Awana Games

Last Saturday, we all packed up for the big event! An event my youngest has worked so very hard for.  An event you get chosen to be a part of!  It's a big deal and we are so proud of our youngest!  Yes, my friends, it's the annual Awana Games!  It's huge, it's wild, and it's a load of fun!  So many young kids gather in the name of our Lord to play all sorts of crazy games!  It was so much fun and we can't wait for next year!

Our red team girls lined up and ready.

Our girl won this event!!!!

Oh...so...intense!!!

Pull RED!  PULL!!!

That's our girl!!!

Get Ready!

Great Friends!

And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God.  Philippians 1:9-11

Homestead Life

Well, the life of having animals can sometimes be hard. I can't imagine having a real farm!  Two days ago we lost one of our chickens!  I do not know the reason for her dieing.   In fact the day before all the girls looked to be super healthy and well.  So, when my youngest went out the next day in the afternoon, she was very shocked to see her little chicken curled up in the straw.  She did handle it very well.  No tears...just worry and wonder.  

So, I know I have been sharing so many chicken photos. I promise I will try and take different scenery!  I just wanted to share a little reality to the homestead life.  This is the first chicken we have lost to an unknown reason!  

Also, today (not shown in these photos) the rain has come back full force!   Right when I thought things would dry up, the Lord has given us more rain.   

Have a blessed day!  And may God lead your way! 

3-12-14  The other ladies just didn't understand what happened to their sister!  Even they knew something wasn't right.

3-12-14  It was another beautiful day!  Our backyard lake was drying up!

3-12-14  Such a pretty chicken.

3-12-14 Feels good to be outside.

3-12-14  Youngest with her chicken.

Spring IS here!

Well, today is a good day!   Thank you to our Heavenly Father for a little sunshine!  See, I knew when the ugly, nasty, and wet weather came there would be a light at the end of the tunnel.  And yes, it all does make you appreciate the beauty even more!   I thank the Lord for all of it. The ugly and the beautiful. 
Through a day of homeschooling you could just feel a little difference in everybody's attitudes. You could feel the light shine in all of us. God is so good.  When I took my eldest girl to her first day of Driver's Training (yes, it is happening...my teen will be driving soon!), the car was warm!   The sun had heated up our car seats and I didn't even need to turn the heat on!  Just felt so good! 
Then when I returned home, I felt "springy" and decided to walk my dog.  It was fabulous and I couldn't help but feel revived!  I also let the chicken ladies loose and they seem like new birds as well!  Isn't it amazing at what a little sun and warmth can do?  I hope and pray more of you out there felt a little sunshine and peace today!  A little more energy and a sense of Gods wonders!

Bison boy after his walk.

Chicken Ladies running around and enjoying the sun!

Even our cat Cortez is enjoying it all!

God Bless you all!  Remember too look for all His beauty!

Is it Spring?

Hello there.  It has been so long since I have been able to sit down here and write on this so called blog of mine.  I just don't set aside time to make this blog what I "envision" it to be.  What is getting in my way?  Well, I hope that I can find time this month to dig in and really work at what I can add to my blog.   I want to stretch my photos like never before.  I also want to share all the wonderful things God has shown me in His Word! 

As for today, I just thought I would share a little on our nasty weather. It has been ugly and scary.  Wet and wild. And I know when that sun does shine we will all appreciate it even more! 
Our chickens have been oh so confused as to what is happening in their little neck of the woods.  With the weather going this way and that, the chickens have hardly been able to step outside.  We've had freezing temps (with wind chills below zero) with massive winds, and then warm temps with extreme heavy rains!  Just yesterday, as I was sleeping, I could hear our neighbor plowing the yards and roads with his big CAT plow.  In my deep slumber all I could feel was "what in the world is our neighbor doing?", "Please STOP!". Heaven forbid I lose any sleep!  Then when I did wake up to take a look at our back yard, I realized and thanked my neighbor!  He saved us from a possible house flooding!  The backyard water level was up to the deck and when my oldest went to see how the chickens were doing she couldn't cross the "lake" because it was up to her knees!  Our awesome neighbor had plowed sections to release the waters to the front ditches to keep the neighbors from flooding!   It worked and the water levels were dropping. Fewwwwww!  

Today, the water in the backyard is still nasty, wet and down right ugly.  However, I am so thankful at all the hard work our neighbor did to help us not have flooding issues.  He still has the sub-pump running to keep the waters flowing to the front of the houses instead of sitting in the backyards.   I can't wait for some sunny weather and snow free yards!  It will be nice to have green grass and gardens again!  But this is Idaho and you never know what sort of weather you will have to endure!

