Green…and a blog award…

You know, my most favorite color is green. I love everything outdoors. Even though I live in a state where green isn’t year around this is. Our yard is full of pine trees. Jim and I have planted at least 500 pine trees of all kind (mostly Jim because after the first 300 I sorta started watching). When the snow is butt high to a giraffe I can still see green. When we moved it it was an open field, I use to hay it with daddy every summer, hundreds of square bales of hay. Now it looks like this..

Still plenty of room for playing but plenty of green for me. These trees started out 20 years ago as things no bigger then a wee one and now look at them. Jim has a green thumb when it comes to his trees.

I received an award the other day from ANGIE. It’s the Sunshine Award. Thank you so much Angie, I am so excited.

There are rules of course to excepting this award and though I’m not really a great rule follower I’ll do my best.

The Rules…

1. Post the logo on blog.
2. Pass the award on to 12 fellow bloggers.
3. Link the nominees
4. Let nominees know they have won this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person you received this award from.

So first, thank you so much Angie for this award.

To pass this one to 12 fellow bloggers, well that’s a huge number so I’m going to do 5, it’s an easier number then 12 plus as many times as I see a blog award I don’t ever get to the bottom of their list of bloggers to share it with, I usually get the first 5 or so.

So here it goes…

1. Manzanita

2. Michele

3. Vi

4. Jeff

5. Mandy

Each of these bloggers are so different then the next. I love getting to meet and greet and learning about so many different people. When you have a moment check out these awesome people.

So it’s onward and upwards to a new week. As much as I loved last week I am hoping for a less busy one this week.

Take care my friends. Have a great week. God Bless you all.

Follow Friday 40 and over…

 

Is hosted by JAVA at Never Growing Old. It is also co-hosted this week by Tree from

Mother of Pearl It Is  and her other blog mommies Faves.

I so love this blog hop, it’s so up my alley. I have met so many wonderful bloggers.

 

This week for me has just been beyond busy.

Between scout camp and baking… I got to go Wednesday and brought the boys up 7 dozen peanut butter cookies, 8 dozen chocolate cookies, a ton of rice krispie bars and other goodies. I helped with dinner, dishes, home work and games.

 

Daycare, about 60 hours this week and pets…

Our outing tonight to the The Moving Wall. I will be doing a full post on this next week. If you don’t know what the Moving Wall is click on the link and check it out. It is really “Moving!!”

 

 

 

Exercising, walking, playing tennis… A total of 27 miles in 7 days… 3 hours of tennis and minimal exercising with weights.

 

Nature walks with Mike and daddy…  and swimming and putting out a new swimming raft with these two wonderful men.

 

I haven’t had to time blog, post, comment or anything. Next week is suppose to be calmer but first this week has to finish up with time with daddy tomorrow and some new chickens, game night with mama, Scott and Mike, daycare on Saturday and then paint balling with my scouts and then shopping and mowing on Sunday.

I hope you all have a wonderful Follow Friday and the most blessed, relaxing, rejuvenation weekend possible. God Bless you all!!!

My ducks…they make me laugh…

Have you seen little people play in the mud? How they jump in it, pat it, scoop it up? Well now you have to check out my ducks, they make me stop and watch them just about every day and they make me laugh when they do this… See!!

So did you chuckle? I just showed it to one of my daycare parents and he loved it. He also learned something, he didn’t know ducks did that. Me either until mine started doing it.

Take care and have a great weekend. God Bless you all!!!

Future water feature…

Mike has been collecting rocks for me this summer to build me a water fountain/feature. Now when I say rocks I don’t mean those itty bitty things, I don’t mean the ones that fit in a bucket, I means these…..

 

I’m excited to see what he comes up with. He says at least one more trip and he’ll have what he needs to work on my feature. I’ll keep you posted on how it all goes as he’s working on it.

Now today is all those wonderful Friday blog hops. I don’t think I even know how many there are out there. There’s no way I can enter them all and do everyone justice by visiting tons of blogs so I just join Diana at The Girl Creative New Friend Friday and Java at Never Growing Old Over 40 Bloggers. It is such a blast meeting and greeting new people so if your in a place where you have a few minutes go and check out Diana and Java and add your blog and prepare to meet some super terrific people. What’s so cool about these blog hops, your can join today and take all week to visit all the  blogs you can find to enjoy.

