Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving. Time goes by like a freight train! I thought I would share some things that I am thankful for.

I am thankful for:

-my salvation
-God's mercy and forgiveness
- my husband who is a faithful man and a hard worker
-my six children. I am thankful for each one of them and what they bring to the family. Each one is so very different and very special!
-that my parents and Marc's parents are all still alive and my children can be a part of their lives.
-living out in the country
-animals that provide for our family (and some that contribute nothing but eating up our money! :o)
-my bed, nothing like laying in my bed reading after a long day!
-the beautiful weather we have been having. I do NOT enjoy cold weather!
-the privilege to home school my children. Some days I don't act like it is a privilege, but I can't imagine them being anywhere else but here with me.
-our church, I am thankful for our pastor who reinforces the things that we are teaching our children at home. I am thankful for good friends that my children have, and that they are being raised in a similar way.
-for God's protection over my family two years ago in the car accident.
-for God's protection over Mariah when she was kicked by one of our horses.
-laughter that my children (two in particular! :o) bring to our home.

Well I guess I could go on and on but I will end it there. Tonight during our family Bible time (Madeline posted about it here) Marc asked us to all name two things that we were thankful for. Everyone said things like "salvation, family, finishing the chicken pen, being together with family etc. It came time for Malachi and he said, "My toys and playing with my G.I.Joe" I kind of chuckled and said, "Wow that was deep." Matthew said, "He is only five. How deep do you think he can go?" Just sitting and listening to my children talk is such entertainment! :o)

Hope you all (if you live in the United States) have a Happy Thanksgiving! (Which makes me think....... I noticed some really interesting places on the blog map of people reading from other countries. I would love to get a comment from you and how in the world (ha ha no pun intended!) you found my little ole blog! :o)



Psalm 100



Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God:it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,and into his courts with praise:be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good;his mercy is everlasting;and his truth endureth to all generations.

Cleansing the Home

Last Sunday our pastor preached on cleansing your home from things that could bring spiritual harm to your family. We have heard him teach on this before but it is always good to be reminded of the things that we often let our guard down on. He talked about fear, anxiety, anger, lust, even health problems and how it can be directly related to things in your home. As parents we should be constantly going through books, movies, magazines, and even objects that could invite demons into our homes. We have always tried to be careful of what kinds of things come into our home even to the point that we throw sales papers and catalogs away when they come in the mail. Can you believe the pornography that comes even in a department store ad!? Anyway, one area that we have dropped the ball on and were convicted in was books. Our pastor said if a book contradicts scripture it should be burned! How many seemingly innocent books contradict scripture? Truth.... it is a word that keeps popping up around here. I want my children immersed in God's truth! Here are some quotes we have heard just in the last week that I have been pondering....



"Truth without love is harshness. Love without truth is compromise."



"Truth doesn't change just because it is uncomfortable."



"Truth without application is useless."

Here is our little Myles Truth. :o)

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Here are some funny pictures that McKenzie took of Mariah and Malachi the other day. It has been like spring lately and the kids are loving it! Malachi drives us crazy until Mariah is finished with school and can go out to play with him.

Basha has put up with so much nonsense over the years. :o)

Pioneers driving their wagon. :o)

A fall day...

I rarely take pictures because McKenzie does a better job, but the other day I went camera crazy! It has been unseasonably (even for the south!) warm lately and yesterday a storm was brewing. The children went outside and played in the leaves and it just looked like good lighting to snap some fun pictures of them! :o)

Well, actually this is one that McKenzie took of Madeline after she got 9 inches cut off her hair. She donated it to Locks of Love. My girls have always talked about doing that so it was pretty neat to finally get to!

This cozy coupe was McKenzie's. Little Tikes is tough stuff!

McKenzie works two afternoons a week at a music studio teaching piano. We all hate the days that she is gone!

These two little guys are FULL of energy!

Don't feel too bad for Myles, he holds his own! :o)

Mariah had about 6 inches cut off of hers. You have to have at least 8 inches to donate. You can't tell with her hair in a braid, but it does look shorter!