Here are a few photos I took this afternoon to show what it all feels and looks like:

Our Bison boy finding his way through our backyard river!

I do believe this is Hiccup.  She is our friendliest chicken.

Heeee!

Doing the chicken dance! 

Yum!

The ladies were so excited to have a few fresh greens and scratch!  They haven't seen fresh grass in so long, so this was a special treat!

Love our chicken ladies!

Love Bogs!  These boots have helped us get through a lot in this backyard!  You can go anywhere in these boots. 

I hope all of you out there experiencing wild weather are doing well.  I pray that we are all turning to our Lord and seeing all the beauty He has provided for us in this month of March.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Roman 15:13

Live Wisely

I want to live wisely.  I want to listen more.  I want to obey the things God is calling me to do.  I want to pray more than ever and have a strong relationship with our Lord Jesus.  I will not be perfect and I know I will forget, but I will try and I know that Lord will be there for me always.  

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.  Colossians 4:5-6

12-18-13 Christmas party!  Santa came.

1-8-14  We are finally getting some real snow!

I would like to spend this year focusing more on our Lord.  Because I know when I do that all things come into place. 
Happy New Year!

Reflection

Today, I would just like to share a few pictures I took during early Autumn. These little Pine Siskins came to clean out our sunflowers!  It was so fun to watch.  I think at one time there were six birds visiting.  It was a beautiful day and perfect day for pictures.  Hope you enjoy!

There are 5 friends in this photo!

I pray that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving day!  We had a very nice one.  Just us four, together, enjoying each other.  So nice that my girls are older and we can enjoy more things together.  I am so thankful for my family!  Thankful to our Lord for all He has blessed us with!

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT)

Photo Day - Summer Catch Up

8-4-13 Castle on the Lake

8-4-13  I have lived here now for 14 years and they have been working on this castle since!  There has been so much done in these 14 years, but just think of how long it took all those Medieval time people to finish their castles!!!!

8-4-13  Rapunzel, Rapunzel...please let down your hair!!!  I want to live here!!!

8-4-13  Here is the Captain of the ship!  I love this man!  He is the best Dad EVER!

8-4-13  Enjoying the Pontoon!

8-4-13  This summer we were so blessed with having my brother all the way from New York.  I love him deeply and having him visit us made our summer perfect!  Wish I could keep him here.

8-4-13  Brother enjoying the Pontoon!

8-4-13  Arrrgggg Matey!

8-4-13  On the Docks, making great memories!

8-4-13 Meme and her girl! 

8-4-13  Meme enjoying the Pontoon!

8-4-13  My girl loving the open spaces!

8-4-13  Captain, giving the thumb of approval!

8-4-13  Storms a brewing across the way!  Such beauty here!  PTL!

Love sharing great times with my family!  This was such a wonderful day!  Being with my brother here in my hometown was priceless!  I miss him so much.  Can't wait to see him again!

Thank you mom and dad for always treating us with great times, but mostly for your incredible love!

God has blessed this family and I am so grateful for them.  Thank you Lord for all you do for us.  For giving us these great moments.  May we draw closer to You because of them!

School Has Begun...but first...

It has been such a long time since my last blog.  Truly time must be getting faster!  I wanted to share a few firework photos of our celebration for America and also my parents birthdays!  This year my parents were not able to come, but we still celebrated the fourth of July as if they were here!  We love them dearly and are proud of them as well!  Missed them extremely, but we were blessed with a visit from them with my brother (from New York) this month.  Hopefully I will get those photos ready to share that adventure!!! 

Love fireworks!

Oooooo....Aaaahhhhhh!  These were the fireworks right down at our city beach.  We didn't have our boat this year (sniff sniff), but we were blessed as always with a great show!

Happy Birthday American and Mom and Dad!

My sweet girl enjoying beach time! 

She played and played and met a new friend.  She is my social gal!

Here is my sweetie watching the Fourth of July parade downtown.  It was a great little parade and thankful we have this in our town.

So, now that it is August and now that we have a Freshman High School-er we decided to start school last Monday!  Our curriculum is brand new and we love it so far!  My eldest daughter has been showing super responsibility and getting up super early (hate to admit, but earlier than me!) and starting off with Geometry!  Crazy!  She has accomplished so much in just this one week!  From writing her first argumentative essay, to Bible study, Logic, Biology, Geometry, Apologetics, Chinese and more!  Wow...she is in for a real full year!  Plus, starting on Monday both girls will be involved for the first time in volleyball!  
My youngest (5th grade now) will start school Monday and we will be in full swing of the school year!  School, Music, Sports, Life, etc...

May God Bless you all during this next month...hopefully I will be back soon for another update!