Love our Family

I just want to say that I love my mom and my sister!  It was so good to see them on our little vacation. 

We had a fantastic time getting together with our family over the Christmas holiday.  I believe it has been 11 years, maybe 12 years since we have been there for Christmas time.  It was such a blessing.  It was also so cool and unbelieveable how much the cousins have grown and changed!  I just was in shock the whole night!!!  Why do they have to grow? 
God has truly blessed our whole family! 
I love them all.

Amazing Technology

I was so excited today!  Today was a great day...not only did I get to talk to my mom on the phone for FOUR hours (yep, we did...love my momma!), but my daughter was able to chat with her BEST friend on video chat with her new ipod touch!  Now this may not seem very exciting to some, but my daughters best friend moved.  They have been friends since they were five years old and now they are "almost" 13!  Also, her friend didn't just move down the street...they moved to CHINA!  Yes they did and we are so very proud of them.  I know that God is working wonders in them for the chinese people.  However, it is still hard for a "almost" 13 year old to understand and come to realization that she can't see her best friend anymore.  However, God is great.  With our awesome technology my daughter and her best friend were able to see one another for the first time since they moved!  She's in China and my daughter is here in Idaho!  What a super duper blessing!  WOW!  They chatted twice today.  It is almost 9am Tuesday morning in China right now and my daughter got to see the family cooking waffles!  Who knew!  What a blessing!!!! 

Best friend in China and my daughter chatting with her!  SO COOL!

Can you see the happiness?  YEAH!  So thankful to be able to do this.  It really made my girl happy.

Scripture & a Snapshot



For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.  Romans 8:19

Merry Christmas and I will post more soon!



So excited to be leaving for a few days to see family for Christmas!  Haven't been able to do that for (I think) 11 years!!!  I ask that the Lord will protect us on this drive, for the roads may be icy.
I look forward to seeing all our families faces.  Hearing their laughs.  Getting to caught up on things.  Feeling their love.  Very Blessed are we.  This will be a very Merry CHRISTmas!

Christmas Party

Every year we enjoy my husbands employee Christmas party.  Although the adults come to visit and share stories, I think the children enjoy it the most.  There must have been 80 kids (I am guessing) and each and every one received a gift from Santa.  We are thankful and appreciate what this mountain does for all our families.  THANK YOU!

Yes I am a proud wife.  He makes me smile.  He makes me laugh.  He fills my world with much joy!  I am blessed.

Even my sweet oldest was able to say hi to Santa.  She would have been content without seeing him.  She and her friend waited to the very last, so the younger kids could get the gifts first.  There will always be a young spirit inside her.  I am proud. 

My baby...she is growing up so fast.  She was very excited to see Santa.  Though she always tells me the "real" meaning of "CHRIST"mas.  She says she still likes Santa, but she knows that Christmas is about Jesus.

 

I think she is a happy girl!  Don't you?

Beautiful evening for a Christmas Party!

Comfort in Times Like These

Paul wrote:  Philippians 4:12-13 & 19
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Special Moments and Memories

Sleigh ride horses!  They were so beautiful.  Powerful!

Entering Western Pleasures - Merry Christmas.

Just enough snow for the sleigh ride.  Perfectly perfect.

Christmas decorations.

Three ladies enjoying special moments.  So thankful!

Mark 12:11  This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see!

Fantastic Fun During the Holidays



12-7-11 Girls worked hard on their fantastic GingerBread House!  Ready for the competition.

12-8-11 So the next day we headed out for Western Pleasures Ranch and hopped on for a super fun sleigh ride!!

12-8-11 At the end of our fun day at Western Pleasures the girls were rewarded 1st place for their Gingerbread house!!! Go Girls!!!

12-8-11 We had a great day!

Melina enjoying the sleigh ride!

Olline having fun on the fast sleigh ride!

Scripture and a Snapshot

This is the day that the Lord has made...Let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Oh, this is the day!
Let us see Him...feel Him...Believe in Him!
His spirit will bring you much joy.
His path will guide you to great places.
His love will fill you with pure happiness.
Our Lord is good.  Everlasting.  Almighty. Powerful.
Great is His name!
Just Believe.  His gift is Eternal Life!
There is nothing greater than God.
Amen!

Our Home and Their Home

We are not fancy. Simple.  Quiet. Content.  We have what we have.  Thankful.  Blessed.

 

Look what my husband found? A very incredible creation. Only God could design such creatures to make this complex home. Although I find this super scary, I do see it as a piece of art! I am so glad they are not awake. 

Welcome home????

Give Thanks

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations!

Being that I never share photos of my Kiwi girl, here she is!  She is always sleeping due to her old age, so I never can get a real good photo of her.  She is my angel and I love her so much.

I hope that your thanksgiving is filled with His glory!  I am so thankful for all He has blessed us with. 

Snow's a blowin'

I am so proud to say that we did it!  We actually have power in our coop now.  Well, we've had power for a few days now, but I just haven't blogged about it yet.  The girls have a fluorescent "soft white" light fixture so that we can provide longer light periods.  Which means more eggs!  So at 4:30pm the light automatically comes on (we set a timer) and the hens come in and enjoy more "day" light.  We also have a heat lamp right now that shines on the metal water tank so it doesn't freeze up too much.  It is fantastic and I love it.  Today with all the snow the chickens are just huddled under the "cage" part of the coop.  They go inside to eat, drink, and lay eggs and that's about it.  If it were me I would stay in the coop all day!