I know that I’m not posting anywhere near as much as I usually do but this week has been Daily Vacation Bible School for the daycare kids, plus Brenda and I are exercising at least 4 times a week after work each night, Scouts on Mondays and we are also building a water raft for swimming at my parents house/lake. Plus it’s Sally’s birthday tomorrow and I’ve been working on something special for her in-between all that’s going on. So forgive me for not being here as much and also for not getting to all your blogs. I promise I’ll get back but I’m thinking it’ll be a bit longer before I can get to you all. Next week is scout camp and though I’m not going up for the week I am going up Wednesday evening and bringing my boys treats and fresh bread. Then on Thursday our little town is hosting the Moving Wall and there is music in the park that night and I told daddy I’d take him. Friday is our family game night and then I’m hoping we can go camping but if not I have daycare on Saturday.

So my friends, do take care and have a relaxing, fantastic, wonderful weekend. God Bless you all!!!

What do you do with your bags?

Now to teach your something or at least give you a great idea…

What do you do with all your Wal-mart bags, grocery bags? I use them for many things but they take up space. I use to have a bag holder but I seem to like to over stuff it so I came up with this idea. They are the wipe containers and I just cut off the part that helps you tear off just one wipe and stuffed the bags in these.

How many bags can you stuff in each container?

At least 35. Now you’ll always have one when you need one and also a much neater idea. You can decorate them if you want too. I know Kim would.

So there’s my idea….like it?

Take care my friends, have a great day. God Bless!!!

Sharing….

You know me and the camera and also Mike and his wonderful pictures. Well this post is a look see one. I’ll explain a bit on the pictures I think need it otherwise just enjoy.

I took the kids swimming and of course Wilbur came with and he’s their protector and life guard.

Who’s toe nails would these’s be? Nope they aren’t Hannah’s…. They are……..

We had a storm past us by Friday evening and just as the sun was setting it came out for a peak and boy the colors and sites were beautiful.

And my favorite….Mike’s shadow on the trees…

So my friends, that’s all for now. Take care and have a great up-coming week. God Bless you all!!!

Hobby Farm life….

You all know that we have a small hobby farm. We have had 60  big chickens, 30 baby chickens, 4 ducks, 2 guinea hens plus my garden. Well this year the foxes, raccoons and skunks have been terrorists so that means this calm mild mannered mama (yeah and if you believe that there’s that bridge I could try and sell you) has to get mean. It’s not a thrill to say the least but something that has to be done. This past week I have taken care of one gray fox, 3 raccoons and a skunk. There is another fox that has to leave (at least one more) and if those damn coons would just stay in the woods they could live too. Skunks, well you seem ‘em, their fair game. I am down to 25 big chickens, 6 babies, 3 ducks and my guineas. When you sell the eggs, eat the chickens you just can’t have that happening. So each night for the past week I’ve been sitting up in the play house with the screen off the window watching, waiting and getting eaten by mosquitoes. Last night daddy and I got the raccoons and I can tell you, you just gotta hold that 12 gauge close to your shoulder or the bruise you get and the pain…well it hurts.

Here’s a picture of my look out. It’s not a bad place to perch as long as you remember the bug spray.

 

The chicken coop is just off to the right of the picture and the foxes come up between the wood shed and the tiller. I’m getting a bit tired of that sitting alone for over an hour with nothing to do but stare out the window. It is a great time to pray though and have a chatter with the Lord. I don’t ask for him to send me the animals or anything, I figure if they show up to have a snack them their fair game. There’s so much other wild life out there they don’t have to come and snatch up my animals. I have a daycare grandma that’s going to give me about 20 new babies this coming week so that will help my numbers, that is if I can get that last fox.

I watered my garden today, it was getting quite crispy and though it rained about 1/4 of an inch this late morning I think now the weeds and plants will grow well again. It is just amazing how fast those weeds grow. Soon it’ll be time to pick some little beets and beans and my cherry tomatoes are just starting to turn yellow. I’m excited and so ready for fresh veggies.

Well soon my weekend will start, daycare until 3:30 and then …… well I’m not sure. Probably a 2-3 mile walk and a visit with my mama and daddy. They are going to Malmo tonight for a good outside Christian music get together, I just might tag along…that is if someone doesn’t have other plans for me. Then to the play house for a meet and greet with the fox and raccoons.