Jumping pictures are always fun!

Worn out...

Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Bread

When fall hits we bake lots of zucchini and pumpkin bread at our house. We use this recipe with just a few changes. We use fresh ground whole wheat flour, a little less nutmeg than it calls for, sucanat instead of sugar (and I only use 2 1/2 cups.) I made some today and the kitchen smells so good! :o)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, canola oil, water, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until smooth.
4. Slowly blend in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Evenly divide batter between the three loaf pans.
5. Bake for 60 minutes, or until browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove loaves from oven and cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. With a knife, go around the bread and loosen the loaves. Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

Mariah

The same little girl that put this in my bed last night....

put this by my bed tonight. :o)


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Mariah has been learning about verbs in English lately. In her lesson today she had to write a poem and use the words "come" and "gone". This is what she wrote....

Winter has gone and springtime has come;

I love spring, it is so much fun.

Flowers grow and the sun shines on me;

That's the way I like it to be.

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She is my new running buddy! I usually let her come out and finish the last mile with me. The other day she asked if she could do two.She did it!

A fall walk...

McKenzie recently bought a new dairy goat. One day Malachi asked me over and over again to take him out to see the new goat. I had no desire to go back to the barn to see goats! I felt bad as the day was coming to an end and decided to take the two little boys outside. They had so much fun!


Quite pleased to meet "Rose".

Talking to "Nilla"

This little guy almost always has a smile on his face.

I captured Myles with a smile. He is usually my serious one.

McKenzie's "girls"

Visiting "Candy"

Myles ended up staying out past dark and went milking with McKenzie.

Sometimes I have to force myself to forget my "to do" list and remember the little things in life are much more important!

Chicken Pox

Several years ago my oldest five children had chicken pox. McKenzie was 14 at the time and it was horrible! I really wanted Myles to get them while he was little. Last spring I drove an hour and a half to expose him to them. He didn't get it and I figured I would have to try again next spring. Thanks to vaccines it is hard to find cases of them now. I was so excited last week (well, the timing was bad... that is another post!) when we realized he was getting red spots all over him! :o)

Isn't he pretty! :o)

I put him in front of the mirror and he was scared of himself. Later he looked at his hands and said, "Oh no! Yuk, yuk!"

Now a week and a half later his skin is clearing up and it was really a breeze! SO much better to get it while they are young!

Redneck trampoline...

Fair 2011

It has been a busy fall and I am going to attempt to catch up posting some of our hundreds of pictures. About a month ago the fair was in town. It is a huge fair and lots of fun to go to every year. We always try to find a food contest to enter so we can get in for free. This year we did the pie contest so that we would have the pies for dessert later in the day. It was hilarious because I threw mine together the night before without a recipe and got 2nd in the adult division. :o) It was made with sucanat and it wasn't very pretty!

Madeline got 1st place in the youth class! It was her first blue ribbon at the fair.

I was impressed that Matthew even made one. He did it by himself and even made his crust from scratch!

McKenzie entered lots of sewing projects and canning. The two blue ribbons (and yellow one) are hers! :o)

Madeline got 2nd on her knit hat.

The cows are always one of our favorites to see!

"The look, the feel of cotton, the fabric of our lives...."

Myles riding with grandma on her "hot rod"!

McKenzie's dress.Pajama pants that Madeline made for Myles. This is the first sewing project that she has ever done by herself.

More knitting by Madeline.

McKenzie's pillow. The girls placed 1st or 2nd on everything they entered! :o)

A boy and a tractor.... the thrill!

Matthew checking out the engine. For as long as I can remember he has always been fascinated with how things work.

Waiting for the alligator show.

With grandma and pa after a long day at the fair.

We went another day so that Marc could go. We entered a soap carving contest. Marc wouldn't do it but I did. I did a fabulous job! ha

McKenzie really put a lot of effort into hers!

Mariah got second place in the younger youth division and Matt got 1st in the older youth! My children are much more creative than I am! :o)

Madeline has been raising chickens for several years. She has always loved baby chicks.

Well, that is just a few of our fair pictures! Until next time...