I'm so proud!

Did you know there's a way to get college credits without having to use up four months of your life and several hundred dollars? There is! It's called CLEP testing. For several subjects (mostly stuff you'd take in the first two years of college) you can pay a small fee, take a test, and, if you pass, get college credit! Joshua took the biology CLEP test this week and passed it. Now he's got 6 college credits. Way to go Joshua!!

Where have I been, you ask?

It's been a crazy busy week! For the first half of the week, I took 8 teenagers AND a toddler on a 3 hour drive to north Dallas. Insane, yes, I know! But it was for a good cause. We were going to a prolife training seminar with Justice For All. If you've never heard of them, I HIGHLY recommend their seminars. It was utterly amazing! The first day is spent watching videos and doing extensive role playing. The next two days are spent on a college campus striking up conversations about abortion with total strangers. I told you it was amazing!  No, really, it was.  If you've always known that abortion is wrong and you believe life is a precious gift from God, but wouldn't know how to have a logical, respectful, CALM conversation with someone who disagrees, then JFA is just the group for you. The group of teens I took blew me away! There was not one ounce of timidity in the group. They boldly shared their faith in the presence of loud, obnoxious, in-your-face protesters.  Truly, it was awesome. I just can't explain how awesome it was!

Well, after four days carting teenagers all over town at very early hours in the morning, I was exhausted by the time we got home. I didn't do anything remotely requiring thinking for the next few days.

Last night some good friends of ours had a barn dance! It was so much fun! I've often wished someone we knew would do something like this. It was almost midnight by the time we got home. It sure was easier to dance the night away 20 years ago!

Last, but not least, Anna is doing something called Nanowrimo. She's living on the computer every waking moment. Since we've been so busy AWAY from the house, I've had to give up my own time on the 'puter for her. She's still behind on her word count though.

Whew! Are you tired yet? I'm still exhausted. Could have been the dancing last night ;o)

TTFN!

Just another Manic Monday!

Ok, so I went to bed with a bit of a cold last night. My plan for today was to take it easy. I had two small errands that I had to do because Monday is the only day they happen. Fine. I can handle that. Do the errands. Come home and put my feet up.  Yeah...... Right......

It all started with the words, "Mom, I think one of the chickens broke a leg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Yes, it had that many exclamations with it. We got some meat chickens about two months ago. They had a date with an executioner next week. One of them couldn't wait that long. I bet you didn't know this but it's actually dangerous for a meat bird's health to let them get TOO big. They get to where they can't carry themselves around anymore. Their hearts begin to be stressed and then they can just die anyway. So it's really doing them a favor to butcher them! Did you know that?

Apparently this poor chicken got too big for his britches. I couldn't stand the thought of coming this far with him only to have him die of fatness. He's supposed to go in my freezer, doggoneit!  So instead of my lay low day I had planned, we butchered a chicken. On Halloween! And we don't even celebrate Halloween!  The execution date for the others got moved up a week so hopefully we won't have any more surprises.

Now I'm going to go make a cup of tea. That's life on the farm!

TTFN!

Note to self

Don't leave a child's tooth in a cup inside the cupboard because you're too lazy to go find the tooth fairy pillow at 10:30pm. It's liable to be mistaken for an old crusty piece of yogurt or something and washed down the sink. Bad Mom!!

TTFN!

A Perfect Day!

What do you do on a perfect fall day in Oklahoma? When the weather is sunny and in the 70s? Why, you go to the pumpkin patch, that's what! We went in the evening so we could do the corn maze in the dark. The larger than life checker board was great even if I did get beat by one of my children. That's what I get for teaching them games, huh?

Nothing like playing king of the mountain on a giant hay bale.

Who would've ever thought a few metal buckets would be so much fun! Especially when they're hooked together and being dragged by a tractor.

This was the cutest pumpkin in the patch!

We had such a great time! Aaron and Elijah kept saying "we are SO lost" while we walked through the maze in the dark. We took a hay ride around the farm twice, once in the daylight and once in the dark. It was a beautiful night!

TTFN!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Morning sun shining on the homestead.

Caramel apples! Yum!

Chubby cheeked little boys with bobbing blonde curls and big blue eyes!

Pumpkins! Have you ever made a truly homemade pumpkin pie? I have! Nothing compares.

Walking through crunchy fall leaves with a talkative young girl!

These are a few of my favorite things!

TTFN!

Happy Birthday Micah!

For Christmas 2009, we had a very special little elf at our house. He was the sweetest baby. Hardly ever cried and was adored by all.

His sweet smile engaged everyone who looked his way. The older he got, the more his adoring fans fawned over him.

He's the smartest of babies. Always figuring things out for himself.

His chubby cheeks, big blonde curls and deep blue eyes are irresistible.

We had a birthday party at his cousins' house. The kiddos all dressed up for the party. Micah didn't have a choice in his costume. His personal dressers chose the Mickey Mouse costume.

Look how tall he's gotten! I can't believe Micah is already two! Where has the time gone?

Happy Birthday my little sweetie!

A few things I love about my sweet Micah:

1. You're so cute walking around holding your shirt tag.

2. You have the best manners, always saying "tea too" (thank you), whenever appropriate.

3. It's crazy adorable how you say "pee boo" (peek a boo) whenever you find something you've been looking for.

4. Your ability to do 100 piece puzzles at not quite two years old AMAZES me!

5. You are a sucker for a tractor ride!

TTFN!