofu, yogurt, mashed potatoes, milk, ect)…….I used raspberry low fat yogurt

1/4 cup butter or oil or squashed avocado – I used homemade butter

1 cup sugar or similar – I used sugar substitute

2 beaten eggs or egg substitutes – I used mine from our chickens

1 tsp vanilla or lemon juice – I used lemon juice

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups wet stuff (pineapple, applesauce, grated carrots, zucchini, bananas, ect) …I used 2 really dead banana’s and my homemade apple/cranberry/raspberry sauce

mix this up…..

Then dry stuff:

2 tsp of spice – mix them up! – I used cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups flour (cut with oats/brand/anything dried up) … I/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white and 1/2 oat bran

1 cup dry stuff that you have on hand (nuts, chocolate, cranberries, ect) ….I used a cranberry/raisin mix

mix this up together with wet stuff….

Bake for 20 minutes at 375*.

I love these kind of recipes that let you add what you have on hand. Thank you for whomever I got this from I am sorry I didn’t copy your blog down cuz I’m betting there were other recipes I could use too.

Now I also made up a hot dish today. I’m good for just throwing whatever I have left over into it. This one has left over chicken, left over spaghetti sauce, home made spaghetti sauce, onions, green/red peppers, green chilies, wheat and sprout grain tortillas, shredded cheese and when it’s served some sour cream. Daycare had it for lunch today and then tomorrow a casserole dish of it is going to my husbands work for lunch along with the mini loaf.

 

The kids helped me do the mixing, adding and clean up and of course eating up.

I hope you all are doing wonderful. Take care and have a blessed day.

Daycare….

That’s what this post is going to be. All daycare. Heck these wee ones are my life, my business, my love. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life right now. I know this is where the Lord wants me. Right now business is slow and it’s hard to make a living but it’s happening, it’s possible and as long as the bills get paid to some account well I’m not changing my life.

Yesterday was no school so I had 6 for the day. We had a blast because Mike was home also. He doesn’t work Mondays and sometimes it’s just the two of us and sometimes more. He loves these kids as much as I do so it doesn’t bother him to be part of the daycare too.

We went and feed some baby goat. Mark has three very tiny ones in his basement. One of the baby’s mom died and the other two are twins and their mama didn’t want them so he’s bottle feeding them every 3-4 hours. Of course my camera was a home because we took the snowmobile over there but I had my phone so I took a couple of pictures to share with you.

Here’s how we got over to great grandma and Mark’s.

Because Mike was home the kids got to do tons and tons of this too. Well we do it when he’s gone too but they have such a good time with Mike he gets the credit today.

 

After a morning of being outside, rest time is so easy. Fill the tummies with a warm lunch, put in a good movie and they don’t move a muscle.

The other two were sound a sleep in bed. And Wilbur was so cold and tired he just got tucked into the chair with a blankey and stayed there until it was time to go back out and start all over.

See my friends, how can I not love my job? There is no way I would change this life for anything, at least I will fight it tooth an nail if it ever comes down to that.

I hope you love your job, whatever it is, as much as I love mine. It really stinks going to a job you hate (all the time because there are days we all are not in love with our jobs). In all my life of working, I’ve had 3 major jobs that were the most fitting for me, nursing home work, truck driving and this. Rewarding and learning experiences.

Take care my friends and one of these days I am going to find time to do some sewing, just not right now. I have so many ideas and plans. God Bless you all!!!

Skiing, 2010 and 2011…

January 14th, 2010…Mike and I went Skiing.

January 15th, 2011. Skiing with Mike.

We had a blast and last year I fell once, this year twice. We did try the moderate loop, after finishing up our normal loop, so that means lots more hills up and down. I do fine up and on straight and level but coming down, well not that great. The weather was perfect and yes I did say moonlight skiing in my last post but I had the wrong month that’s next month but look here, it is sorta like moonlight skiing.

I so love skiing with Mike. I love that he has so much to say when it’s just us. The life questions, the what if’s, the what now’s. And then lots of quiet too.

Here’s a couple just great pictures of the trails.

 

 

I have to tell you about my rescuer though. The first time I fell I could of probably gotten up on my own when I got back on the trail but here comes Mike and bends down and picks me up, like a sack of feed. I smiled and just went on. The next time I fell it was into a hole where a tree was blown over. I was going down the hill praying I wouldn’t fall on my left shoulder and up ahead was the hole, right on a corner and we met. I was on my right side, thank God, a limb stuck in my snowsuit with me, and upside down and backwards in the hole. My skis were going the opposite way I was but I got turned over, sorta, before here comes Mike. He takes his ski’s off, climbs down in my hole and proceeds to pick me up again. It’s so cool to have your son be able to pick you up.

Like I said almost one year ago, if you have kids, go and do something with them. You will never regret it, ever!!!