Take care my friends and have the most blessed weekend possible.

Blog hops….

If you are like me it’s such a thrill to meet and greet new people. To enjoy what others have to share, to learn new things. To compare yourself to others and just see where you are in life. I LOVE IT!!!

Today I am part of the

and

There are tons of blog hops for just about any day of the week but Fridays there are tons of them. There’s no way I can keep up with them all so these are my two favorite I’m sharing with you.

I hope that you all have a wonderful, terrific, peaceful, renewing, rejuvenating, relaxing, blessed Friday and weekend. Take care and God Bless you all!!

Gardens….

I’ve been wanting to share my garden with you for a little bit but either it was to weedy, to wet, to little, to something but yesterday we worked in it and I got a few good pictures to share. I would also so much love to see your gardens so I’m hoping that you’ll leave me a comment to come and see your posts about your garden. I was going to do a Linky Tool but not sure if you’d like that or not. You can always leave me a comment if you’d like me set up one.

So how are your gardens doing? Flowers are pretty as a picture? Gardens growing like weeds? How about that tomato sitting in a pot? Or that upside down strawberry? I’d love to see whatever you have. A garden doesn’t mean something huge, it can be anything. Also got tips or ideas to share, I’d love to hear them too.

So on to my pictures.

 

  

Oh I also have to share my “helpers” yesterday. Jon was truly a great helper and Justin and Hannah gave it a try. We are missing a few beets and tomato plants but they are learning too.

So there you have it. I hope that life is treating you all wonderfully. Take care my friends and God Bless!!

How was your 4th?

Ours was amazing. We had our 13th annual family/friend reunion and had a turn out of 23 people. Sometimes there’s more, other times less but this year was just the perfect amount of people to be able to visit with everyone, play some games, eat some wonderful food and enjoy each other. I took some neat pictures of the kids playing games and really good pictures of people that I’ve never met but mama and daddy have been friends for way over 50 years. I also got a great picture of Cindy and I. Then in the late evening Mike got to shoot off his graduation fireworks which ended our day perfectly.

Life is now onward and upwards to the next thing. For now it’ll be somewhat normal with daycare, scouts, gardening and all. I’m ready for the normal. Enough big events this year to last awhile though I sure do love seeing all these people I don’t normal get to see.

Here are a few pictures of our day yesterday.

 

Mike always does the Flag Ceremony and wears his Boy Scout Uniform. His last year to wear it for this. Wish we had thought about the sash, oh well.

 

 

Scott has grown up so much this past year. Those two boys together are a riot. They went swimming in the lake this weekend. Our lake isn’t a swimming lake, at least not one you walk out from shore on. You have to take a boat out to the middle and swim and you could hear there laughing all over. It really was great!!

Here’s Cindy and I. For all your that know Cindy, she is doing pretty good. She still has some issues with her right eye but it’s healing. Her body is working hard at healing too.

 

Ever try picking up tooth picks with an oven mitt? The boys loved this one and Mike won with picking them up in 20 seconds.

Try stacking cups in the wind. That was a challenge.

 

How about catching water balloons with a pillow case. I didn’t manage to get to wet but my partner did and so did Scott.

 

Here’s just two of Mike’s many fireworks. We got to ohh and ahh our way into the night.

  

And this, is all the smoke left over from the fireworks. It looked so cool in the dark to see that.

So there you have our 4th of July. I sure do hope everything was as grand for you also. I hope everyone is now safe and sound at home ready to head on to the next adventure. What will that be? Hummm….camping I’m hoping. How about you?

Take care my friends, God Bless you all!!!

Tornado…

Less then two weeks ago a Tornado went though Wadena, MN, that is less then 100 miles west of me. Last weekend Jim and I went there and the devastation was horrible. One block would be fine, the next a little damage and then WHAM!!! there it all was. Today I received a link to view a video of the damage and I wanted to share it with you all. It doesn’t have a link to so I can paste the video in my blog but here’s the short cut to it. Just click on it and it’ll take you right to it. When you’re done looking, say a prayer for these people. On the west side of town was their school, grain businesses and farms and lots of homes.

Wadena's Tornado damage....

Take care my friends. God Bless you all!