Mr. Tom - come home young man!

Our Sweet little Mr. Tom is missing. We have not seen him around here in about 2 weeks. I don't know if someone decided they wanted him or if he picked a fight with another fella that was bigger than him. There was probably a lady involved, I'm sure. We miss him and hope he is ok.

Thanksgiving History

Thanksgiving was first observed when the Pilgrims first settled in the New World. In 1789 George Washington issued a proclamation and America celebrated its first Day of Thanksgiving but it was not a National Holiday. This didn't happen until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday of November as a national Day of Thanksgiving. In 1941, Congress established it as the fourth Thursday in November (sometimes there are five). Canada has a harvest Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October.

I wish you all a very "thankful" Thanksgiving!

Psalms 140:1 - "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence."

Fall Apple Crisp

Today I really wanted something sweet for dessert that used my fall apples that I had just put in the freezer. This recipe is so simple but is really good.

The topping (my favorite part) combine these ingredients:

1/2 Cup all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup whole wheat flour

1 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup of Old Fashioned oats

1 1/2 sticks of butter (slightly melted)

I used a pastry blender, which worked nicely to blend this part. I think next time I will add in a few pieces of pecans or walnuts.

In a bowl toss your apples with a little lemon juice, then add:

3 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/3 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Stir to coat apples then place them in a baking dish and cover with topping.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 - 55 mins. Depending on your oven, you may need to lay a piece of foil on top to keep it from browning too much until the apples are just right.

Now comes the fun part! Enjoy and don't forget the ice cream!

Indea Claire

This is just the sweetest little photo of precious Indea Claire. No she is not my child but the little one of my best friend Eleece. I love to claim her but I know she really belongs to Eleece. Indea is quite the little model for the camera and Bailey loves to take her picture any chance she gets.

Pumpkin Time!

After our fall festival, a friend gave me two pumpkins to cook. These are not regular carving kind of pumpkins, they are called pie pumpkins. I decided to cook them and put them in the freezer for the holiday season.

First you wash them to remove any dirt that might still be on them.

Then you cut open the top and remove all the seeds and strings....or whatever you call that. I used an ice cream scoop to help with this process. It worked pretty well.

Then you cut them in half and place them on a baking dish with a small amt of water. Just enough to keep them moist. Probably about a cup. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

I then scooped out the meat of the pumpkin and placed it into my bosch food processor. I did have to add in a little of the water from the baking dish to get it to blend up nicely. Not too much.

Now it is all ready for the freezer. I can use this for pumpkin pies or bread! :o)

I also cooked the pumpkin seeds. Just wash & boil them for 10 mins in salt water, then drain & put them in the oven for about 15 mins on 400 degrees. You may need to stir/toss them once or twice while toasting. I added a little Italian seasoning and fresh parmesan cheese to mine before putting them in the oven. Yummy!

I love Fall Activities!

Family Cow

I know this may seem ridiculous to some, but I really want a family cow. Yes I have done all the research and know how hard it will be. I know they have to be milked twice a day, everyday, including Christmas and Easter Sunday. I also know how healthy raw milk is for you and just love the idea of having my own to drink. I want to learn how to make cheese and I already know how to make butter, yogurt and sour cream. I have read about this subject for some time now and plan to get a newborn Jersey to bottle feed at some point. I think spring time would be best for starting one out. That way it will be warmer for a baby to be without it's mother and we will be able to spend more time with it.

The other day, I got to experience milking a sweet Jersey named Bell. I was traveling down a country road and saw her in a pasture. You don't normally see dairy cows around here, so I stopped in to find a friendly homeschool family. They sell eggs from their chickens and share Bell with another family. Each family takes their turn at milking her, one in the morning and one in the evening. They said it was milking time and I got to help! I was so excited to really know what it is like to milk a cow.

Now I know I want one! :o)

Our Bennett turns 13!

We can hardly believe our baby boy was 13 years old yesterday!

Our kids and a few of their friends came for the celebration. (dad took the pic)

The amazing part is he was a preemie, born 6 1/2 wks early and is now almost 6 ft tall!

He is such a comedian. He keeps us all laughing. I will say, at least he is doing school, maybe!






He loves to take funny pictures of himself!

Size 11 already!

My prayer is that you will grow up to be a man after God's own heart!

This one was taken a few birthdays ago! My, how fast they grow!



"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man."

Proverbs 3:1-4

God's Will

"Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into thy land of uprightness."

Psalm 143:10

It is sometimes very difficult to make decisions and know what God's will is for our lives. It just doesn't seem clear at times. Keith & I are seeking God's direction in a specific decision. God has been so faithful to bring us thru the last 7 months of being laid off and providing new employment for us now. I feel His presence and know He is listening. For that I am so thankful. Sometimes I just wish for more direct answers that would reassure me but I know that He desires for us to rely on Him and thru this dependency He is Glorified.

"For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding."
Proverbs 2:6

A Surprise Baby Filly

This baby was a surprise that was born during the night.

She warmed up to Bailey right away!

She is a beautiful healthy little girl ! Mr. Ken, the horse's owner, is going to give Bailey the next little foal born at their farm. She is so excited and we are very happy for her!

Bailey's Best Day EVER!

Today Bailey got an experience of a lifetime! She got to go out to a couple different horse farms with a friend of ours who is an Equine Specialist.

This is a mare that is ready to deliver a foal just any day.





Bailey is thinking about doing something in this field of study and it was a great experience for her.

This is the pregnant mare, waiting to be checked! Yes, I said checked.

Guess who checked her! Yep, Bailey got to feel the baby! She loved it!
When she got home she was so excited, exhausted but excited!

She even made a little money too.. :o)

Peaceful Day!

Bailey and our neighbor's beautiful horse in the field next to our home.

Well the wood is stacked and waiting for winter!