Take care my friends. Have a terrific family Sunday. One day a week we make sure it’s always a family day. Jim and I go out to breakfast while Mike sleeps in. Then we get home and do something that all three of us want to do. Sometimes it’s just to watch a movie. Sometimes it’s working together, other times it a building project. Tomorrow is going to be snowmobiling. Mike wants to pull me behind his sled on my skis. Jim wants to watch and laugh. We’ll see how that goes. I love my guys.

God bless you all

Saturday, Yeah!!!

Really it was a great week this week. Monday I had Mike to myself and we went shopping for a TV stand he wanted. His first purchase and he was so thrilled. Tuesday I took mama and daddy out for their birthdays. I worked Wednesday and Thursday with my wee ones and we had a blast. Wednesday we went to Marks to see all the new baby goats. He has 30 of them now and if you sit down in the barn they all will come up to you and kiss you, lick you and suck on your earlobes. I didn’t bring my camera this time but will next week when we go. We also stopped and visited with great grandma. She is doing pretty good now without grandpa but looks so small and old compared to what life was like before hand. She is always so glad to see us and us her. Thursday I got to take Justin to preschool. I’ve never done that with any of my little ones, usually they do a preschool program here with me. Anyways, it was fun cuz Justin showed “his” Julie to everyone. I was showed to the teachers, his friends and anyone that would listen to him and his little voice, “this is my Julie”. It felt wonderful. While he was at school Hannah and I went and cleaned the I.O.O.F Hall (It’s my month cleaning job) and then we had about 30 minutes left so went to Angel Dance. It’s a thrift shop I love to go too but never get there enough. Hannah loved that I just let her play. We also tried on a half a dozen shirts for her and the one in this picture she put on and refused to take off. Didn’t want to look at any more, this was it. She also got a new friend. He went everywhere with us the rest of the day. Here’s a couple pictures for you.

 

Friday I was off again (can you tell this was my short week of working?) and my best bud and I went and worked out. I’ve been going alone because she hasn’t been feeling tip top but it’s oh so much more fun working out together. I’ve been working hard on my Life Style Journey and this week am happy to say I lost 6 lbs. It’s usually 1 sometimes 2 but this week it was nice to watch the scale move. There’s a new challenge coming up at the healthy club I joined for the winter and I think I’m going to partake in both. One is a weight loss challenge and one is a Mini-Triathlon. What better way to make February fly by then being part of something.

Of course I’ve been watching and feeding the birds and squirrels. They make me laugh. I took some more pictures to share with you. I have a Downy Woodpecker that visits each day (well really about 10 different ones) but this one is huge. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that is as big as this one. Anyways, here’s some bird pictures for you.

         

  

These two are different. See how big the one on the right is compared to the one on the left. The big one also has two red tuffs on his head, see top right. It’s so much fun watching these guys.

Anyway, today is Saturday. No kids this morning, no family just me and my house, computer and of course chores which I’m not doing cuz I’m sitting here writing you.

Mike and I are going Skiing this afternoon. At Kathio State Park. I thought this was the night for moonlight skiing but it’s not so we’ll  go and play in the afternoon. Next weekend is Moonlight skiing here at Tank Trails. It’s just outside of Aitkin which is so nice. You know what’s nicer and one of my daycare parents has loaned me her skis and boots. I can go here any time. It’s right out my back door. Really it is, my dad’s property and ours attach right to it. So after I get my ski pass this afternoon I’ll be going there skiing. Not to sure I like the alone part but I’ll learn since one of these days it’s how it’s going to be anyways cuz you know Jim isn’t going to go skiing and Mike will be busy with his own life.

Sooooo, that my friends is the Life of Riley. Pretty calm and enjoyable really. You will hear no complaints from me. I wish you all the most amazing, relaxing, rejuvenating weekend possible. Take care and God Bless!!

Birthday…

Today I took mama and daddy out for their birthdays. Mama’s is Thursday the 13th and daddy’s is the 29th. We had the best breakfast, a country skillet breakfast with eggs, hash browns with sausage, green peppers and onions. Homemade sweet rye bread and orange juice. Then next door is a shop called the Country House. It is the most amazing house turned into a gift shop. I took pictures to share with you cuz if you are ever in the area you have got to go and eat at the School House Cafe and shop at the Country House. If I had a million dollars, heck even a hundred I would of found tons of great things. I did get some pretty napkins.

Now enjoy the pictures. I’m sorry they aren’t top quality since I took them with my cell phone but you’ll get the idea.

 

This is mama, with one of the hats they had. Isn’t she cute?

 

 

I want this sunflower canvas. I’m going to have to look into some of the pictures I have and get them printed on canvas and framing them.

Mama’s favorite color is purple and she loved this purple room. We saw some glass ornaments she really liked. Ideas for me for later on.

  

I loved these two necklaces. I make jewelry so I noticed these and really feel in love with them.

We had a great day. We don’t get out to do this very often and I am sure glad we did today. Happy Birthday mama and daddy. I love you both so much!!!

Take care my friends and enjoy your visit to McGregor Minnesota. God Bless!!