Bison...Bison...Bison!  Love this dog.  He is melting my heart these days.  We have been working very hard with him and I haven't been feeling super "attached" yet.  However, he is really becoming a good dog and he is growing on me.  I think I maybe starting to "love" him...hee.  Also, can you see his ID tag?  It says BISON on it with a silhouette of a buffalo on it!  On the back is our address and telephone numbers!  I LOVE IT.  A lady in New York made it.  You can check her site out www.TagMePetTags.com Her name is Wendy and she custom made this one for Bison!  Very cool!

Here are the girls and Bison playing in our 16 inches of snow.  I didn't technically measure, but it is somewhere near 16 inches!  I do believe we are suppose to receive more!  So much fun!

I almost forgot to share this photo!  Before I started to shovel the snow off I snagged a photo of how much snow we did receive!!!  Maybe that is more than 16 inches!!!!!  I think we were NOT prepared for this.  We still had our summer picnic tables up!  HELP!  I did shovel and put away most of this stuff.  However, my sweet strong man will need to help me do the rest!  What would I do without that man???

This verse was printed on business cards for customers to take at our local Carter Country store where I get cat/dog food.  I love that they are bold enough to wear their faith on their sleeves!  Thank you.

Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created!  Psalm 119:90

School and Snow

May the Lord Bless your Day!

Homeschooling...isn't it wonderful?  If we didn't homeschool, I wouldn't be able to take photos of my girls.  I wouldn't be able to see how they think.  My girl here is thinking deeply about her multiplication problems!  I love this.  I love that I have this moment and opportunity!  God is great and I am so thankful.  Yes, it's a hard job.  Yes, I do get frustrated.  However, the results, the moments, the bonding, the lessons, the love and great times all outway the hard times.

Our first snow.  We still have apples hanging on our tree.  So beautiful!



11-12-11  Our first snow fall.



Digging in the Dirt

Some days are just tough.  Some days there is a block in the road.  Some days we just don't understand.  Today is one of those days.  Feeling tired.  Feeling frustrated. Feeling like I just want to quit.  Somehow, I take a deep breath and I realize it's all okay.  Just let go and let God.  I won't go into details, because it's a bunch of petty stuff.  Stuff that just "gets" to you.  Just stuff.  Just stuff. 
Also, there has been some serious digging going on here today!  For one, I caught our 3 1/2 month old Bison boy digging!  Somehow I think that "maybe" this dog won't be a digger.  WHAT AM I THINKING?  Most dogs are DIGGERS!  I should have known.  If I spray vinegar water on the "area" he shouldn't dig, it helps.  However, I forgot and he DUG!  Bad boy Bison.  Heee.  I caught his sad face.  I didn't even scold him, he was just sad when I caught him. 

My husband has also been digging.  He has dug a HUGE trench in our backyard.  I hope he is ok.  I don't think he would have done the digging if it weren't for me.  I am the one who wanted the chickens.  He is setting it up for pipes and wiring for the electricity/water to be ran to the coop!  Also, to drain the water we get every year (that floods in our backyard) to the draining ditches in the front of the yard.  Crazy stuff.

Oh, and it snowed!  Our first snow.  Nothing big.  Just a few light flurries.  Ski season is almost here!

Bad Boy Bison after I caught him digging! 

Jade has dug a trench in the back yard.



Down in the trenches



God Bless you all!

For the Photographers

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More Halloween Photos

I just feel that these are the best pictures I have ever taken.  I think only because we went out right after it rained and the evening sun was perfect.  Yes I did do some adjustments on a few of these for fun...but I still feel they are great.  The girls and I had so much fun taking them that I had to share more!!! 

My prayers are that your days are filled with His strength and happiness.  Remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).  I always have to remind myself this, for I can sometimes get down and feel like the world is taking over.  He is our purpose and our LIFE!  Remember to let go and let God guide us.  In Him we can overcome all obstacles!  

Our Halloween

We had a great Halloween evening.  Girls got ready, took some photos and we were off to meet our friends for some Trick or Treating!  It was cold, but thankfully it didn't rain!  Five minutes before I took these photos it was raining (almost snowing)! 
God Bless you all!

Olline as a Dark Bride and Melina as a Bee...so Cute!



Beautiful Olline ready for Trick or Treating



Melina ready for Halloween...so pretty!

More Swim Photos

Rain, rain, rain...that is the story for the day!  Tried to carve pumpkins, but for some reason we couldn't get the knife to penetrate the large orange orb!  Weird.  Both the girls pumpkins were so tough we gave up.  Olline was able to carve my smaller pumpkin and Melina is still working on Jade's pumpkin.  It is a strange year!  I am at a loss of words.  I find myself starring at the computer.  So I leave you with more swim meet photos:

Melina, Coach Mike, and Jenna.  Love our Coach Mike.  He cares and loves his swim team! 

Sweet Olline practicing.

Melina in the center, practicing for her events to come.